625  
FGUS74 KEPZ 221417  
ESFEPZ  
NMC017-023-231500-  
 
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM  
717 AM MST SAT FEB 22 2020  
 
...RAIN AND SNOW MELT MAY LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING IN THE GILA  
REGION AND SIGNIFICANT RISES ON THE UPPER GILA RIVER...  
 
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WITH AN EMBEDDED PLUME OF DEEP  
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WILL MOVE FROM ARIZONA INTO SOUTHWESTERN NEW  
MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS THIS  
AFTERNOON WILL BECOME LOCALLY HEAVY TONIGHT OVER THE GILA REGION.  
MEANWHILE, SNOW LEVELS WILL BE ABOVE 10,000 FEET FOR MOST OF THE  
EVENT. SIGNIFICANT SNOWPACK EXISTS ABOVE 8,000 FEET IN ELEVATION,  
PARTICULARLY OVER THE MOGOLLON MOUNTAINS, AT THE HEADWATERS OF THE  
GILA RIVER.  
 
TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WILL GENERALLY  
RANGE FROM 0.50 TO 0.75 INCHES OVER MOST OF THE MIDDLE ELEVATIONS  
OF THE GILA REGION, BUT 1 TO 2 INCHES MAY FALL OVER THE MOGOLLON  
MOUNTAINS.  
 
RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL COMBINED WITH SNOW MELT WILL LEAD TO  
RISES ON THE UPPER GILA RIVER TONIGHT AND THROUGH SUNDAY,  
PARTICULARLY NEAR GILA HOT SPRINGS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT HOW  
HIGH THE RIVER MAY RISE, BUT RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP A CLOSE  
EYE ON CONDITIONS.  
 
MODERATE RISES WILL ALSO WORK THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE GILA AND CLIFF  
AREAS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, BUT NO FLOODING IS EXPECTED ON THE GILA  
RIVER BELOW THE WILDERNESS REACH.  
 
OTHER SMALLER STREAMS AND ARROYOS IN THE GILA REGION MAY RUN AS A  
RESULT OF RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT, AND THIS MAY LEAD TO TEMPORARY  
ROAD CLOSURES.  
 

 
 
HARDIMAN  
 
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