Red Flag Warning Issued for Northeast and Central New Mexico Through Tuesday Evening

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of New Mexico. This alert replaces the previous Fire Weather Watch and indicates that critical fire weather conditions are expected to develop due to a combination of strong winds and low humidity.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions in New Mexico:

• Northeast Plains (Zone 104)
• Northeast Highlands (Zone 123)
• Central Highlands (Zone 125)
• East Central Plains (Zone 126)

Impacted travel corridors include the I-40 corridor from Clines Corners to the Texas border and the I-25 corridor from Las Vegas to Springer.

What You Should Do

Residents and visitors in the affected areas are strongly advised against any outdoor burning. Any fires that develop under these conditions will likely spread rapidly and become difficult to contain. Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field of this Red Flag Warning.

Expected Conditions

Critical fire weather will be driven by the following factors:

• Winds: Sustained west winds of 20 to 35 mph, with peak gusts reaching up to 45 mph, particularly along the I-40 corridor.
• Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values will drop to between 7 and 14 percent.
• Temperature: Conditions will be accompanied by well above normal temperatures.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.