530
WWUS84 KEPZ 132022
RFWEPZ
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
222 PM MDT WED MAY 13 2026
...MARGINALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO ON THURSDAY...
.HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TOMORROW, BUT AS AN UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE SHIFTS EAST OF THE AREA AND BREAKS DOWN, WEST TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RAMP UP TO AROUND 18 TO 22 MPH WITH GUSTS
30 TO 35 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE, MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL
DIP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS IN THE LOWLANDS, AND THE LOWER 10S
BELOW ABOUT 7500 FEET. ERC VALUES ARE AROUND THE 85TH PERCENTILE,
AND CONTINUE TO TREND UPWARDS, WARRANTING A WATCH DESPITE THE
MARGINAL WINDS.
NMZ111>113-141300-
/O.NEW.KEPZ.FW.A.0008.260514T1800Z-260515T0200Z/
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS/LAS CRUCES BLM/GLZ-
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY/BLM/GLZ-
CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS/LINCOLN NF/LNZ-
222 PM MDT WED MAY 13 2026
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING FOR BREEZY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR
MUCH OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA HAS
ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR BREEZY AND GUSTY WINDS AND LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING.
* AFFECTED AREA...NEW MEXICO FIRE WEATHER ZONES 111, 112, AND 113,
ENCOMPASSING THE LOWLAND DESERTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL
NEW MEXICO, AND THE CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS AND LINCOLN
NATIONAL FOREST, PARTICULARLY BELOW 7500 FEET.
* TIMING...WINDS WILL INCREASE AFTER 11 AM, PEAKING THE AFTERNOON
AND EARLY EVENING.
* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 18 TO 22 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...MINIMUM RH 7 TO 9 PERCENT IN THE DESERT
LOWLANDS, AND 10 TO 15 PERCENT IN THE MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET.
MINIMUM RH VALUES WILL BE CLOSER TO 20 PERCENT AT THE HIGHEST
ELEVATIONS.
* TEMPERATURES...HIGHS IN THE MIDDLE 90S ACROSS THE LOWLANDS,
DROPPING TO THE 70S ABOVE 7500 FEET. GENERALLY, 5 TO 10 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL.
* LIGHTNING...NONE EXPECTED, THOUGH DRY LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE A
CONCERN IN SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR. LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.
MPH
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page