FNUS74 KEPZ 182230
FWSEPZ

FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR RANCHO GRANDE PILES...USFS RESERVE RANGER DISTRICT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
330 PM MST MON JAN 18 2010

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0800 MST ON JANUARY 19.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TUESDAY TO 11 AM MST
WEDNESDAY...

.DISCUSSION...
WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE BURN SITE FROM THE WEST LATER
THIS EVENING...SPREADING RAIN SHOWERS AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW ACROSS
THE AREA BEGINNING TUESDAY MID MORNING. SNOW LEVELS START OUT ABOVE
8000 FEET IN THE MORNING...LOWERING TO BELOW 6000 FEET BY WEDNESDAY.
TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ABOVE 6500 FEET
BY WEDNESDAY.  THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHERE EXISTING SNOW PACK WILL HAVE
EXPOSURE TO RAIN FALL INITIALLY WITH THIS SYSTEM IS SHRINKING.
THIS MEANS A DIMINISHING THREAT OF LOWER ELEVATION FLOODING WITH THIS
SYSTEM.

.TUESDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (90-100 PERCENT). NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS
                    IN THE MORNING...THEN NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS IN
                    THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................70 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....49-54.
MIN HUMIDITY........34-39 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH-SOUTHWEST5 TO 9 MPH IN THE MORNING...INCREASING
                    TO 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

.TUESDAY TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (95-100 PERCENT). NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS.
CWR.................90 PERCENT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....31-36.
MAX HUMIDITY........61-66 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH 12 TO 16 MPH.

.WEDNESDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (95-100 PERCENT). NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS
                    IN THE MORNING...THEN NUMEROUS RAIN AND SNOW
                    SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................100 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....44-49.
MIN HUMIDITY........40-45 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........SOUTH-SOUTHWEST 7 TO 12 MPH IN THE MORNING...INCREASING
                    TO 12 TO 18 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON WITH OCCASIONAL
                    GUSTS TO 24 MPH.


$$
FORECASTER...TRIPOLI
REQUESTED BY...PETE DELGADO
REASON FOR REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20100119.RANCH.01/EPZ