* WHAT...Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Northwest Plateau. * WHEN...From 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM MDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and kick up patchy blowing dust. Tree limbs may be blown down. Expect strong crosswinds on area roadways. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Erratic gusty winds will also be possible from virga showers producing little to no rain.

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1PM TO 8PM MDT TODAY FOR WESTERN NM AS WELL AS THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND THE SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, VERY LOW HUMIDITY AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... .Critical fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon across western and portions of central New Mexico. Strong west to southwest winds will increase in advance of an approaching disturbance and surface winds may gust near 50 mph during the afternoon. Poor to fair humidity recoveries overnight will allow humidity values to quickly bottom out close to or within the single digits this afternoon. In addition, the atmosphere is forecast to be unstable with excellent mixing. Strong winds and low relative humidity values are also expected across eastern New Mexico, however recent rainfall and ongoing greenup will mitigate the critical fire weather concerns. * AREA AND TIMING...Northwest Plateau (Zone 101), West Central Mountains (Zone 105), Middle Rio Grande Valley (Zone 106), West Central Basin and Range (Zone 109), and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains (Zone 124) from 1 PM to 8 PM MDT today. * 20 FOOT WINDS...West to southwest 25 to 35 mph with occasional gusts to 50 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...6 to 12 percent. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended..