Air Quality Alert

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE NEW 
MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT.

SMOKE PLUMES FROM THE WHITEWATER BALDY FIRE COMPLEX ARE EXPECTED TO 
TRACK TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST EARLY TODAY AND GENERALLY WEST TO 
EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS TRANSPORT WINDS BECOME MORE 
WESTERLY. THIS WILL FORCE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SMOKE IMPACTS FARTHER 
EAST AND SOUTH AND INTO AREAS FROM EASTERN AND NORTHERN SOCORRO 
COUNTY ACROSS SOUTHEAST VALENCIA...TORRANCE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES AND 
POINTS FARTHER EAST-NORTHEAST.

AREAS IMMEDIATELY EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE FIRE COMPLEX WILL BE 
MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. COMMUNITIES SUCH AS DATIL... 
MAGDALENA...BERNARDO...BELEN...CORONA...MOUNTAINAIR...AND ESTANCIA 
ARE EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TODAY.  
SMOKE IMPACTS WILL SHIFT FARTHER SOUTH THIS EVENING AND 
OVERNIGHT...WITH SOCORRO...CARRIZOZO...AND RUIDOSO LIKELY TO BE 
IMPACTED. 

IF HEAVY SMOKE IS PRESENT...OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE
MINIMIZED. REMEMBER...YOUR EYES ARE YOUR BEST TOOLS TO DETERMINE
IF IT IS SAFE TO BE OUTSIDE. IF VISIBILITY IS TEN MILES OR
HIGHER...THE AIR QUALITY IS GOOD...SIX TO NINE MILES...AIR QUALITY
IS MODERATE...THREE TO FIVE MILES...AIR QUALITY IS UNHEALTHY FOR
SENSITIVE PEOPLE...ONE AND A HALF TO TWO AND A HALF MILES...AIR
QUALITY IS UNHEALTHY... ONE TO ONE AND A QUARTER MILES...AIR
QUALITY IS VERY UNHEALTHY... AND THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE OR
LESS...AIR QUALITY IS HAZARDOUS.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

548 AM MDT SAT MAY 26 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL
NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

STRONG...POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH OR GREATER
ARE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE WEST AND NORTH. THE THREAT OF HIGH
WIND WILL SHIFT TO AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN
CHAIN TONIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. CRITICAL IF NOT EXTREME FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST AREAWIDE.

STRENGTHENING SOUTHWESTERLY TRANSPORT WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY SMOKE
FROM THE GILA REGION TOWARD THE NORTHEAST. COMMUNITIES MOST
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED TODAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
QUEMADO...QUEMADO LAKE...MAGDALENA...ALAMO...ACOMA
PUEBLO...GRANTS...AND CUBA.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG
A DRYLINE ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. A FEW OF THESE COULD BE
STRONG OVER EASTERN CHAVES...ROOSEVELT AND CURRY COUNTIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS
ON SUNDAY WHERE LOW HUMIDITIES COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL
CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. MUCH LIGHTER WINDS AND
HIGHER HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WEST ON SUNDAY.

THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL IMPROVE MARKEDLY BEGINNING MEMORIAL DAY
AND BEYOND AS THE THREAT OF HIGH WIND DIMINISHES AND MOISTURE
LEVELS INCREASE FROM EAST TO WEST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AT 911 AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637 TO REPORT WILDFIRE OUTBREAKS OR ANY
DAMAGE OR SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS RELATED TO HIGH WIND.

There are currently no Special Weather Statements Albuquerque, Albuquerque International Airport, .

There are currently no Short Term Forecasts Albuquerque, Albuquerque International Airport, .