Red Flag Warning Issued for Northeast Highlands and Eastern Plains of New Mexico

Alert Details

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northeast Highlands and Eastern Plains. This alert is triggered by a combination of strong winds and extremely low humidity levels. A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued for Monday for areas east of the central mountain chain.

Affected Areas

The warning and watch cover the following geographic zones in New Mexico:

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

Critical conditions are forecast east of the central mountain chain, with the highest confidence for critical wind speeds located north of Highway 60 on Sunday and between Highway 60 and Highway 64 on Monday.

What You Should Do

Residents and officials are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended under these conditions. Please advise appropriate officials or fire crews in the field regarding these alerts.

Expected Conditions

Critical fire weather is expected due to a persistent lee-side surface trough and ample atmospheric mixing. Temperatures are forecast to climb 8 to 20 degrees above 1991-2020 averages.

• 20 Foot Winds: Sustained southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph on Sunday and up to 40 mph on Monday.
• Relative Humidity: Minimum values will drop between 6 to 14 percent on both days.

Timeline

• Red Flag Warning: In effect from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM MST on Sunday, March 8.
• Fire Weather Watch: In effect from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM MST on Monday, March 9.