Fire Weather Watch

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MUCH OF NORTHWEST AND NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...

.Critical fire weather conditions will return on Saturday across much of northwest and northeast New Mexico as well as the Central Highlands. Strong southwest winds with gusts up to 45 mph and humidity values falling below 15 percent are expected. Spotty wetting rainfall the next couple of days will not significantly improve fuel dryness, with the northwest remaining the driest portion of the state. Any lightning-started fires will have the potential to grow quickly under these fire weather conditions.

* AFFECTED AREA...Northwest Plateau (Zone 101), Northeast Plains (Zone 104), West Central Mountains (Zone 105), North Central Mountains (Zone 120), Upper Rio Grande Valley and Lower Chama River Valley (Zone 121), Northeast Highlands (Zone 123), and Central Highlands (Zone 125).

* TIMING...From Saturday morning through Saturday evening.

* 20 FOOT WINDS...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Relative humidity between 8 to 15 percent.

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