Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch Issued for Central and Northern New Mexico Through Sunday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning and a Fire Weather Watch for parts of New Mexico. These alerts indicate that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring or are imminent due to a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels.

Affected Areas

The alerts cover several regions across the state:

• Central Highlands (Zone 125): Under a Red Flag Warning today and Saturday, and a Fire Weather Watch on Sunday.
• Northeast Highlands and Northeast Plains: Under a Red Flag Warning on Saturday.
• Western New Mexico, North Central New Mexico, and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains: Under a Fire Weather Watch for Saturday afternoon.
• All of Northern and Central New Mexico: Under a Fire Weather Watch for Sunday.

What You Should Do

Residents are strongly advised to avoid all outdoor burning. Any fires that develop under these conditions will likely spread rapidly and become difficult to control. Local officials and fire crews in the field should be notified of these warnings. On Sunday, extreme fire behavior and long-range spotting are possible, making fire suppression efforts particularly dangerous.

Expected Conditions

Critical to extreme fire weather conditions are expected as follows:

• Humidity: Minimum relative humidity values will drop between 7 and 10 percent each day through Sunday.
• Wind Speeds (Today): Northwest winds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.
• Wind Speeds (Saturday): West winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.
• Wind Speeds (Sunday): Northwest winds of 30 to 45 mph with damaging gusts reaching between 50 and 70 mph as a cold front moves through the region.

Timeline

• Today (March 13): Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 8:00 PM MDT for the Central Highlands.
• Saturday (March 14): Red Flag Warning is in effect from 12:00 PM (Noon) until 12:00 AM (Midnight) MDT.
• Sunday (March 15): Fire Weather Watch is in effect from 9:00 AM through 8:00 PM MDT.