Red Flag Warning Issued for Southeast New Mexico and Gaines County, Texas 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This alert is no longer in effect.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 parts of New Mexico and Texas due to high winds and low humidity, creating critical fire weather conditions.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Southeast New Mexico and West Texas
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Midland/Odessa 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 Southeast New Mexico and West Texas.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa TX has issued a Red Flag Warning for critical fire weather conditions. The alert is triggered by a combination of strong winds and low relative humidity, which significantly increases the potential for fire growth.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- New Mexico: Chaves County Plains, Eddy Plains, and Lea County.
- Texas: Gaines County.
The alert also encompasses the Southeast New Mexico Plains, Upper Trans Pecos, Van Horn Corridor, Davis Mountains, and Marfa Plateau.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Residents should prepare for hazardous fire conditions and stay tuned for further updates from local authorities.
Expected Conditions
For Tuesday, southwest winds are expected to reach speeds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Relative humidity is forecast to drop as low as 17 percent. The Red Flag Threat Index (RFTI) is currently rated between 4 and 6, representing near-critical to critical fire danger levels.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11:00 AM CST (10:00 AM MST) to 8:00 PM CST (7:00 PM MST) on Tuesday, February 17.
A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued for Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening. Conditions on Wednesday are expected to include southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph and relative humidity as low as 12 percent.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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