The National Weather Service has posted a fire weather watch for areas south of Interstate 40, except for the Rio Grande Valley, for Thursday afternoon and evening that will expand to all of New Mexico south of I-40 Friday afternoon and evening -- including the middle Rio Grande Valley from Albuquerque to Socorro.

There will be breezy to windy conditions along and east of the central mountain chain on Thursday as well as in the west central and southwest mountains of New Mexico, the weather service said.

Winds of 15 to 35 mph, gusting up to 50 mph, coupled with low (10 to 20 percent) humidities will bring about critical fire weather conditions, and winds are expected to kick up even more on Friday along and south of the I-40 corridor -- sustained west winds of 20 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph.

The weather service's forecast for Albuquerque calls for a mostly sunny but breezy day on Thursday, with a high near 71 and 5- to 10-mph northwest winds gusting as high as 30 mph, with winds turning west and blowing overnight.

Friday is expected to be a hold-on-to-your-hat day, with blowing dust after noon, and sustained west winds increasing from 5 to 10 mph to 25 to 30 mph, gusting as high as 40, according to the weather service.

Meteorologist Jeff Stonesifer with the city of Albuquerque's Air Quality Division says sustained winds of 30-plus mph could hit us by noon on Friday, maybe earlier.

The jet stream will be right overhead with a cold front moving through on the surface Friday -- the kind of front that generates a lot of wind in New Mexico, Stonesifer said in his e-mailed forecast. 

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