Weather Forecast for Santa Fe

* WHAT...Southwest to west winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 70 mph expected. * WHERE...All of eastern New Mexico as well as the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Northeast and Central Highlands as well as the South Central Mountains. * WHEN...From 8 AM to 8 PM MST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Patchy blowing dust may develop across the eastern plains due to the very strong west winds and dry antecedent conditions. Visibility may be reduced below one mile.

Take action to secure trash cans, lawn furniture, and other loose or lightweight outdoor objects. Extremely hazardous driving conditions can be expected, especially for motorists in high profile vehicles who should consider delaying travel.

* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of central, north central, and west central New Mexico, including the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Metro areas. * WHEN...From 8 AM to 8 PM MST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs may be blown down. Expect strong crosswinds on area roadways. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Patchy blowing dust may develop due to the strong winds and dry antecedent conditions. Visibility may be reduced to less than three miles in localized areas.

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations 3 to 6 inches above 8500 feet and less than 3 inches below 8500 feet. Winds gusting as high as 65 mph. * WHERE...Northern and Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. * WHEN...From 5 AM to 8 PM MST Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow. Whiteout conditions are possible and may make travel treacherous. Extend the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines.

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For the latest road conditions, dial 511 or 1.800.432.4269, or visit http://nmroads.com.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM TUESDAY FOR THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, NORTHEAST PLAINS, AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 7 PM WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY... .Strong to damaging southwest to west winds will impact New Mexico Tuesday with critical fire weather conditions over a large area of eastern NM. Peak wind gusts of 55 to 70 mph with minimum humidity values of 15 to 20% will allow for rapid fire spread among fine fuels. Another day of strong to potentially damaging winds are expected on Wednesday, and humidity values will be much lower than on Tuesday. Minimum humidity values on Wednesday will be between 8 and 18% across central and eastern NM. Any fires that are started on Tuesday may continue to burn through Wednesday. Critical fire weather conditions may also return on Thursday across eastern NM. * AREA AND TIMING...Middle Rio Grande Valley (Zone 106) and Central Highlands (Zone 125) from late Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening. * 20 FOOT WINDS...West to southwest 20 to 35 mph with peak gusts between 45 and 55 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum values between 11 and 18%. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended.

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Fire Weather Watch.