Air Quality Alert
NMZ402-408-409-221900-
Southern Gila Highlands/Black Range-Eastern Black Range Foothills-
Sierra County Lakes-
Including the cities of Silver City, Lake Roberts, Kingston,
Fort Bayard, Hillsboro, Winston, Truth Or Consequences, Derry,
and Spaceport
302 PM MDT Sat May 21 2022
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM MDT SUNDAY...
The New Mexico Departments of Health and Environment has issued an
Air Quality Alert, until 1 PM MDT Sunday.
An Air Quality Alert for Smoke has been issued.
* WHAT... A shallow dome of unseasonably cool air along and east of
the central mountain chain this afternoon will be reinforced by
early evening with the leading edge of this cooler air advancing
much farther west and south than this past nightpossibly as far
west as the Continental Divide by Sunday morning. Smoke from the
highest elevations of Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire will initially
be transported to the east-northeast while very little eastward
smoke transport is expected at the lower elevations. However,
beginning late today or early evening, any smoke along the east
slopes of the Sangre de Cristos will be pushed back toward the west
and northwest. There is the potential for smoke impacts to increase
and expand along the Rio Grande Valley west of the Sangre de
Cristos, as well as areas south and southwest of the Hermits Peak
Calf Canyon fire perimeter to include Pecos Canyon, Glorieta and
Santa Fe during the evening and overnight. Meanwhile, across the
Gila National Forest and surrounding areas, significantly drier
west-southwest transport winds will prevail through the evening
with smoke transport toward the east-northeast. Thereafter, smoke
from the Black and Bear Trap fires will tend to push more toward
the north-northwest then back to the northeast going into Sunday.
Smoke from other wildfires and localized blowing dust will
contribute to increasingly hazy skies especially for the middle Rio
Grande Valley corridor.
* WHERE...Locations most likely to experience the most significant
impacts from smoke include the following counites: Catron, western
Colfax, northwest Lincoln, western Mora, southeastern Rio Arriba,
eastern Sandoval, western San Miguel, northern Santa Fe, Socorro,
Taos, southwest Torrance. More details on impacted locations and
latest air quality information can be found at
https://fire.airnow.gov
* WHEN... Remainder of this afternoon through at least 1pm MDT
Sunday, May 22
* HEALTH INFORMATION...Remember, your eyes are your best tools to
determine if it is safe to be outside. Use the 5-3-1 Method
available at
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.
If visibility is:
Under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children,
adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart
and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness.
Outdoor activity should be minimized.
Around 3 miles, young children, adults over age 65, pregnant
women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other
respiratory illness should avoid all outdoor activities.
Around 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. People
should remain indoors and avoid all outdoor activities including
running errands. Unless an evacuation has been issued, stay inside
your home, indoor workplace, or in a safe shelter.
NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/IndoorQuality.html and
https://cv.nmhealth.org
New Mexicans will also need to take steps to keep their homes cool
to avoid heat-related illnesses. NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/health/heatstress/Heat.html.
For smoke forecast outlooks from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air
Quality Response Program please visit:
https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net.
$$
NMZ208-212>218-220-224-241-221900-
Air Quality Alert Message
Relayed by National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
302 PM MDT Sat May 21 2022
...AIR QUALITY ALERT...
The following message is transmitted at the request of the New Mexico
Departments of Health and Environment, United States Forest Service
and the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program.
* WHAT...A shallow dome of unseasonably cool air along and east of the
central mountain chain this afternoon will be reinforced by early
evening with the leading edge of this cooler air advancing much
farther west and south than this past nightpossibly as far west
as the Continental Divide by Sunday morning. Smoke from the highest
elevations of Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire will initially be
transported to the east-northeast while very little eastward smoke
transport is expected at the lower elevations. However, beginning
late today or early evening, any smoke along the east slopes of the
Sangre de Cristos will be pushed back toward the west and
northwest. There is the potential for smoke impacts to increase and
expand along the Rio Grande Valley west of the Sangre de Cristos, as
well as areas south and southwest of the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon
fire perimeter to include Pecos Canyon, Glorieta and Santa Fe during
the evening and overnight. Meanwhile, across the Gila National
Forest and surrounding areas, significantly drier west- southwest
transport winds will prevail through the evening with smoke
transport toward the east-northeast. Thereafter, smoke from the
Black and Bear Trap fires will tend to push more toward the north-
northwest then back to the northeast going into Sunday. Smoke from
other wildfires and localized blowing dust will contribute to
increasingly hazy skies especially for the middle Rio Grande Valley
corridor.
* WHERE...Locations most likely to experience the most significant
impacts from smoke include the following counties: Catron, western
Colfax, northwest Lincoln, western Mora, southeastern Rio Arriba,
eastern Sandoval, western San Miguel, northern Santa Fe, Socorro,
Taos, southwest Torrance. More details on impacted locationsand
latest air quality information can be found athttps://fire.airnow.gov
* WHEN...Remainder of this afternoon through at least 1pm MDT Sunday,
May 22
* IMPACTS...Those with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and heart
disease will be especially vulnerable to impacts from poor air
quality, as will adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant
women if smoke concentrations become unhealthy.
* HEALTH INFORMATION...Remember, your eyes are your best tools to
determine if it is safe to be outside. Use the 5-3-1 Method available
at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.
If visibility is:
Under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children,
adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart
and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness.
Outdoor activity should be minimized.
Around 3 miles, young children, adults over age 65, pregnant
women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other
respiratory illness should avoid all outdoor activities.
Around 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. People
should remain indoors and avoid all outdoor activities including
running errands. Unless an evacuation has been issued, stay inside
your home, indoor workplace, or in a safe shelter.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Mexico and with the
wildfire season underway, New Mexicans will need to take extra
precautions. Smoke from wildfires may cause people to have more
severe reactions if they are infected COVID-19. The best way to
protect against the potentially harmful effects of wildfire smoke and
to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home and create a clean
indoor air space. NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/IndoorQuality.html and
https://cv.nmhealth.org
New Mexicans will also need to take steps to keep their homes cool to
avoid heat-related illnesses. NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/health/heatstress/Heat.html.
For smoke forecast outlooks from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air
Quality Response Program please visit:
https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net.
$$
Hazardous Weather Outlook
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
551 AM MDT Sat May 21 2022
NMZ401>413-TXZ418-419-221300-
Upper Gila River Valley-Southern Gila Highlands/Black Range-
Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley-
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Lowlands of the Bootheel-
Uplands of the Bootheel-Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-
Eastern Black Range Foothills-Sierra County Lakes-
Northern Dona Ana County-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-
Central Tularosa Basin-Southern Tularosa Basin-
Western El Paso County-Eastern/Central El Paso County-
551 AM MDT Sat May 21 2022
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central
New Mexico, southwest New Mexico, and southwest Texas.
.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.
West winds 15 to 25 mph this afternoon and evening. Some smoke and
haze across much of Sierra County and Tularosa Basin, creating
poor air quality conditions.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.
Breezy afternoons each day with winds 15 to 25 mph...stronger
Friday at 20 to 30 mph. Some smoke and haze continuing across
much of Sierra County and Tularosa Basin, creating poor air
quality conditions.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation will not be needed.
$$
Hefner