997
FXUS64 KEPZ 190543
AFDEPZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
1043 PM MST WED FEB 18 2026
..NEW AVIATION
KEY MESSAGES
UPDATED AT 1037 PM MST WED FEB 18 2026
- WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH A RISK OF
BLOWING DUST ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS.
THIS MAY CAUSE IMPACT TRAVEL CONDITIONS BY REDUCING VISIBILITY
ON AREA ROADWAYS.
- DRIER CONDITIONS WITH NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH LIGHTER WINDS.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 912 PM MST WED FEB 18 2026
A LARGE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS BROUGHT REPEATED BOUTS OF ENERGY
WHICH HAS CREATED WINDY CONDITIONS THE LAST COUPLE DAYS. THIS
TROUGH IS STILL CENTERED OVER THE PACNW AND WILL CONTINUE TO
CREATE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE GOOD
NEWS IS THAT BOTH DAYS WON'T BE AS WINDY AS WHAT WE'VE SEEN BUT
WILL BE NOTICEABLE. EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-25 MPH TOMORROW
AFTERNOON AND WILL BE SLIGHTLY WINDIER ON FRIDAY WITH SPEEDS 20-30
MPH. WIND ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE MOUNTAIN ZONES ON
FRIDAY BUT WILL SEE HOW MODELS TREND IN FUTURE RUNS. BLOWING DUST
WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHERN NM AND FAR WEST TX
BOTH AFTERNOONS BUT THE WIND DIRECTION WILL BE OUT OF THE WEST VS.
SOUTHWEST LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING. THIS WILL HELP KEEP EL PASO
OUT OF THE WORST OF THE DUST BUT RATHER THE MAJORITY OF THE
NORTHERN MEXICO PLUMES WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY AND
HUDSPETH COUNTY. DUST SOURCES NEAR THE LORDSBURG PLAYA, IN AND
AROUND DEMING MAY ACTIVATE AND WILL PUSH DUST DOWNSTREAM TO PLACES
LIKE LAS CRUCES. SAME THING WITH WHITE SANDS BLOWING DUST
DOWNSTREAM TO LOCATIONS LIKE ALAMOGORDO.
AFTER OUR WINDY WORK WEEK ENDS FRIDAY, MUCH QUIETER CONDITIONS CAN
BE EXPECTED SATURDAY AND EVEN INTO SUNDAY. SATURDAY WILL FEATURE
LIGHT WINDS BUT AN INCOMING BACKDOOR COLD FRONT FROM THE GREAT
PLAINS APPEARS TO PUSH IN LATE SATURDAY PM AND SUNDAY AM WHICH
WILL BRING EAST BREEZINESS TO THE AREA AS IT PUSHES IN. OTHERWISE,
THE FRONT REALLY DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR US EXCEPT KEEP TEMPERATURES
SIMILAR TO SATURDAY.
AVIATION
(06Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 1037 PM MST WED FEB 18 2026
VFR CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT AND THE MORNING HOURS. BREEZY CONDITIONS
STILL OCCURRING AT TERMINALS THIS EVENING BUT WILL CONTINUE TO
GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO 10-12KT OVERNIGHT AND THE MORNING. LLWS AT
KELP AND KLRU. LLWS POSSIBLE AT KTCS BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO
ADD TO THE TAF. ANOTHER BREEZY TO WINDY DAY TOMORROW AFTERNOON
BUT WINDS WON'T BE AS STRONG AS WHAT WE SAW THE PAST COUPLE DAYS.
WEST WINDS OF 20-25G30-35KT EXPECTED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL BE THE TIMING OF THE STRONGEST WINDS. BLDU
WILL BE A CONCERN AGAIN TOMORROW. KDMN HAS THE BEST CHANCE OF
SEEING REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITIES DUE TO DUST SOURCES CLOSE BY
KDMN. WEST WINDS WILL PUSH BLDU TO KLRU BUT UNSURE HOW REDUCED
VISIBILITIES WILL BECOME. MUCH OF THE DUST SHOULD BE SOUTH OF
KELP BUT THERE IS A CHANCE THERE'LL BE SOME MINOR REDUCTIONS IN
VISIBILITIES.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 1015 AM MST WED FEB 18 2026
ELEVATED TO NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NM AND WEST TX. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN
EFFECT FOR NMZ111/NMZ112/NMZ113/TXZ055/TXZ056 FROM 11AM TO 6PM
TODAY. WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY, BECOMING 25-40 MPH
SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS TO 60-70 MPH DURING THE MID-AFTERNOON
TIMEFRAME. HIGHEST WINDS WILL BE FELT OVER THE SACRAMENTO MTNS/GILA
MOUNTAINS. MIN RH VALUES WILL DROP TO 10-15 PERCENT ACROSS THE
DESERT LOWLANDS AND 15-25 PERCENT FOR NMZ113. DEEP AFTERNOON MIXING
WILL PROMOTE EXCELLENT SMOKE VENTILATION RATES THIS AFTERNOON.
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR ALL ZONES EXCEPT
NMZ110 THROUGH FRIDAY AS WINDS REMAIN IN THE BREEZY TO WINDY
CATEGORY. ISOLATED RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE FOR THE GILA TODAY
THROUGH FRIDAY. VENT RATES REMAIN EXCELLENT THROUGH FRIDAY, BECOMING
POOR TO FAIR SATURDAY.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
EL PASO 44 66 43 67 / 0 0 0 0
SIERRA BLANCA 37 63 38 66 / 0 0 0 0
LAS CRUCES 36 59 36 60 / 0 0 0 0
ALAMOGORDO 35 60 36 61 / 0 0 0 0
CLOUDCROFT 23 36 24 37 / 0 0 0 0
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 36 60 37 60 / 10 0 0 0
SILVER CITY 31 48 31 47 / 20 20 20 20
DEMING 38 61 37 61 / 0 0 0 0
LORDSBURG 35 56 32 56 / 10 0 10 10
WEST EL PASO METRO 43 64 43 65 / 0 0 0 0
DELL CITY 36 63 35 65 / 0 0 0 0
FORT HANCOCK 40 70 40 74 / 0 0 0 0
LOMA LINDA 37 57 38 60 / 0 0 0 0
FABENS 40 68 39 71 / 0 0 0 0
SANTA TERESA 39 63 38 64 / 0 0 0 0
WHITE SANDS HQ 41 61 41 62 / 0 0 0 0
JORNADA RANGE 35 61 36 60 / 0 0 0 0
HATCH 38 62 37 62 / 0 0 0 0
COLUMBUS 41 63 40 65 / 0 0 0 0
OROGRANDE 36 60 35 61 / 0 0 0 0
MAYHILL 30 52 30 51 / 0 0 0 0
MESCALERO 26 48 27 49 / 0 0 0 0
TIMBERON 29 46 29 47 / 0 0 0 0
WINSTON 26 50 27 50 / 10 0 10 10
HILLSBORO 34 57 35 56 / 10 0 10 10
SPACEPORT 31 61 32 60 / 0 0 0 0
LAKE ROBERTS 28 47 27 46 / 30 10 20 20
HURLEY 32 52 31 52 / 10 10 10 10
CLIFF 32 54 29 54 / 30 20 30 30
MULE CREEK 31 49 28 48 / 40 20 30 30
FAYWOOD 34 52 34 52 / 0 0 10 10
ANIMAS 36 61 37 61 / 0 0 0 0
HACHITA 36 60 38 61 / 0 0 0 0
ANTELOPE WELLS 38 61 39 63 / 0 0 0 0
CLOVERDALE 35 55 36 57 / 0 0 0 0
EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
TX...NONE.
NM...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR EAST SLOPES
SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET-SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS
ABOVE 7500 FEET-SOUTHERN GILA REGION HIGHLANDS/BLACK RANGE.
FORECASTER...37-SLUSHER
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