9:55am UPDATE: It seems relatively calm right now, but sustained winds will likely exceed 30 mph by this afternoon as a cold front approaches our area from the northwest, meteorologist Jeff Stonesifer of the city Air Quality Division says in his Albuquerque forecast.

Contractors should be prepared to shut down quickly today (under the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County fugitive dust regulation), Stonesifer says.

High winds could kick up again on Sunday as another cold front approaches from the west, according to the city meteorologist.

It's gusting up to around 30 mph already in the Albuquerque area, which is under a wind advisory until 8 p.m. today, but expect those westerlies to pick up later this morning and this afternoon across northern and west central New Mexico, including the middle Rio Grande Valley, with sustained speeds of 25 to 40 mph, gusting to a possible 55 mph, the National Weather Service said.

Believe it or not, it's going to be even worse to the immediate east and south of us, where the weather service has posted a high wind warning, also in effect till 8 tonight.

From Sandia Park and Cedar Crest, through Moriarty, Estancia, Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner, all the way east to Clovis and Portales and south to Roswell, Carrizozo and Ruidoso, you're looking at sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph with gusts possible up to 65 and 75 mph.

And if that weren't bad enough, we're in the midst of a red flag warning -- meaning strong winds and low humidities creating dangerous fire weather conditions -- for western, central and northeastern New Mexico from late this morning through early evening. 

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