* WHAT...Northeast winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph expected.
* WHERE...The west-facing slopes of the Sacramento Mountains, including eastern areas of Alamogordo and Tularosa, areas along the Sunspot Highway, and along the west side of US-82.
* WHEN...Until 8 AM MDT Friday.
* IMPACTS...Recent heavy rainfall has saturated the ground. This may lead to more tree damage than usual despite the expected easterly wind gusts of only 40 to 50 mph, arriving tonight with a backdoor cold front. Power outages may also occur. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The strong winds will heavily favor west-facing slopes on the downwind side of the Sacramento Mountains, and may not extend much further west than the US-54 corridor. The actual hazard area is more geographically limited than the flagged forecast zones.