Red Flag Warning Issued for Southeast New Mexico and West Texas Through Wednesday Evening
This alert is no longer in effect.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.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for parts of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico as strong winds and low humidity create critical fire weather conditions through Wednesday night.
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
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 has issued a Red Flag Warning for Southeast New Mexico and portions of West Texas. The alert is triggered by critical fire weather conditions, including strong 20-foot winds and extremely low relative humidity, which significantly increase the potential for fire growth.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad geographic area including:
- New Mexico: Chaves County Plains, Eddy Plains, and Lea County.
- Texas: Gaines, Loving, Eastern Culberson, and Reeves County Plains.
- Specific Corridors and Ranges: Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor, Chinati Mountains, Marfa Plateau, Davis Mountains, and the Davis Mountains Foothills.
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised that any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strictly not recommended during this period. A Red Flag Warning indicates that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent. Residents should prepare for potential fire growth and monitor local weather updates.
Expected Conditions
- Winds: Southwest winds between 25 to 35 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 55 mph.
- Humidity: Relative humidity levels are forecast to drop as low as 10 percent.
- Fire Danger: The Red Flag Threat Index (RFTI) is rated at 6, or critical. Fuels are currently in the 50th-69th percentile for dryness, contributing to a high fire environment rating.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective starting Wednesday, February 18, at 11:00 AM CST. The warning is scheduled to remain in effect until 8:00 PM CST on Wednesday evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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