Red Flag Warning Issued for Northeast and East Central New Mexico Due to High Winds
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 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 Northeast and East Central New Mexico, effective Wednesday, as strong winds and low humidity create critical fire weather conditions.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Northeast and East Central New Mexico
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Albuquerque
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 Northeast and East Central New Mexico.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northeast Highlands, Northeast Plains, and East Central Plains. This alert is issued when critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions in New Mexico:
- Northeast Highlands (Zone 123)
- Northeast Plains (Zone 104)
- East Central Plains (Zone 126)
Additionally, a Fire Weather Watch is in effect for the Middle Rio Grande Valley due to similar conditions.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended. Local officials and fire crews in the field should be notified of these conditions to ensure appropriate preparation.
Expected Conditions
Weather conditions are expected to reach critical levels on Wednesday:
- Winds: Southwest winds between 25 and 40 mph, with gusts reaching 45 to 60 mph.
- Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values are forecast to drop between 8 and 20 percent.
- Fire Behavior: The combination of strong, potentially damaging winds and low humidity will facilitate the rapid spread of any new fires.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective on Wednesday, February 18, from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM MST. While winds are expected to weaken slightly on Thursday as they shift to the northwest, there remains a 25 percent chance that critical fire weather conditions could return to areas east of the central mountain chain.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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