FNUS74 KEPZ 311544 FWSEPZ FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR EAST SAWMILL RX...GNF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 944 AM MDT SAT MAR 31 2012 FORECAST IS BASED ON IGNITION TIME OF 0925 MDT ON MARCH 31. IF CONDITIONS BECOME UNREPRESENTATIVE...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... .DISCUSSION... A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL REACH NORTHERN ARIZONA LATE SUNDAY AND MOVE INTO NEW MEXICO MONDAY. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF THAT STORM WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THESE WINDS...COMBINED WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY UNDER 15 PERCENT...WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VERY DRY CONDITIONS WITH VERY HIGH NFDRS FIRE WEATHER RATINGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WINDS PICKING UP A BIT THIS AFTERNOON THEN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH. THAT PACIFIC STORM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST MONDAY. WINDS BEHIND THE STORM WILL STILL BE BREEZY MONDAY AND TEMPERATURES AROUND 10 DEGREES COOLER. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION BY MIDWEEK WITH LIGHTER WINDS AND WARMER WEATHER. .TODAY... SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY (5-15 PERCENT). CWR.................0 PERCENT. MAX TEMPERATURE.....71-76. MIN HUMIDITY........7-12 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........LIGHT THIS MORNING...THEN WEST TO SOUTHWEST 6 TO 12 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON WITH A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 18 MPH. MIXING HEIGHT.......INCREASING TO 9000 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST AROUND 8 KNOTS. VENTILATION.........GOOD (72000 KNOT-FT). .TONIGHT... SKY/WEATHER.........CLEAR (0-10 PERCENT). CWR.................0 PERCENT. MIN TEMPERATURE.....51-56. MAX HUMIDITY........17-22 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........WEST 4 TO 9 MPH. MIXING HEIGHT.......7500-8700 FT AGL DECREASING TO 0-300 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....WEST AROUND 8 KNOTS. .SUNDAY... SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY (10-20 PERCENT). CWR.................0 PERCENT. MAX TEMPERATURE.....64-69. MIN HUMIDITY........12-17 PERCENT. WIND (20 FT)........BREEZY..NORTHWEST 6 TO 11 MPH INCREASING TO SOUTHWEST 18 TO 28 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH. MIXING HEIGHT.......INCREASING TO 8000 FT AGL. TRANSPORT WINDS.....SOUTHWEST AROUND 20 KNOTS. VENTILATION.........EXCELLENT (160000 KNOT-FT). $$ FORECASTER...PARK REQUESTED BY...IC REASON FOR REQUEST...PRESCRIBED .TAG 20120331.EASTS.01/EPZ