Forecasters hope storm will provide weather relief

Warm, dry weather has fueled multiple wildfires across New Mexico this week, but forecasters are hoping a midweek storm will provide some relief to the drought-stricken state.

The best chance of rain in eastern New Mexico is today, though thunderstorms are expected to be isolated.

High temperatures are expected in the upper 60s today and Thursday in the Clovis-Portales area, with rain chances 30-to-40 percent today.

But the region will quickly dry again Thursday as winds are expected in excess of 40 mph.

Rain chances fall off this weekend and temperatures are expected to reach near 90 degrees for eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle.

“As the temperatures warm up, the humidities go back down, and we’ll see those strong winds combine with the dry and warm conditions to produce another round of critical fire weather conditions, this time limited to the eastern plains,” said Randall Hergert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

“We could see some blowing dust, and could see some smoke concerns from this Three Rivers Fire (outside Ruidoso).”