Red Flag Warning Issued for Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico Through Sunday Evening
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 1, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for El Paso, Hudspeth, and parts of Southern New Mexico due to critical fire weather conditions including high winds and low humidity.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico
- Issued
- April 1, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS El Paso
Fire-weather notices describe conditions that can support rapid fire spread; they do not report that a fire is present. Check local emergency sources for any active incident.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Far West Texas and Southern New Mexico.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and indicates that hazardous fire conditions are either occurring or imminent.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Far West Texas: El Paso and Hudspeth counties.
- Southern New Mexico: Southwest Mountains, South Central Lowlands, and the Southern Rio Grande Valley.
- National Forests: Specific risks have been identified for the Gila and Lincoln National Forests due to the presence of dead fuels and rapid drying.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:
- Avoid Outdoor Burning: Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended due to the high risk of fire ignition.
- Exercise Caution: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
- Prepare: Be ready to respond if a fire starts in your vicinity.
Expected Conditions
A passing upper-level disturbance and an approaching strong cold front are driving the following conditions:
- Winds: Northwest winds between 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity values are expected to drop as low as 7 percent.
- Fire Behavior: A combination of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures will contribute to extreme fire behavior. The Experimental RFTI (Red Flag Threat Index) is rated at 3 to 4, or "Near Critical."
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM MDT on Sunday, March 15, through 8:00 PM MDT this evening. Winds are expected to shift northwesterly then north later in the day as the cold front arrives.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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