Red Flag Warning 42, NWS Albuquerque, NM

746 
WWUS85 KABQ 291230
RFWABQ

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
530 AM MST SAT NOV 29 2014

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT 11 AM TO 5 PM TODAY ACROSS THE EAST
CENTRAL PLAINS FOR STRONG WIND...LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGH
INSTABILITY...

.CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY DEVELOP FROM MIDDAY
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON TODAY WITH HUMIDITIES REACHING THE SINGLE
DIGITS TO LOW TEENS AND NEAR SURFACE WINDS REACH 18 TO NEARLY 30
MPH WITH SOME STRONGER GUSTS. SUNNY SKIES...HAINES INDICES AT OR
NEAR 5...FAR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND STRONG DOWNSLOPING WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT. ONE TO THREE HOURS OF
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS
NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND IN THE VICINITY OF EASTERN TORRANCE
COUNTY.

NMZ108-300000-
/O.CON.KABQ.FW.W.0042.141129T1800Z-141130T0000Z/
NEW MEXICO FIRE WEATHER ZONE 108
EAST CENTRAL PLAINS/WESTERN KIOWA GRASSLANDS BLM/ABZ-SNZ-
530 AM MST SAT NOV 29 2014

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON. 

* AREA AND TIMING...EAST CENTRAL PLAINS NORTH OF A LINE FROM
  PORTALES TO RAMON VERY LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

* 20 FOOT WINDS...WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEARLY 40 MPH.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...6 TO 13 PERCENT.

* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. 
  OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE
FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.

&&

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1023 AM MST FRI NOV 28 2014

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MOUNTAIN WAVE
INDUCED CIRRUS CONTINUES ALONG AND EAST OF THE SANGRES...THOUGH
SHOULD BE DIMINISHING AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. MAIN CONCERN
REMAINS IN REGARDS TO WINDS THROUGH SATURDAY. WESTERLY WINDS WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS AFTN ACROSS THE PLAINS WITH GUSTS NEAR
35KT EXPECTED. MID LEVEL WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TONIGHT
OVER NORTHERN NM...AND VERY STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE
HIGHEST PEAKS OF THE SANGRES TONIGHT. AS MIXING OCCURS LATE
SATURDAY MORNING...STRONG AND GUSTY SFC WINDS ARE EXPECTED SAT
AFTN ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN.

34

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...650 AM MST FRI NOV 28 2014...
.UPDATE...
MOUNTAIN WAVE CLOUDS CONTINUE TO HOLD STRONG OVER NORTHEAST NM
AROUND SUNRISE. UPDATED TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER TO MOSTLY CLOUDY
FOR THIS MORNING...WITH SOME CLEARING ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON
AS DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. MAX TEMPS MAY BE IN
JEOPARDY OVER THIS REGION IF CLOUD COVER DOES NOT THIN OUT BY
EARLY AFTERNOON. DOWNSLOPING WILL STILL BE STRONG AND MIN TEMPS
ARE STARTING OUT MILD IN SOME AREAS SO A CHALLENGING FORECAST IS
ON TAP.

GUYER

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...333 AM MST FRI NOV 28 2014...
.SYNOPSIS...
VERY WARM WEATHER FOR LATE NOVEMBER WILL IMPACT MUCH OF THE AREA
THROUGH SATURDAY. FOLKS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS CAN ENJOY THEIR
THANKSGIVING LEFT OVERS AT A PICNIC...WITH NEAR RECORD TO RECORD
HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY AND SATURDAY. AREAS FROM CLAYTON TO SANTA
ROSA...TUCUMCARI...FORT SUMNER...AND CLOVIS WILL TOP OUT NEAR 80
DEGREES. TYPICAL GUSTY WINDS WILL HOWEVER IMPACT MUCH OF THE AREA
AS WELL...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO
MOUNTAINS. MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY WILL BE PARTICULARLY STRONG ON
SATURDAY NIGHT...WHEN HIGH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE FROM ANGEL FIRE TO
MORA AND CLINES CORNERS. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT INTO THE
AREA SUNDAY NIGHT...BRINGING AN END TO THE WARM TEMPERATURES.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
HIGH CLOUDS BLANKETING THE NORTHEAST PLAINS IN RESPONSE TO A WELL
DEFINED STANDING WAVE ARE SLOWLY TAPERING OFF EARLY THIS MORNING.
INCREASING DOWNSLOPE FLOW COMBINED WITH HIGH CLOUDINESS IS FORCING
MIN TEMPS WELL ABOVE NORMAL...WITH READINGS AT CLAYTON NEARING 60F
AT 2 AM. THE GFS 300-200MB LAYER RH SHOWS NEAR SATURATION THROUGH
MUCH OF THE DAY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST...BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE THAN
WHAT IS OCCURRING EARLY THIS MORNING. WATER VAPOR DOES SHOW A LARGE
AREA OF DRY AIR MOVING IN BEHIND THIS WAVE...WITH THE NEXT PATCH OF
UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN AZ. IF HIGH CLOUDS DO
STICK AROUND IN THE NORTHEAST TODAY THERE WILL BE A BATTLE BETWEEN
DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND REDUCED SOLAR INSOLATION SO RECORD TEMPS COULD
BE IN JEOPARDY. THAT SAID...IT IS STILL GOING TO BE VERY WARM FOR
LATE NOVEMBER.

700-500MB WINDS WILL STEADILY INCREASE TODAY THROUGH LATE SATURDAY.
THE HIGH RESOLUTION NAM AND WRF SOLUTIONS SHOW LAYER WINDS ALONG
THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRES INCREASING TO AROUND 55 KNOTS BY
TONIGHT...THEN 65 KNOTS SATURDAY NIGHT. THE SPC 4KM WRF VERTICAL
PROFILE SHOWS A CLASSIC DOWNSLOPE HIGH WIND EVENT WITH A MOUNTAIN
TOP LEVEL INVERSION...HOWEVER THE NAM/GFS AND EVEN OUR LOCAL WRF
DO NOT INDICATE THIS VERY WELL. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS
AND MENTION HIGH WINDS IN HWO AT THIS TIME. GREATEST CONFIDENCE
IS FOR LOCALIZED HIGH WINDS POTENTIALLY TONIGHT ALONG THE EAST
SLOPES...WITH A BETTER SHOT SATURDAY NIGHT. TEMPS WILL BE WELL
ABOVE NORMAL FOR MANY AREAS AGAIN SATURDAY ALONG AND EAST OF THE
CENTRAL MT CHAIN...WITH MORE RECORD HIGHS POSSIBLE.

SUNDAY WILL FEATURE A WEAKENING LEE TROUGH AS A POWERFUL BACK DOOR
COLD FRONT BLASTS DOWN THE FRONT RANGE. MAX TEMPS WILL COOL WITH
DECREASING DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND COLD ADVECTION MOVING IN ALOFT. THE
FRONT IS WELL REPRESENTED BY GUIDANCE TO SLIP DOWN THE PLAINS ON
SUNDAY NIGHT AS A 1045MB SURFACE HIGH BUILDS DOWN THE GREAT PLAINS.
TEMPS MONDAY WILL BE 25 TO 35F COLDER THAN SUNDAY. THIS WILL BE A
HUGE SHOCK FROM NEAR 80F TODAY AND SATURDAY TO HIGHS IN THE 30S
MONDAY. LEE TROUGHING WILL INCREASE AGAIN TUESDAY AND TEMPS WILL
TREND BACK 15 TO 25F WARMER.

EXTENDED MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO LEAVE BIG QUESTIONS REGARDING
A LARGE SCALE PATTERN CHANGE OVER THE UNITED STATES. AT THIS TIME
IT APPEARS THE LONG PERSISTENT TROUGH ALONG THE EAST COAST WILL
TRANSITION TO QUASI-ZONAL FLOW...AND ALLOW FOR A MUCH ANTICIPATED
ENHANCEMENT OF THE PACIFIC JET STREAM INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S.
THE GFS AND ECMWF DO SHOW INCREASING MOISTURE TUESDAY NIGHT AND/OR
WEDNESDAY...WITH ANOTHER POSSIBLE SHOT NEXT WEEKEND.

GUYER

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...WIND AND FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THIS
WEEKEND. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT SHOULD SETTLE THE FIRE WEATHER
SITUATION DOWN WHEN IT ENTERS THE PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY
OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL AREAS AROUND MID WEEK...WHEN WINDS
COULD BECOME BREEZY AGAIN.

A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY ACROSS
PARTS OF THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST
HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. A STRENGTHENING LEE TROUGH AND
STRENGTHENING WINDS IN ZONAL FLOW ALOFT SHOULD CAUSE SURFACE WINDS
TO TOUCH CRITICAL SPEEDS BRIEFLY. SPEEDS MAY BE CAPPED TODAY BY
LIMITED ATMOSPHERIC MIXING AND SOME CLOUD COVER. HUMIDITIES WILL
ALSO FALL TO CRITICAL THRESHOLDS IN MANY LOWER ELEVATION LOCATIONS
THIS AFTERNOON. SOME NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TODAY
ACROSS THE PLAINS...WHERE THIS MORNINGS LOW TEMPERATURES ARE STAYING
QUITE WARM DUE TO CLOUDS AND DOWNSLOPE FLOW. HIGH TEMPERATURES
SHOULD REACH 15 TO 27 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL TODAY ACROSS THE
EAST...BUT ONLY 6 TO 17 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS CENTRAL AND
WESTERN AREAS.

WINDS ALOFT WILL STRENGTHEN TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY SATURDAY NIGHT AS
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CROSSES THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES AND
THE SURFACE LEE TROUGH DEEPENS. 700 TO 500 MB WINDS ARE FORECAST BY
THE HIGHER RESOLUTION NAM MODEL TO REACH 55 KT TONIGHT...THEN 65 KT
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH SOMEWHAT STABLE FLOW DIRECTLY
PERPENDICULAR TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...A MOUNTAIN WAVE EVENT
LOOKS LIKELY ALONG THE E SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS. SURFACE
WINDS ALONG THE HIGHER PEAKS AND ADJACENT E SLOPES COULD REACH 60
MPH IN SPOTS TONIGHT...THEN MORE WIDESPREAD GUSTS TO 70 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WEST OF I-25 TO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO PEAKS SATURDAY NIGHT
INTO EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS LOOK TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD
ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS SATURDAY. WEST
WIND GUSTS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITHIN ABOUT 50 MILES
EITHER SIDE OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS AROUND
CLINES CORNERS.  WIDESPREAD CRITICALLY LOW HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED
SATURDAY AS SKIES CLEAR AND TEMPERATURES REMAIN 8 TO 26 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL WITH THE WARMEST READINGS IN THE EAST. MIXING HEIGHTS
SHOULD ALSO PEAK BETWEEN 3500 TO 4500 FT ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR OF
EASTERN NM WITH HAINES INDICES IN THE 4 TO 5 RANGE.  WILL ISSUE A
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EMPHASIZE LOCATIONS NORTH OF THE PORTALES LATITUDE.

WINDS ALOFT WILL WEAKEN AND THE LEE TROUGH SHOULD RELAX SOME AS
SUNDAY PROGRESSES. HUMIDITIES WILL COME UP ABOVE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS
IN THE WEST AS TEMPERATURES TREND DOWNWARD...BUT EASTERN HUMIDITIES
WILL AGAIN REACH CRITICAL THRESHOLDS IN MOST LOCATIONS. THERE WILL
PROBABLY BE A FEW SPOTS THAT BRIEFLY TOUCH CRITICAL CONDITIONS FROM
LAS VEGAS TO CLINES CORNERS AND SANTA ROSA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BUT
THE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE TOO LIMITED IN TIME AND SPACE TO WARRANT
ANOTHER DAY OF FIRE WEATHER HEADLINES.

THE FIRE WEATHER AND WIND EXCITEMENT WILL END ABRUPTLY END SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY AS A 1040 MB SURFACE HIGH IN THE UPPER GREAT PLAINS
SHOVES A SHALLOW COLD FRONT INTO EASTERN NM. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE
WILL FALL 30 TO 35 DEGREES FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY ACROSS MUCH OF
THE PLAINS. THIS FRONT SHOULD WASHOUT BY TUESDAY ALLOWING A
TEMPERATURE REBOUND ACROSS THE EAST.

A WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL EJECT NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE
GREAT BASIN INTO THE N ROCKIES AROUND MID WEEK PROBABLY CAUSING
SURFACE WINDS TO BECOME GUSTIER AGAIN OVER NM...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND
JUST E OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WHERE A LEE TROUGH WILL
REDEVELOP. THERE MAY BE A FEW SHOWERS MAINLY ACROSS WESTERN AND N
CENTRAL AREAS.

44

&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ108.

&&

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
230 PM MST FRI NOV 28 2014

NMZ501>540-291300-
NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-
NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-
SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-
WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET-
EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-
LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY-
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-
SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-
FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY-
HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY-
QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-
CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES
COUNTY-
230 PM MST FRI NOV 28 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL
NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND EAST SLOPES OF
THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 25 TO 40
MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

WEST WINDS WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND EAST
SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HIGH WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 65
MPH SATURDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE LIKELY SATURDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM
CLINES CORNERS EAST TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE.

WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...
WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND SPEEDS THROUGH THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY
CALLING 1.888.386.7637.