Full Notification

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH MONDAY FROM MID MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING FOR THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS, AND FROM THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY EASTWARD BELOW SNOWPACK DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY, AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... .Critical to extreme fire weather conditions are expected Monday as a low pressure system tracking eastward along the Colorado and New Mexico border steers the jetstream over southern and eastern New Mexico, and a deep surface trough develops in the lee of the southern Rockies. West and southwest wind gusts from 40 to 55 mph are expected with humidities mostly in the single digits and Haines Indices mostly reaching 6. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Fire Weather Watch...which is in effect from Monday morning through Monday evening.

* AREA AND TIMING...Northeast and Central Highlands (Zones 123 and 125), Northeast and East Central Plains (Zones 104 and 126), Middle Rio Grande Valley (Zone 106), and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains (Zone 124) Monday from 10 AM until 9 PM MDT.

* 20 FOOT WINDS...West and southwest 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. The strongest gusts are expected east of the central mountain chain.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Bottoming out between 7 and 12 percent with over 5 hours of single digit humidities across much of the east.

* 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.

* AFFECTED AREAS: NORTHEAST PLAINS ... MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY ... NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS ... SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS ... CENTRAL HIGHLANDS ... EAST CENTRAL PLAINS

Instructions:

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