FNUS74 KEPZ 071756
FWSEPZ

FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR TOWER FIRE...NM-LNF
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
1056 AM MST WED MAR 7 2012

FORECAST IS BASED ON REQUEST TIME OF 1033 MST ON MARCH 07.
IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING...
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MST THIS EVENING...

.DISCUSSION...
STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA TODAY WITH A LULL EXPECTED
TOWARD MORNING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING IN FOR THURSDAY.
EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AS
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND WINDS
INCREASE TO MORE THAN 25 MPH. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER
HUMIDITIES WILL OCCUR THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WITH LIGHTER
WINDS. WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN STARTING SUNDAY AND INTO
NEXT WEEK.


.TODAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (5-15 PERCENT).
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 63.
MIN HUMIDITY........6-10 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WINDY..SOUTHWEST INCREASING TO 24 TO 32 MPH
                    WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......700-2300 FT AGL INCREASING TO 5000-6800 FT AGL
                    IN THE AFTERNOON.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST AROUND 38 KNOTS.
VENT RATE...........EXCELLENT.


.TONIGHT...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (35-45 PERCENT).
CWR.................0 PERCENT.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 32.
MAX HUMIDITY........43-48 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........WINDY...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 32 MPH BECOMING
                    WEST 6 TO 12 MPH BY MIDNIGHT.
MIXING HEIGHT.......8500 FT AGL DECREASING TO 1600-2300 FT AGL IN
                    THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST AROUND 30 KNOTS.


.THURSDAY...

SKY/WEATHER.........PARTLY CLOUDY (50-60 PERCENT).
CWR.................20 PERCENT.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....AROUND 42.
MIN HUMIDITY........35-40 PERCENT.
WIND (20 FT)........NORTH 9 TO 14 MPH.
MIXING HEIGHT.......300 FT AGL INCREASING TO 4700-5600 FT AGL IN
                    THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON.
TRANSPORT WINDS.....NORTH AROUND 12 KNOTS.
VENT RATE...........GOOD.


$$
FORECASTER...GRZYWACZ
REQUESTED BY...NM MEA
REASON FOR REQUEST...WILDFIRE
.TAG 20120307.TOWER.01/EPZ