Red Flag Warning Issued for South Plains and Southern Texas Panhandle Through Tuesday
This alert is no longer in effect.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 West Texas, citing dangerous fire conditions driven by high winds and low humidity through Tuesday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- South Plains and Southern Texas Panhandle
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Lubbock TX
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 South Plains and Southern Texas Panhandle.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Lubbock TX has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. This alert is effective from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Additionally, a Fire Weather Watch remains in effect for Wednesday.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the South Plains, the far southern Texas Panhandle, and portions of the northern Rolling Plains. Specific counties include:
- Parmer, Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Hall, and Childress
- Bailey, Lamb, Hale, Floyd, Motley, and Cottle
- Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Yoakum, Terry, and Lynn
What You Should Do
Residents are advised that any fires that develop can spread rapidly under these conditions. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged. Residents should prepare for extreme fire behavior and stay tuned to local forecasts for updates regarding the subsequent Fire Weather Watch on Wednesday.
Expected Conditions
- Tuesday Winds: Southwest winds between 30 to 45 mph, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph.
- Tuesday Humidity: Relative humidity levels as low as 13 percent.
- Wednesday Winds: Southwest winds at 25 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph.
- Wednesday Humidity: Relative humidity levels as low as 10 percent.
- Fuels: Vegetation and fuels in the area are reported as normal to dry.
Timeline
- Red Flag Warning: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST, Tuesday, February 17.
- Fire Weather Watch: Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening, February 18.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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