CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-
CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-
CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-
FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY-
HARDING COUNTY-LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY-
LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY-
ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
518 AM MST FRI DEC 12 2008

CHAIN OF WINTER WEATHER SYSTEMS TO IMPACT MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TONIGHT THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK...

A SERIES OF WINTER WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL CROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TONIGHT THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK WITH HEAVY
SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE IN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS.  ADDITIONALLY...VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS
WEEKEND WITH GUSTS REACHING 50 MPH IN MANY AREAS AND POTENTIALLY AROUND 60 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN.

MANY LOCATIONS WILL EXPERIENCE PRECIPITATION IN WAVES...EXCEPT FOR THE WEST SLOPES OF THE WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS WHERE
SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE MORE CONTINUOUS.

THE FIRST WAVE OF PRECIPITATION WILL CROSS WITH A DISTURBANCE TONIGHT THAT WILL PROBABLY ONLY RESULT IN LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN
THE WESTERN...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AS WELL AS SOME LOWER ELEVATION LOCATIONS OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO.

A STRONGER DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS THIS WEEKEND WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AND A BETTER CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION. STRONG
WEST AND SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BLOW AT SPEEDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 50 TO 55 MPH SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS
WILL FAVOR THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HIGH PLAINS ADJACENT TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WHERE THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR GUSTS AROUND 60
MPH. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CROSS WINDS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES AND PICK UP DUST THAT WILL DROP VISIBILITY BELOW ONE
HALF MILE AT TIMES IN DUST PRONE LOCATIONS. ADDITIONALLY...A FEW TO SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE
WESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. WEST AND SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES WILL EXPERIENCE THE GREATEST SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. IN NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO...SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
ACCOMPANY THE PRECIPITATION AS IT DEVELOPS SATURDAY NIGHT. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OVER 55 MPH. THE STORM
SYSTEM WILL ALSO PRODUCE A SHARP COOL DOWN IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO BY MONDAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES FROM 5 TO 20 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL.

FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK...COMPUTER MODELS AGREE THAT A STEADY STREAM OF WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL CROSS
WESTERN AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE IN RAPID WEST AND SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WEATHER PATTERN CAN RESULT IN A FEW INCHES
OF SNOW ACCUMULATION DAILY IN THE WEST AND NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS...WITH THE GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS NEAR CHAMA IN THE SOUTHERN SAN JUAN
MOUNTAINS AND ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS.  BETWEEN THIS WEEKEND AND THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT
WEEK...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR OVER 30 INCHES OF NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION ALONG THE WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS...AND
OVER 18 INCHES ALONG THE WEST SLOPES OF THE WEST CENTRAL AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. A STRONGER DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO CROSS
NEW MEXICO AROUND MID WEEK WITH MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION THAT COULD SPELL SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION FOR OTHER AREAS LIKE THE
NORTHWEST PLATEAU...MIDDLE AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY...AND THE HIGH PLAINS ADJACENT TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN.

TRAVELERS ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL WANT TO MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT WEEK IN
ORDER TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY TO DEVELOPING WIND AND SNOW CONCERNS.