RED FLAG WARNING
RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED MAY 17 AT 2:15AM MDT UNTIL MAY 17 AT 9:00PM MDT
Effective: 2026-05-17 02:15:00
Expires: 2026-05-17 21:00:00
Issued by: NWS Albuquerque NM
Alert Text
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM MDT TODAYDUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR PARTS OF WESTERN, MUCH OF CENTRAL, AND ALL EASTERN NEW MEXICO...
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR SOUTHWESTERN, MUCH OF CENTRAL, AND ALL OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO...
.EXTREMELY POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERY OBSERVED THIS MORNING WITH MANY AREAS ONLY REACHING 15 TO 25 PERCENT COME DAWN. MORE WIDESPREAD AND STRONGER SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ALONGSIDE ANOTHER ROUND OF 6 TO 18 HOURS OF SINGLE-DIGIT HUMIDITY WILL YIELD CRITICAL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR MOST OF WEST-CENTRAL, CENTRAL, AND ALL OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO SUNDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST, CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO MONDAY WITH EVEN STRONGER WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO. AROUND 6 TO 10 HOURS OF SINGLE DIGIT HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO ON MONDAY.
* AFFECTED AREA...NORTHEAST PLAINS (ZONE 104), MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY (ZONE 106), WEST CENTRAL BASIN AND RANGE (ZONE 109), UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY (ZONE 121), NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS (ZONE 123), SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS (ZONE 124), CENTRAL HIGHLANDS (ZONE 125), AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS (ZONE 126).
* TIMING...FOR THE RED FLAG WARNING, FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING. FOR THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH, FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING.
* 20 FOOT WINDS...FOR THE RED FLAG WARNING SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH, AND FOR THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH SOUTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 TO 60 MPH.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...FOR THE RED FLAG WARNING RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 5 TO 10 PERCENT, AND FOR THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 8 TO 15 PERCENT.
* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
More Information
Target Area
NORTHEAST PLAINS, MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, WEST CENTRAL BASIN AND RANGE, UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY, NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS, CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, EAST CENTRAL PLAINS
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