Albuquerque, N.M. – Blowing dust and extreme fire danger will dominate New Mexico’s weekend as critical weather conditions build Saturday and continue through Sunday evening.
According to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, a Red Flag Warning is in effect until 7 p.m. MDT Friday, followed by a Fire Weather Watch from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and again 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. These warnings cover the Middle Rio Grande Valley, including the I-25 and I-40 corridors, where southerly winds could gust up to 50 mph.
On Saturday, Albuquerque will see a high near 86°F with widespread blowing dust developing after noon. Winds will shift from the south at 15 to 20 mph, increasing throughout the afternoon. Sunday brings more aggressive gusts with highs near 85°F, blowing dust, and low humidity levels near 8% — ideal conditions for rapid fire spread…