FNUS75 KEPZ 222038 FWSEPZ SPOT FORECAST FOR SIERRA BLANCA UNIT 2 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 138 PM MST MON FEB 22 2010 IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE, CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR SIERRA BLANCA UNIT 2...BLM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 744 AM MST MON FEB 22 2010 UPDATED AT 1330 MST MAINLY FOR WINDS. FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0725 MST ON FEBRUARY 22. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DISCUSSION... ...PUT DISCUSSION TEXT HERE... A STRONG UPPER TROUGH OF LOW PRESURE OVER COLO SOUTHWESTWARD INTO ARIZ IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AND PUSHING DOWN STRONGER WINDS ALOFT THAT ORIGINALLY FCST OVER THE ENTIRE AREA. THESE WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BACK TO MORE NW BY EVENING THEN SHIFT TO THE NNE AROUND MIDNIGHT AS A SURFACE POLAR FRONT MOVES INTO THE BORDERLAND FROM THE NORTH. ----------- A WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL GENERATE LOWLAND RAIN SHOWERS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE AREA TODAY...TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS MAY GET UP TO 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ABOVE 5000 FEET BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. A POLAR COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH NORTHEAST WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AROUND MIDNIGHT AND LOWER TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION...CAUSING RAIN TO CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. SOME LOW ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE MAY SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE CLEARING FROM THE NORTHWEST TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (80-90 PERCENT). SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. 1 TO 2 INCHES BELOW 7000 FEET AND 2 TO 4 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FT. CWR.................60 PERCENT. MAX TEMPERATURE.....34 TO 39. MIN HUMIDITY........62-67 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........SOUTHWEST TO WEST 15 TO 22 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 37 MPH. .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (85-95 PERCENT). NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS. 3 TO 5 INCHES BELOW 6000 AND 5 TO 10 INCHES ABOVE. CWR.................70 PERCENT. MIN TEMPERATURE.....16-21. MAX HUMIDITY........91-96 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........NORTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST 12 TO 22 MPH AROUND MIDNIGHT. .TUESDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (75-85 PERCENT). SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY MORNING HOURS. 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE. CLEARING FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE AFTERNOON. CWR.................50 PERCENT. MAX TEMPERATURE.....27-32. MIN HUMIDITY........70-75 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........NORTHEAST TO EAST 12 TO 22 MPH BECOMING NORTH TO NORTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. $$ REQUESTED BY...KEN ROBERTS REASON FOR REQUEST...UNDER THE INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT FOR METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES (USFS, BLM, NPS, U