Red Flag Warning Issued for South Plains and Texas Panhandle Through Sunday
This alert is no longer in effect.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).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the South Plains and Texas Panhandle on Sunday due to high winds and low humidity.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- South Plains and Texas Panhandle
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Lubbock
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 Texas Panhandle.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Lubbock has issued a Red Flag Warning for the far southern Texas Panhandle, South Plains, and Rolling Plains. This alert indicates that critical fire weather conditions are imminent or occurring due to a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following counties in Texas:
- Parmer, Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Hall, and Childress
- Bailey, Lamb, Hale, Floyd, Motley, and Cottle
- Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Dickens, and King
- Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, Garza, Kent, and Stonewall
Expected Conditions
Dangerous fire weather conditions are expected based on the following forecast details:
- Wind: Northwest winds shifting to the north at 35 to 45 mph, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are expected to drop as low as 15 percent.
- Fuels: Ground fuels in the region are currently classified as critically dry.
What You Should Do
A Red Flag Warning means that extreme fire behavior is possible. Residents in the affected areas should take the following precautions:
- Outdoor burning is discouraged: Any fires that develop under these conditions can spread rapidly and become uncontrollable.
- Exercise Caution: Avoid activities that involve open flames or sparks near dry vegetation.
- Preparation: Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions and follow any instructions from local emergency management.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM CDT on Sunday, March 15. This alert replaces the previously issued Fire Weather Watch.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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