197
FNUS74 KEPZ 201456
FWSEPZ

Spot Forecast for Sunset Fire...USDA Forest Service
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
Issued by National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
856 AM MDT Thu Aug 20 2026

Forecast is based on forecast start time of 0900 MDT on August 20.
If conditions become unrepresentative, contact the National Weather
Service.

.DISCUSSION...
Fire weather concerns remain low through the weekend. Scattered
showers and storms develop over the fire location this afternoon
and Friday afternoon, drifting to the southwest. Gusty outflow winds
over 40 mph and brief downpours expected from any storm. Very good
humidity recovery during the overnight hours. Slightly hotter and
drier this weekend with high pressure overhead.

.REST OF TODAY...

Sky/weather.........Mostly sunny (20-30 percent). Slight chance of
                    showers and thunderstorms late in the
                    afternoon.
Chance of pcpn......20 percent.
Max temperature.....Around 81.
Min humidity........25 percent.
Wind (20 ft)........Light winds becoming east around 7 mph early in
                    the afternoon, then shifting to the south late
                    in the afternoon. Gusty and erratic winds
                    expected near thunderstorms late in the
                    afternoon.
Mixing height.......9900 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....Northeast around 6 mph increasing to 6 to 9 mph
                    late in the morning, then shifting to the south
                    9 to 10 mph late in the afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Good (79200 knot-ft) .

TIME (MDT)      9AM 10A 11A 12P 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM
Sky (%).........26  26  26  22  22  22  31  31  31
Weather cov.....NONENONENONENONENONENONESCH SCH SCH
Weather type....                        RW  RW  RW
Tstm cov........NONENONENONENONENONENONESCH SCH SCH
Chc of pcpn (%).0   0   0   10  10  10  20  20  20
Temp............69  73  76  78  79  79  80  81  79
RH..............40  34  31  29  29  28  26  25  27
20 FT wind dir..NE  NE  NE  E   E   E   S   S   S
20 FT wind spd..4   4   4   7   7   7   7   7   7
20 FT wind gust.10  10  10  14  14  14  15  15  15
Mix hgt (kft)...1.6 4.9 4.9 9.3 9.3 9.9 9.9 8.9 8.9
Transp wind dir.N   NE  E   NE  NE  E   SW  S   S
Transp wind spd.6   6   6   8   9   9   9   9   10
Vrate kt-ft/1K..8   25  25  75  75  79  79  71  71
Ventrate Cat....PR  PR  PR  GD  GD  GD  GD  GD  GD

.TONIGHT...

Sky/weather.........Mostly cloudy (65-75 percent) then becoming
                    partly cloudy (35-45 percent).
Chance of pcpn......10 percent.
Min temperature.....Around 65.
Max humidity........43 percent.
Wind (20 ft)........Southwest winds around 7 mph shifting to the
                    northwest around 5 mph late in the evening,
                    then becoming light overnight.
Mixing height.......500 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....West 8 to 10 mph shifting to the north early in
                    the evening, then shifting to the southwest 8
                    to 9 mph overnight shifting to the west 6 to 9
                    mph after 3 am.
Smoke dispersal.....Poor (3800 knot-ft).

TIME (MDT)      6PM 7PM 8PM 9PM 10P 11P MID 1AM 2AM 3AM 4AM 5AM
Sky (%).........66  66  66  70  70  70  65  65  65  41  41  41
Weather cov.....NONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONE
Weather type....
Tstm cov........NONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONE
Chc of pcpn (%).10  10  10  10  10  10  0   0   0   0   0   0
Temp............79  77  74  72  70  70  68  68  67  67  66  66
RH..............27  31  34  35  38  38  40  43  43  42  43  43
20 FT wind dir..SW  SW  SW  NW  NW  NW  W   W   W   NW  NW  NW
20 FT wind spd..7   7   7   5   5   5   3   3   3   3   3   3
20 FT wind gust.14  14  14  10  10  10  8   8   8   8   8   8
Mix hgt (kft)...4.0 4.0 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Transp wind dir.SW  W   NW  N   N   N   N   S   SW  W   W   W
Transp wind spd.10  8   9   10  9   9   8   8   9   9   8   6
Vrate kt-ft/1K..36  36  5   5   5   5   4   4   4   4   4   4
Ventrate Cat....PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR  PR

.FRIDAY...

Sky/weather.........Sunny (20-30 percent).
Chance of pcpn......10 percent.
Max temperature.....Around 81.
Min humidity........24 percent.
Wind (20 ft)........Light winds becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in
                    the late morning and afternoon.
Mixing height.......10100 ft AGL.
Transport winds.....West around 6 mph shifting to the southeast 7
                    to 14 mph in the late morning and afternoon.
Smoke dispersal.....Fair (44300 knot-ft) increasing to very good
                    (114600 knot-ft) in the afternoon.

TIME (MDT)      6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10A 11A 12P 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM
Sky (%).........35  35  35  20  20  20  19  19  19  13  13  13
Weather cov.....NONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONE
Weather type....
Tstm cov........NONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONENONE
Chc of pcpn (%).0   0   0   0   0   0   10  10  10  10  10  10
Temp............65  67  69  70  74  77  78  80  79  81  79  79
RH..............43  40  39  36  30  28  26  26  27  24  26  26
20 FT wind dir..W   W   W   SE  SE  SE  SE  SE  SE  SE  SE  SE
20 FT wind spd..3   3   3   5   5   5   10  10  10  10  10  10
20 FT wind gust.8   8   8   14  14  14  21  21  21  20  20  20
Mix hgt (kft)...0.5 0.5 1.8 1.8 6.3 6.3 10  10  9.6 9.6 8.5 8.5
Transp wind dir.W   W   NW  S   SE  SE  SE  SE  S   SE  SE  S
Transp wind spd.6   6   6   7   7   8   12  13  14  14  13  12
Vrate kt-ft/1K..3   3   11  11  44  44  111 111 115 115 94  94
Ventrate Cat....PR  PR  PR  PR  FR  FR  VGD VGD VGD VGD GD  GD

.FORECAST DAYS 3 THROUGH 5...
.SATURDAY...
Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Highs in the lower 80s. South
winds around 8 mph.
.SUNDAY...
Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Highs in the lower 80s. South
winds around 8 mph.
.MONDAY...
Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Highs in the mid 80s. South
winds around 7 mph.

$$
Forecaster...GUEST
Requested by...Scott Hannigan
Type of request...WILDFIRE
.TAG 2620081.0/EPZ
.DELDT 08/20/26
.FormatterVersion 2.0.0
.EMAIL sean.donaldson@usda.gov,scottahannigan@gmail.com,scott.hannigan@usda.gov