Weather Alerts For Ruidoso, NM

# HEADLINE -------------------- CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR CRITICALLY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, WARM TEMPERATURES, STRONG WINDS, AND DRY FUELS FOR THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS, AND THE SACRAMENTO AND CAPITAN MOUNTAINS # SUMMARY -------------------- 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. # DETAILS -------------------- 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. ISSUED AT Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 4:35 AM MDT ISSUED BY National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM HEADER URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE # PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS -------------------- A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. # AREAS AFFECTED -------------------- Capitan and Sacramento Mountains/Lincoln NF/LNZ, South Central Lowlands and Southern Rio Grande Valley/BLM/GLZ, Southwest Deserts and Lowlands/Las Cruces BLM/GLZ, Southwest Mountains/Gila NF/Apache NF/GLZ

Pollen Index: 9.7 Pollen Level: high Predominant Pollen: Poplar/Aspen/Cottonwood, Cedar/Juniper and Oak. Concentration of pollen grains in the air for Friday will be falling but will remain in the high range. This decrease is due to falling temperatures.