FNUS74 KEPZ 221714
FWSEPZ

FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR FLUME RIDGE RX...BIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
1014 AM MST THU DEC 22 2011

FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 1015 MST ON DECEMBER 22.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

.DISCUSSION...
INVERSION IS AGAIN IN PLACE RIGHT AROUND 10,000 FEET MSL...BUT IS
STRONGER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY.  THAT WILL PUT A LID ON MIXING HEIGHTS
WHICH WILL LIKELY GO NO HIGHER THAN 3000 FEET AGL THIS AFTERNOON.
BACKDOOR COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING...BUT IS INITIALLY SHALLOW...MEANING
LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN UNTIL LATER THIS
AFTERNOON...WHEN THEY WILL BECOME SOUTHEASTERLY.

OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLOUDS TO BUILD UP EARLIER THAN YESTERDAY...AND A
FEW FLURRIES MAY DEVELOP BEFORE NOON.  LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOW SHOWERS
WILL BEGIN CLOSER TO EVENING.  TONIGHT/TOMORROW WILL BRING STRONG
UPSLOPE EASTERLY FLOW WITH MODERATE SNOW INTERSPERSED WITH PERIODS OF
HEAVY SNOW.

DRIER BUT CONTINUED COOL WEATHER WILL PREVAIL FOR THE WEEKEND.

.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY CLOUDY (65-75 PERCENT) WITH A FEW FLURRIES.
                    THEN CLOUDY (90-100 PERCENT) WITH ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
CWR.................20 PERCENT.
TEMPERATURE.........35 AT IGNITION...MAX 40.
RH..................65 PERCENT AT IGNITION...MIN 52 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT AND VARIABLE BECOMING SOUTHEAST 5 TO 6 MPH LATE
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1000 FT AT IGNITION...INCREASING TO 3000 FT
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....VARIABLE AROUND 3 KNOTS SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST
                    AROUND 5 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON.
VENTILATION.........MAX 15,000 KNOT-FEET (POOR)


.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (95-100 PERCENT). LIGHT SNOW IN THE EVENING
                    BECOMING MODERATE AFTER MIDNIGHT.  BRIEF PERIODS OF
                    HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE LATE.
CWR.................100 PERCENT.
TEMPERATURE.........MIN 15.
RH..................MAX 89 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........EAST 12 TO 17 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1200-2900 FT AGL.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....EAST 25 TO 26 KNOTS.

.FRIDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........CLOUDY (90-100 PERCENT). SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES IN
                    THE MORNING.
CWR.................100 PERCENT.
TEMPERATURE.........MAX 23.
RH..................MIN 71 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......1100-1900 FT AGL.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....EAST 19 TO 20 KNOTS.


$$
FORECASTER...HARDIMAN
REQUESTED BY...NM-ADC
REASON FOR REQUEST...PRESCRIBED
.TAG 20111222.FLUME.01/EPZ