@                      FXUS64 KEPZ 191126
AFDEPZ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
526 AM MDT Tue May 19 2026

...New AVIATION, FIRE WEATHER...

.KEY MESSAGES... 
Updated at 525 AM MDT Tue May 19 2026

 - Breezy and mostly dry conditions continue each afternoon 
   through the work week.

 - Potential rain chances this weekend. 

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1014 PM MDT Mon May 18 2026

An upper trough spanning the western CONUS will keep the area
under dry southwest flow Tuesday and even into Wednesday. Expect
low end breeziness each afternoon with speeds generally 10-20 mph
sustained. A cold front is barreling down the Great Plains this 
evening and looks to reach the edges of the Sacramento Mtns by 
early this morning before it gets pushed away from the area due 
to dry SW flow picking up again by the daylight hours. Moisture 
from the southern Plains will push into the area Wednesday 
morning. But, how far west will the moisture make it? GFS says 
moisture will make it to the Hudspeth county/El Paso county line, 
but the NAM pushes this moisture as far west as the Rio Grande 
Valley. This will depend on if our area could see thunderstorms 
Wednesday afternoon when the dryline races eastward again. Much of
the action will be to our east, but perhaps we could get some 
thunderstorms to fire off that boundary if moisture stays in the 
area longer than forecast. 

A cutoff low looks to form over the Baja California area Thursday,
which keeps the area under southwest flow much of Thursday and
into Friday before the weak cutoff low pushes eastward Saturday.
Thursday and Friday, the area keeps low end breeziness with wind
speeds of 10-20 mph each afternoon. Models are suggesting slight 
chances of rain in Hudspeth county late Thursday and into Friday. 
Somewhat better and potentially more widespread rain chances 
possible late Friday and Saturday due to the cutoff low. 

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 525 AM MDT Tue May 19 2026

VFR conditions are expected today beneath SKC-FEW250. Light 
westerly winds will increase from the SW (210-240) this afternoon 
with speeds of 10 to 15 knots and gusts of 20 to 25 knots. Winds 
will decrease again after dark.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 525 AM MDT Tue May 19 2026

We will see another day of very dry and warm conditions, but winds
will not be as strong as they were on Monday, topping out around
15 MPH although low lands across Sierra County will top out closer
to 20 MPH. Min RH values will drop into the single digits. This 
will largely remain the pattern for the next several days. The
exception will be across far eastern portions of the Lincoln /
Capitan NF and Eastern Hudspeth County where a front / dry line
will meander. To the east of the front, winds will be from the
east our southeast. A stray shower or thunderstorm cannot be
entirely ruled out as well east of the front, but probabilities
are very low until this weekend.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  64  91  64  88 /   0   0   0  10 
Sierra Blanca            57  87  56  82 /   0  10  10  20 
Las Cruces               55  87  56  85 /   0   0   0   0 
Alamogordo               59  88  58  86 /   0   0   0   0 
Cloudcroft               44  66  43  63 /   0   0   0  10 
Truth or Consequences    57  86  57  85 /   0   0   0   0 
Silver City              52  79  50  78 /   0   0   0   0 
Deming                   54  89  54  88 /   0   0   0   0 
Lordsburg                55  85  53  84 /   0   0   0   0 
West El Paso Metro       64  89  64  86 /   0   0   0  10 
Dell City                56  88  56  87 /   0  10  10  10 
Fort Hancock             62  94  62  90 /   0   0  10  10 
Loma Linda               59  83  58  80 /   0   0   0  10 
Fabens                   60  92  61  89 /   0   0   0  10 
Santa Teresa             57  88  58  85 /   0   0   0   0 
White Sands HQ           65  89  64  87 /   0   0   0   0 
Jornada Range            55  87  55  86 /   0   0   0   0 
Hatch                    55  90  55  88 /   0   0   0   0 
Columbus                 60  89  60  88 /   0   0   0   0 
Orogrande                57  87  57  84 /   0   0   0   0 
Mayhill                  48  76  47  75 /   0  10  10  10 
Mescalero                48  76  46  74 /   0   0   0  10 
Timberon                 46  73  44  73 /   0  10   0  10 
Winston                  46  79  45  79 /   0   0   0   0 
Hillsboro                56  84  55  83 /   0   0   0   0 
Spaceport                53  86  52  85 /   0   0   0   0 
Lake Roberts             48  79  45  78 /   0   0   0   0 
Hurley                   50  82  48  81 /   0   0   0   0 
Cliff                    51  85  48  84 /   0   0   0   0 
Mule Creek               50  80  47  80 /   0   0   0   0 
Faywood                  53  81  51  80 /   0   0   0   0 
Animas                   54  85  53  84 /   0   0   0   0 
Hachita                  55  85  54  84 /   0   0   0   0 
Antelope Wells           55  84  53  84 /   0   0   0   0 
Cloverdale               55  79  53  79 /   0   0   0   0 

&&

.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
NM...None.
&&

$$

FORECASTER...34-Brown
