Thursday, May 26, 2011

May 26

The forecast is for a breezy day but I don't expect wildblown dust. The NWS forecast for Las Cruces is calling for winds in the 25 to 28 mph range with gusts to 39 mph. The RUC wind forecast below shows higher westerly to southwesterly winds to our north.
The forecasted highs today are going to be shy of the record but creeping up to it. Today's record at NMSU to beat is 99 F from 2006. There's not much relief from the heat and wind over the next few days. Southeastern NM and west Texas will peak at or around 100F today.

The AQI forecast for today again shows an area of moderate air quality over Dona Ana County and the Paso del Norte due to ozone.
The NOAA EMC ozone forecasts show a few hot spots of ozone this afternoon. The map below is their prediction at 6 pm today overlayed with the RUC wind vectors. The hot spot over in Otero County was a remnant of yesterday's high ozone and appears to be advecting toward the east.
The NOAA Smoke forecasts show continued smoke impacts from the Horseshoe 2 Fire in Arizona. Below is the surface smoke prediction for noon today. Smoke concentrations in communities such as Rodeo and Animas are likely to be high today.
I spend the afternoon and early evening in Columbus and saw lots of smoke from the Horseshoe 2 Fire. A large plume of smoke was carried east overhead but I could smell the smoke now and then. The photo below shows the view west at 7:30 pm in Columbus.

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