984
WWUS84 KEPZ 180604
RFWEPZ
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
1204 AM MDT MON MAY 18 2026
..CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR MONDAY
.AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CARVING OUT OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WILL
BRING BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO THE REGION TODAY, WHILE RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES REMAIN VERY LOW, AND FUELS REMAIN CRITICALLY DRY.
WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED FOR EAST SLOPE AREAS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT,
INCREASING AREA WIDE THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AREA WIDE, TOPPING
OUT AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH. IN SOME AREAS,
WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS.
NMZ110>112-TXZ055-190200-
/O.EXP.KEPZ.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260518T0600Z/
/O.CON.KEPZ.FW.W.0014.260518T1500Z-260519T0200Z/
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/GILA NF/APACHE NF/GLZ-
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS/LAS CRUCES BLM/GLZ-
SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE VALLEY/BLM/GLZ-
TEXAS FIRE WEATHER ZONE 055
EL PASO COUNTY-
1204 AM MDT MON MAY 18 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 8 PM MDT
MONDAY FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND EL PASO COUNTY IN TEXAS..
* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 055 TEXAS FIRE WEATHER ZONE
055 EL PASO COUNTY, FIRE WEATHER ZONE 110 SOUTHWEST
MOUNTAINS/GILA NF/APACHE NF/GLZ, FIRE WEATHER ZONE 111
SOUTHWEST DESERTS AND LOWLANDS/LAS CRUCES BLM/GLZ AND FIRE
WEATHER ZONE 112 SOUTH CENTRAL LOWLANDS AND SOUTHERN RIO
GRANDE VALLEY/BLM/GLZ.
* TIMING...RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT MONDAY FROM 9 AM UNTIL 8
PM.
* WINDS..SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...5 TO 8 PERCENT IN THE LOWLANDS BELOW 6000
FEET, AND 7 TO 12 PERCENT IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...4 TO 6.
* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
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.
NMZ113-190200-
/O.CON.KEPZ.FW.W.0013.000000T0000Z-260519T0500Z/
CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS/LINCOLN NF/LNZ-
1204 AM MDT MON MAY 18 2026
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM MDT MONDAY FOR
STRONG WINDS FOR LOW HUMIDITY...
* AFFECTED AREA...FIRE WEATHER ZONE 113 CAPITAN AND SACRAMENTO
MOUNTAINS/LINCOLN NF/LNZ.
* TIMING AND WINDS...FOR EAST SLOPE AREAS, WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO
GUST 35 TO 45 MPH THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THIS MORNING
BEFORE INCREASING AREA WIDE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO
TAPER OFF IN THE LOWER ELEVATION IN THE EVENING, HOLDING ON THE
LONGEST ALONG EAST AND NORTH FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AS LOW AS 5 TO 8 PERCENT WITH VERY POOR
OVERNIGHT RECOVERY, ESPECIALLY ALONG NORTH AND EAST FACING
SLOPES.
* EXPERIMENTAL RFTI...5 TO 7 THROUGH THE PERIOD.
* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
* ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...WINDS TONIGHT WILL VARY CONSIDERABLY
WITH TERRAIN, AND MAY DIMINISH FOR A TIME BEFORE RETURNING
AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE AREAS OF MOST CONCERN WILL BE ALONG NORTH
AND EAST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES.
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.
BROWN
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