Portales Warnings, Watches and Advisories

Do not drive cars through flooded areas. The water depth and road condition may be unsafe. Additional information is available at https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/ Stay tuned for further updates by listening to NOAA weather radio... or your local radio and TV stations.

Fire Weather Watch issued April 24 at 3:30AM CDT until April 25 at 11:00PM CDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 15% OR LESS, 20-FT WINDS OF 20 MPH OR MORE, AND HIGH TO VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER FOR SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND MOST OF WEST TEXAS... * AFFECTED AREA...Gaines, Andrews, Loving, Winkler, Ward, Pecos, Sacramento Foothills and Guadalupe Mountains, Chaves Plains, Eddy Plains, Lea, Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains, Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor, Eastern Culberson County, Reeves County Plains, Chinati Mountains, Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains, Davis Mountains Foothills, Central Brewster County, Chisos Basin, Presidio Valley and Lower Brewster County. * TIMING...From Thursday morning through Thursday evening. * WINDS...Southwest 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 5 percent. * RFTI...6 or critical, or higher. * IMPACTS...Avoid the use of open flames or any activities that may generate sparks, such as outdoor burning or welding. Extinguish cigarettes in vehicles. Accidental ignitions will have the potential to grow into dangerous wind-driven wildfires.

High Wind Watch issued April 24 at 1:05AM MDT until April 25 at 10:00PM MDT by NWS Midland/Odessa TX

* WHAT...West winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 70 mph possible. * WHERE...Guadalupe Mountains of west Texas and Southeast New Mexico, Eddy County Plains, Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor, and Eastern Culberson County. * WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening. * IMPACTS...Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles like campers, vans, and tractor trailers. Severe turbulence near the mountains will be hazardous for low flying light aircraft.

Flood Warning issued April 23 at 9:07PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in New Mexico... Rio Chama Below Chamita affecting Rio Arriba County. .Snow melt and increased reservoir releases will cause the river flows to become high. Expect minor flooding downstream from the dam. * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast from snow melt and water release. * WHERE...Rio Chama below Chamita. * WHEN...Until further notice. * IMPACTS...At 6.0 feet, PROPERTIES IN FLOOD PLAIN ALONG RIO CHAMA AND NEAR THE JUNCTION OF RIO OJO CALIENTE WILL SEE WATER IN THEIR YARDS. BANK EROSION IS POSSIBLE. DAMAGE TO WELLS AND SEPTIC TANKS IS POSSIBLE. THESE IMPACTS WILL INCREASE IN SEVERITY AT HIGHER LEVELS. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:00 PM MDT Tuesday the stage was 6.0 feet. - Bankfull stage is 5.5 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage late this evening and continue rising to 6.3 feet early Thursday afternoon. Additional rises are possible thereafter. - Flood stage is 6.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 6.3 feet on 04/25/2008. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

Fire Weather Watch issued April 23 at 2:24PM MDT until April 25 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ON THURSDAY... .Warm and dry high pressure will transition to deep southwest flow on Wednesday ahead of an approaching Pacific storm system that will move across the region on Thursday. Gusty southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph sustained with gusts of 45 to 60 mph, combined with very low minimum relative humidity values will lead to critical fire weather conditions late Thursday morning into the evening timeframe. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire weather zone 110. Fire weather zone 111. Fire weather zone 112. Fire weather zone 113. Fire weather zone 055. Fire weather zone 056. * WIND...West to southwest at 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 45 to 60 mph. * HUMIDITY...7 to 17 percent. * EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...6-8 Critical to Extreme in Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas desert lowlands. 5-7 Critical for Sacramento and Gila Mountains. * IMPACTS...any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

Fire Weather Watch issued April 23 at 4:18AM MDT until April 25 at 9:00PM MDT by NWS Albuquerque NM

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY... .Critical to extreme fire weather conditions are expected Thursday across portions of central New Mexico and all of eastern New Mexico as an upper level disturbance approaches the area. Southwest winds will strengthen in the presence of widespread low double digit and single digit minimum relative humidity. Durations of single digit relative humidity will exceed 5 hours in some areas of heavier fuels. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Fire Weather Watch...which is in effect from Thursday morning through Thursday evening. * AREA AND TIMING...West Central Basin and Range (Zone 109), Middle Rio Grande Valley (Zone 106), Sandia and Manzano Mountains (Zone 124), Central Highlands (Zone 125), East Central Plains (Zone 126), Upper Rio Grande Valley and Lower Chama River Valley (Zone 121), Northeast Highlands (Zone 123), Northeast Plains (Zone 104). * 20 FOOT WINDS...Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts between 45 and 55 mph. The strongest winds are expected across the highlands of the central mountains. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum values between 7 and 15 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.