FNUS75 KABQ 211734
FWSABQ

SPOT FORECAST FOR VALLE CANYON FIRE...SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1134 AM MDT MON MAR 21 2011

IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING...

DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER VERY DRY DAY BUT NOT AS EXTREME AS SUNDAY. WINDS THOUGH WILL
BE HIGHER BOTH AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND RIDGE TOPS CREATING CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. COLD FRONT TO SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA LATE
TONIGHT/EARLY TUESDAY WITH A SHIFT IN THE WINDS TO THE WEST. MUCH
COOLER LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY WITH HIGHER RELATIVE HUMIDITIES.

FOR TODAY
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......PARTLY CLOUDY.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......0 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MAX 54-58.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MIN 10-15 PERCENT.
   20 FOOT WIND........SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH INCREASING TO
                       25 TO 35 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON ON RIDGE TOPS.
                       GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH AT RIDGE TOP. ERRATIC
                       TERRAIN DRIVEN WINDS IN LOWER THIRD OF THE
                       CANYON. GENERALLY UPSLOPE/UP CANYON WINDS
                       8 TO 14 MPH...PERHAPS STRONGER AND GUSTY
                       DURING THE AFTERNOON.
   MIXING HEIGHT.......10000 FT AGL.
   TRANSPORT WIND......SOUTHWEST 43 KNOTS.
   MAX VENT RATE.......EXCELLENT/430000 KNOT-FT.
   VENTILATION TREND...VERY GOOD/140306 KNOT-FT AROUND MID-MORNING
                       BECOMING EXCELLENT/426741 KNOT-FT BY
                       MID-AFTERNOON.

FOR TONIGHT
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW
                       SHOWERS.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......20 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MIN 28-32 VALLEY FLOOR.
                       MIN 33-37 MIDSLOPE.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MAX 45-50 PERCENT VALLEY FLOOR.
                       MAX 30-35 PERCENT MIDSLOPE.
   20 FOOT WIND........SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH DECREASING TO
                       10 TO 20 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THE RIDGE TOPS.
                       GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH EARLY. WINDS BECOMING
                       DOWNSLOPE/TERRAIN DRIVEN 5 TO 10 MPH AFTER
                       MIDNIGHT AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS.

FOR TUESDAY
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
                       A RAIN OR SNOW SHOWER AND THUNDER POSSIBLE.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......10 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MAX 38-42.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MIN 30-35 PERCENT.
   20 FOOT WIND........WEST WINDS 10 TO 17 MPH INCREASING TO 17 TO
                       25 MPH BY AFTERNOON ON THE RIDGE TOPS.
                       LOWER ELEVATIONS BECOMING UPSLOPE/UP CANYON
                       6 TO 12 MPH. GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS EXPECTED
                       NEAR ANY THUNDERSTORM.
   MIXING HEIGHT.......7000 FT AGL.
   TRANSPORT WIND......WEST 29 KNOTS.
   MAX VENT RATE.......EXCELLENT/203000 KNOT-FT.
   VENTILATION TREND...EXCELLENT/157341 KNOT-FT AROUND MID-MORNING
                       BECOMING EXCELLENT/150000 KNOT-FT BY
                       MID-AFTERNOON.

FORECASTS FOR WINDS ARE 20 FOOT WIND SPEEDS AND MUST BE ADJUSTED
ACCORDING TO FUEL TYPE AND SHELTERING TO GET EYE LEVEL WIND SPEED.

FORECASTER...40

$$

REQUESTED BY...VALLE LOOKOUT
REASON FOR REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20110321.VALLE.01/ABQ