Weather Alert in New Mexico

Recent Locations: Chili, WI Fort Wingate, NM

Fire Weather Watch issued March 12 at 1:37PM MDT until March 14 at 10:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

AREAS AFFECTED: Northwest Plateau; West Central Mountains; West Central Basin and Range; North Central Mountains; Upper Rio Grande Valley and Lower Chama River Valley; Sangre de Cristo Mountains; Sandia and Manzano Mountains

DESCRIPTION: ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM TODAY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN DUE TO STRONG WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY... ...RED FLAG WARNING FRIDAY FROM NOON UNTIL 8 PM FOR THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS DUE TO STRONG WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH SATURDAY FROM NOON UNTIL 10 PM FOR WEST CENTRAL NM, NORTHERN NM, SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS, AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS DUE TO STRONG WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY... .Brisk northwest flow aloft, a lee-side surface trough, single digit humidities, and ample atmospheric mixing with high temperatures 8 to 15 degrees above 1991-2020 averages will cause critical fire weather conditions to continue east of the central mountain chain this afternoon through early evening. Winds will weaken most places on Friday, but they will remain strong enough for another round of critical fire weather conditions in the Central Highlands during the afternoon and early evening. Critical fire weather conditions will then become more extreme and widespread this weekend as a sharp upper level trough crossing the northern and central Rockies steers a strong jetstream over New Mexico with a potent surface trough in the lee of the southern Rockies. * AREA AND TIMING...West Central Basin and Range (Zone 109), West Central Mountains (Zone 105), Northwest Plateau (Zone 101), North Central Mountains (Zone 120), Upper Rio Grande and Lower Chama River Valley (Zone 121), Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Zone 122), and Sandia and Manzano Mountains (Zone 124) Saturday from noon until 10 PM. * 20 FOOT WINDS...West winds 20 to 40 mph with gusts from 45 to 6 mph. The strongest winds will be in the evening. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum values between 7 and 15 percent with locally higher values in the Tusas Mountains above snowpack. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and will be hard to control. Long range spotting and extreme fire behavior will be possible. Outdoor burning should not be done..

INSTRUCTION: Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Fire Weather Watch.

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Weather Topic: What is Evaporation?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Evaporation

Next Topic: Fog

Evaporation is the process which returns water from the earth back to the atmosphere, and is another crucial process in the water cycle.

Evaporation is the transformation of liquid into gas, and it happens because molecules are excited by the application of energy and turn into vapor. In order for water to evaporate it has to be on the surface of a body of water.

Next Topic: Fog

Weather Topic: What are Fractus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Fractus Clouds

Fractus Clouds Next Topic: Freezing Rain

A fractus cloud (scud) is a fragmented, tattered cloud which has likely been sheared off of another cloud. They are accessory clouds, meaning they develop from parent clouds, and are named in a way which describes the original cloud which contained them.

Fractus clouds which have originated from cumulus clouds are referred to as cumulus fractus, while fractus clouds which have originated from stratus clouds are referred to as stratus fractus. Under certain conditions a fractus cloud might merge with another cloud, or develop into a cumulus cloud, but usually a fractus cloud seen by itself will dissipate rapidly.

They are often observed on the leading and trailing edges of storm clouds, and are a display of wind activity.

Next Topic: Freezing Rain