Area Forecast Discussion
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FXUS64 KEPZ 101139
AFDEPZ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
539 AM MDT Fri Oct 10 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 534 AM MDT Fri Oct 10 2025

 - Drier and somewhat breezy conditions Friday.

 - Remnant tropical moisture will flow over the area Saturday
   through Monday, bringing rain and storm chances. Heavy rain
   threat will be favored in southern and western areas with
   flooding possible.

 - Temperatures will be near or above normal through Saturday,
   then cooling early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 946 PM MDT Thu Oct 9 2025

For Fri, the upper high remains over W TX, keeping much of the
moisture to the west in AZ. PWs stay above normal (about 1.1";
normal is around 0.6"), but the mid-level capping will limit our
instability and convective potential. As a result, mainly dry
conditions are forecast for the short-term. The pressure gradient
stays somewhat tight for Fri, especially in western areas closer to
where surface troughing develops in Sonora/southern AZ. E-SE winds
remain on the breezy side, generally 10-20 mph, stronger near the NM-
AZ border.

For the weekend and early next week, deep tropical moisture advects
into the region from the southwest associated with two separate
tropical features. First is TS Priscilla, which continues to weaken
off the coast of Baja tonight. Its moisture gets scooped up by an
advancing Pacific trough Fri-Sat, bringing highly anomalous moisture
to AZ/Four Corners region. As the trough progresses eastward Sat
night/Sun, we`ll get that near-record moisture content as well. PWs
are modeled to peak around 1.5" at EPZ Sat night according to the
latest ensemble guidance, slightly higher than this time yesterday.
Record PWs for mid-Oct are about 1.2", so there`s a high chance we
break a daily record this weekend and a low chance of setting a
monthly PW record, which is around 1.6".

The passing trough will provide some lift for storms to develop, but
extensive cloud cover could limit instability and leave us with more
stratiform precip. Rain/storm chances increase from west to east
Sat/overnight with western areas favored to see flash flooding into
Sun AM. Through 12z Sun, WPC has a Slight ERO along and west of the
Divide with a medium chance of exceeding 1". Relatively fast storm
motions will help limit the flash flood threat, but any storms will
be capable of producing efficient rain rates of 1-2" per hour.

By Sunday AM, moisture associated with the second tropical feature
(now TS Raymond) meets up with Priscilla`s remnant moisture along
the Int`l border. The upper trough will be ejecting into the Plains
on Sunday, so we won`t have as much forcing with this other batch of
tropical moisture, at least initially. There`s some uncertainty
regarding where the deepest moisture sets up Sun, but we will most
likely see continued near-record PWs. Embedded vorts/shortwaves may
pass through the region on Sunday, overlapping where the deepest
moisture is located. Areas along and south of I-10 in NM are most
favored to see heavy rainfall and flash flooding on Sunday, where a
high-end Slight ERO is in place. 70-90% chance of 1"+ are forecast
Sun/Sun night from El Paso westward along the Int`l border, and 20-
40% of 2"+. The flood threat lowers as you head north and east where
moisture levels are less impressive. No Flood Watches are in effect
as of now, but could be introduced by Saturday if the forecast is
consistent. Confidence is increasing in this flood threat on Sunday.

Another feature to keep an eye on is a second Pacific trough during
the first half of the week, which may provide some lift and scoop up
what`s left of Raymond`s moisture. We`re unsure if this trough will
be close enough or timed correctly to enhance our storm chances
through Tue, but the moisture is modeled to be pulled northward on
Mon. The flood threat remains on Monday for much of the region,
favoring areas to the north and west. The NBM gives those areas a
medium chance of exceeding 1" Mon/Mon night with lower probabilities
south and east. Drier conditions are forecast into the middle of
next week, but that`ll depend on the Pacific storm`s behavior and
trajectory. The 18z GFS brings the low south into SoCal as an upper
high sits to the east, pumping some moisture in from the south
through midweek. Confidence is low regarding a battle between dry,
southwesterly flow around the low and a moisture tap around the high
to end the period.

Temperatures will warm to a few degrees above normal through Sat.
Temps will be seasonably cool on Sunday (12z GFS MOS has a high
of 69 for KELP!) due to the clouds and rain chances, then rebound
to near or above normal for midweek as rain chances diminish.

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 534 AM MDT Fri Oct 10 2025

VFR conditions will persist through the forecast period. E-SE
winds AOB 10kts through the AM. Some gustiness returns for the
afternoon with sustained SE winds in the 8-12kt range and gusts
in the 15-20kt range. A mix of SKC and FEW/SCT low and mid level
clouds through the morning, with an increase in mid and high level
clouds this aftn/eve. We should also see some fair weather CU
clouds develop this aftn, but any CIGS will stay well above 10kft
AGL. Little to no SHRA/TSRA activity today, with slim chances
over the Sacramento mountains late aftn, and over the mountains of
SW NM this afternoon. Those will be moving NW away from all
terminals. batch

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1124 AM MDT Thu Oct 9 2025

Low level moisture will remain in place through the period with
min RH`s in the 30s early on but by Sunday into Tuesday will be up
into the 40s to 60s. Generally dry through Friday, but precip will
start moving in early Saturday from the west and spread east by
early Sunday. Chances for rainfall will continue through at least
Tuesday with some locally heavy rainfall amounts possible leading
to flooding. The rain looks more stratiform with isolated embedded
thunderstorms, so it will be more of a moderate, prolonged rain
event.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  88  67  75  63 /   0  20  20  60
Sierra Blanca            84  60  76  58 /  10   0  10  30
Las Cruces               83  62  71  59 /   0  10  60  70
Alamogordo               84  61  73  58 /  10  10  10  60
Cloudcroft               63  46  54  43 /  10  10  40  60
Truth or Consequences    81  60  73  58 /  10  10  60  60
Silver City              76  56  67  55 /  10  20  70  80
Deming                   85  63  74  60 /   0  10  60  70
Lordsburg                83  61  70  59 /   0  10  70  80
West El Paso Metro       87  66  72  64 /   0  20  30  60
Dell City                87  62  77  60 /   0   0  20  30
Fort Hancock             91  67  80  65 /   0  10  10  40
Loma Linda               81  60  68  57 /   0  20  20  60
Fabens                   90  66  75  63 /   0  20  20  50
Santa Teresa             86  64  71  61 /   0  20  40  60
White Sands HQ           85  64  72  61 /   0  20  50  70
Jornada Range            83  61  72  58 /   0  10  60  70
Hatch                    86  63  74  60 /  10  10  60  60
Columbus                 86  64  73  60 /   0  10  50  70
Orogrande                83  61  70  58 /   0  10  20  60
Mayhill                  74  53  67  49 /  10  10  10  50
Mescalero                75  51  66  47 /  10  10  60  80
Timberon                 71  49  62  47 /  10  10  10  60
Winston                  75  51  69  48 /  10  10  80  60
Hillsboro                82  58  73  55 /  10  10  60  60
Spaceport                83  59  73  57 /   0  10  50  60
Lake Roberts             77  52  68  50 /  10  20  80  70
Hurley                   79  57  69  55 /   0  20  70  80
Cliff                    83  59  73  57 /  10  20  80  70
Mule Creek               78  56  70  55 /  10  30  80  70
Faywood                  78  58  68  56 /  10  20  70  70
Animas                   84  62  71  60 /   0  20  80  80
Hachita                  83  61  69  58 /   0  10  80  80
Antelope Wells           84  61  70  59 /  10  20  70  70
Cloverdale               79  59  64  57 /  10  20  70  80

&&

.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
NM...None.
&&

$$

FORECASTER...14-Bird