FNUS75 KABQ 241704
FWSABQ

SPOT FORECAST FOR MIDDLETON...SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1104 AM MDT THU MAR 24 2011

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

...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING BELOW SIGNIFICANT
   SNOW PACK...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FRIDAY LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING
   BELOW SIGNIFICANT SNOW PACK...

DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PASS NORTH OF NM TODAY...THEN ANOTHER
WILL PASS NORTH OF NM ON FRIDAY. THIS STORM TRACK IS ALREADY
STEERING A MODERATELY STRONG SPEED MAXIMUM IN THE POLAR JET STREAM
OVER NEW MEXICO. WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 45 MPH TODAY AND UP TO 40
MPH ON FRIDAY...WHILE DIRECTIONS SHIFT GRADUALLY OUT OF THE WEST.
SINCE WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT TONIGHT WILL BE SUPER IMPOSED ON A
WEST OR NORTHWEST DOWNVALLEY FLOW...THERE IS FAIR CONFIDENCE THAT
WINDS WILL SHIFT OUT OF THE WEST BY LATE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...WESTERLY
WINDS FORECAST FOR FRIDAY MAY ACTUALLY BACK AND BLOW OUT OF THE
SOUTHWEST OR SOUTH AS THEY FLOW AROUND HIGHER PEAKS TO YOUR WEST
AND BECOME INFLUENCED BY WEAKER UPSLOPE AND UPVALLEY CIRCULATIONS.
THE WEATHER SYSTEM FOR THE WEEKEND IS NOW EXPECTED TO TAKE A MORE
NORTHERLY TRACK THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. WEST WINDS WILL
WEAKEN BUT SHOULD REMAIN BREEZY BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THERE
WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FAIRLY MOISTURE STARVED SHOWERS MAINLY
ON SUNDAY. STRONGER WINDS MAY REDEVELOP MONDAY AND HUMIDITIES MAY
DROP WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

FOR TODAY
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......SUNNY IN THE MORNING...THEN MOSTLY CLEAR
                       IN THE AFTERNOON.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......0 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MAX 59-63.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MIN 10-15 PERCENT.
   20 FOOT WIND........SOUTH WINDS 12 TO 22 MPH INCREASING TO
                       SOUTHWEST 24 TO 34 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
                       GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.
   MIXING HEIGHT.......8500 FT AGL.
   TRANSPORT WIND......WEST 36 KNOTS.
   MAX VENT RATE.......EXCELLENT/306000 KNOT-FT.
   VENTILATION TREND...VERY GOOD/149790 KNOT-FT AROUND MID-MORNING
                       BECOMING EXCELLENT/286400 KNOT-FT BY
                       MID-AFTERNOON.

FOR TONIGHT
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......CLEAR.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......0 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MIN 27-31.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MAX 26-31 PERCENT.
   20 FOOT WIND........WEST WINDS 16 TO 26 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO
                       40 MPH DURING THE EVENING. DECREASING TO 12
                       TO 17 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

FOR FRIDAY
   CLOUDS/WEATHER......SUNNY IN THE MORNING...BECOMING PARTLY
                       CLOUDY IN THE AFTERNOON.
   CHC OF PRECIP.......0 PERCENT.
   TEMPERATURE.........MAX 57-61.
   RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MIN 13-18 PERCENT.
   20 FOOT WIND........WEST WINDS 12 TO 17 MPH INCREASING TO 17 TO
                       27 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.
   MIXING HEIGHT.......7000 FT AGL.
   TRANSPORT WIND......WEST 34 KNOTS.
   MAX VENT RATE.......EXCELLENT/238000 KNOT-FT.
   VENTILATION TREND...VERY GOOD/104283 KNOT-FT AROUND MID-MORNING
                       BECOMING EXCELLENT/236358 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...44

$$

REQUESTED BY...FIRE CHASERS
REASON FOR REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20110324.MIDDL.01/ABQ