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

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northeast Plains and Northeast Highlands. This alert is triggered by critical fire weather conditions, including strong winds and extremely low relative humidity. Additionally, a Fire Weather Watch has been issued for the same regions for Sunday.

Affected Areas

The primary geographic regions affected include:

• Northeast Plains (Zone 104)
• Northeast Highlands (Zone 123)

Critical fire weather conditions are also noted for the Central Highlands, with broader watches extending to Western and North Central New Mexico, including the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

What You Should Do

Residents and visitors in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:

• Avoid Outdoor Burning: Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged on Saturday and should not be performed on Sunday under any circumstances.
• Report Fires: Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and be difficult to control.
• Stay Informed: Appropriate officials and fire crews in the field should be advised of these critical conditions.

Expected Conditions

Weather conditions will be conducive to extreme fire behavior through the weekend:

• Saturday: West winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts reaching 35 to 40 mph. Minimum relative humidity values will range between 6 and 10 percent.
• Sunday: Northwest and north winds increasing to 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph. Minimum relative humidity values will be between 8 and 15 percent.
• Hazards: Long-range spotting and extreme fire behavior are possible on Sunday as both a Pacific and backdoor cold front move through the region.

Timeline

• Red Flag Warning: In effect from noon Saturday, March 14, until midnight MDT Saturday night.
• Fire Weather Watch: In effect from 9:00 AM Sunday, March 15, through 8:00 PM Sunday evening.