Red Flag Warning Issued for Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas Due to Critical Fire Conditions
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas effective Wednesday, as strong winds and low humidity create high fire danger.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Red Flag Warning
- Affected area
- Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS El Paso
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 Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM has issued a Red Flag Warning (NWS Code: FWW) for critical fire weather conditions. The alert is in effect for Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Affected Areas
The warning covers a broad region across Southern New Mexico and Far West Texas, including:
- Texas: El Paso County and Hudspeth County.
- New Mexico: Southwest Deserts and Lowlands, South Central Lowlands, Southern Rio Grande Valley, and the Capitan and Sacramento Mountains.
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. Residents should prepare for extreme fire behavior and monitor local conditions closely.
Expected Conditions
A passing upper-level trough will bring increasing dryness and significant wind speeds to the region:
- Winds: Sustained southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph are expected. Gusts around 45 mph will be common, though the Sacramento Mountains could see gusts reaching upwards of 60 mph.
- Humidity: Minimum relative humidity levels are forecast to drop into the low double digits and teens, reaching as low as 10 percent in the afternoon.
- Temperatures: High temperatures are expected to reach up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Timeline
The Red Flag Warning is effective from 11:00 AM MST on Wednesday, February 18, through 6:00 PM MST the same evening.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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