RED FLAG WARNING
RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED APRIL 23 AT 4:35AM MDT UNTIL APRIL 23 AT 8:00PM MDT
Effective: 2026-04-23 04:35:00 Local Time
Expires: 2026-04-23 20:00:00 Local Time
Issued by: NWS El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
Alert Text
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHCENTRAL NEW MEXICO...
A PASSING PACIFIC TROUGH WILL KEEP THE REGION DRY AND WILL INCREASE WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WARM, DRY, AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL FURTHER TREND FUELS DRIER, AND WILL SET THE STAGE FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO FIRE ZONES. WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES OF 7 TO 15 PERCENT ARE FORECAST. WIDESPREAD TREE MORTALITY AND DIE BACK FUELS WILL INCREASE THE WILDFIRE RISK AS ERCS CLIMB TOWARDS THE 90TH PERCENTILE.
* AFFECTED AREA...NEW MEXICO FIRE WEATHER ZONES 110, 111, 112, AND 113, INCLUDING THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND GILA NF, THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS, THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS, THE SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY, AND THE SACRAMENTO AND CAPITAN MOUNTAINS.
* TIMING...WINDS INCREASING AFTER 10 AM, AND PEAKING IN THE MIDDLE TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.
* WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...7 TO 12 PERCENT.
* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...3 TO 5, NEAR CRITICAL TO CRITICAL.
* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
More Information
Target Area
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS, SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY, CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS
