High Wind Warning Issued for Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Northeast Highlands

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque, NM, has issued a High Wind Warning for portions of Northern New Mexico. The alert is classified as a severe weather event with likely certainty.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts the following geographic regions:

• Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
• East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains
• Northeast Highlands
• Eastern San Miguel County

What You Should Do

Residents are urged to take action to secure trash cans, lawn furniture, and other loose or lightweight outdoor objects. Extremely hazardous driving conditions are expected. Motorists in high-profile vehicles should consider delaying travel until the warning expires.

Expected Conditions

West winds are forecast to range between 35 to 45 mph, with damaging gusts reaching up to 60 mph. These conditions could blow down trees and power lines, and power outages are possible.

Additional details indicate that difficult to dangerous crosswinds are expected on north-to-south oriented roadways, specifically mentioning I-25 near Las Vegas.

Timeline

The High Wind Warning is in effect from 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST on Friday, February 20, 2026.