...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THURSDAY FOR SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...

A passing Pacific trough will keep the region dry and increase
winds for Thursday. These warm, dry, and windy conditions will
further trend fuels drier, and will set the stage for critical
fire weather conditions across the southern New Mexico fire
zones. West winds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 to 40 mph are
expected during the afternoon. Minimum relative humidity values
of 7 to 15 percent are forecast. Widespread tree mortality and die
back fuels will increase the wildfire risk as ERCs climb towards
the 90th percentile.

* AFFECTED AREA...New Mexico Fire Weather Zones 110, 111, 112, and
113, including the Southwest Mountains and Gila NF, the
Southwest Deserts and Lowlands, the South Central Lowlands, the
Southern Rio Grande Valley, and the Sacramento and Capitan Mountains.

* TIMING...winds increasing after 10 am, and peaking in the late
afternoon hours.

* WINDS...West 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...7 to 12 percent.

* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...3 to 5, Near Critical to Critical.

* IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
Outdoor burning is not recommended.

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.