000 FGUS75 KABQ 181704 ESFABQ NMC001>011-019-021-027-028-031-033-037>049-053>061-261800- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1100 AM MDT WED MAY 18 2005 SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK ...HIGHER WATER AND FAST FLOWS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO MOUNTAIN STREAMS... ...NEAR BANKFULL WATER LEVELS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK IN THE ANIMAS AND LA PLATA RIVERS IN SAN JUAN COUNTY... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE SOUTHWEST U.S. TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY WILL RESULT IN THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES SO FAR THIS YEAR ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO AND MOST OF NEW MEXICO FROM THURSDAY INTO THIS WEEKEND. SNOW PACK IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO ABOVE 10 THOUSAND FEET IS ABOUT TWICE NORMAL FOR MID MAY. MOUNTAIN SNOW PACK AT LOWER ELEVATIONS HAS GENERALLY MELTED AWAY...BUT THIS SNOW MELT RUNOFF HAS SATISFIED ANY SOIL MOISTURE DEFICIT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE REDUCE THE FUTURE RUNOFF FROM THE SNOW PACK AT HIGH ELEVATIONS. SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND RIO ARRIBA HIGH COUNTRY... THE WARM TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS WEEKEND WILL UNLOCK THE WATER CONTENT IN THE HIGH MOUNTAIN SNOW PACK IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. WATER LEVELS IN STREAMS...ARROYOS...AND RIVER HEADWATERS ACROSS SUBJECT TO SNOW MELT RUNOFF WILL LIKELY PEAK FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. HIKERS AND CAMPERS VENTURING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK SHOULD BE EXTRA CAREFUL DUE TO THE FAST FLOWING WATER IN CREEKS AND STREAMS. PERSONS WITH RIVER SIDE CONCERNS AND PROPERTY IN THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAIN AREAS INCLUDING TAOS...SANTA FE...RIO ARRIBA...SAN MIGUEL...MORA AND COLFAX COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS AND PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF OVERBANK FLOWS. ANIMAS AND LA PLATA RIVERS IN SAN JUAN COUNTY... SNOWPACK IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO THAT FEED THE ANIMAS RIVER IS 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR MID MAY. SNOW MELT RUNOFF WILL RESULT IN FURTHER RISES THROUGH THIS WEEKEND ON THE ANIMAS RIVER AND LA PLATA RIVER IN SAN JUAN COUNTY OF NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO. WATER LEVELS COULD APPROACH BANKFULL IN THE ANIMAS RIVER AND LA PLATA RIVER BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE WILL MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STREAMFLOWS THROUGH JUNE AND ISSUE THIS WEEKLY OUTLOOK ON THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING DUE TO SNOWMELT RUNOFF. THE OUTLOOK WILL BE ROUTINELY ISSUED ON WEDNESDAYS AT ABOUT 11 AM MDT AND WILL PERTAIN TO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. THE NEXT HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK MESSAGE IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 25. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS...WATCHES OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED. $$ 07