Red Flag Warning Issued for Northeast and East Central Plains of New Mexico Through Friday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque NM has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northeast and East Central Plains. This alert is triggered by a combination of persistently strong flow aloft, surface low pressure over the northeast corner of New Mexico, and very dry fuels, which together create critical fire weather conditions.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Northeast Plains (Zone 104)
• East Central Plains (Zone 126)
• Northeast Highlands (along and east of I-25, specifically for Thursday)
• Central Highlands (specifically for Friday)

What You Should Do

Residents and visitors in the affected areas are urged to exercise extreme caution. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly due to the high winds and dry conditions. Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended. Local officials and fire crews in the field should be notified of these hazardous conditions immediately.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions are expected to be hazardous throughout the warning period:

• Winds (Thursday): West and northwest winds between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts reaching up to 40 mph.
• Winds (Friday): West winds increasing to 25 to 35 mph, with powerful gusts reaching between 50 and 60 mph.
• Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values will range between 10 and 15 percent on Thursday, and between 12 and 17 percent on Friday.

Timeline

The Red Flag Warning is effective during the following windows:

• Thursday, February 19: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM MST.
• Friday, February 20: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM MST.

While fire weather concerns may reduce in the Northeast Highlands on Friday due to higher humidity and snow showers, drier conditions will persist across the eastern half of the Central Highlands.