Alert archive / Texas / Red Flag Warnings in 2026
Red Flag Warning 2, NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued this red flag warning at Feb 17, 2026, 7:36 PM MST for 4 counties in New Mexico; 7 counties in Texas. It took effect at Feb 18, 2026, 10:00 AM MST. It was in force for 9 hr. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 17, 2026, 7:36 PM MST (02:36 UTC)
- In effect from
- Feb 18, 2026, 10:00 AM MST
- Expired
- Feb 18, 2026, 7:00 PM MST
- In force
- 9 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Counties Chaves County, NM, Eddy County, NM, Lea County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, Brewster County, TX, Culberson County, TX, Gaines County, TX, Jeff Davis County, TX, Loving County, TX, Presidio County, TX, Reeves County, TX
The radar
The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 169 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:36 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 11:55 AM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 58 | 2 S Fort Stanton, NM | AWOS station KSRR Sierra Blanca Rgnl Arpt. |
| Feb 18, 1:15 PM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 66 | 2 S Fort Stanton, NM | AWOS station KSRR Sierra Blanca Rgnl Arpt. |
| Feb 18, 1:15 PM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 66 | 2 S Fort Stanton, NM | AWOS station KSRR Sierra Blanca Rgnl Arpt. |
| Feb 18, 5:16 PM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 65 | Pine Springs, TX | Mesonet station 60 Pine Springs GMNP. |
| Feb 18, 5:52 PM MST | NON-TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 Ene Pine Springs, TX | Mesonet station PSGT2 Pinery. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 168 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 4082 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 60 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -70 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 212 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
682 WWUS84 KMAF 180236 RFWMAF URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 836 PM CST Tue Feb 17 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 MPH OR GREATER, RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT OR BELOW 15 PERCENT, AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS GAINES COUNTY, THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS, UPPER TRANS PECOS, VAN HORN CORRIDOR, DAVIS MOUNTAINS, AND MARFA PLATEAU... NMZ117>119-TXZ045-059-272>278-181800- /O.UPG.KMAF.FW.A.0002.260218T1700Z-260219T0200Z/ /O.NEW.KMAF.FW.W.0002.260218T1700Z-260219T0200Z/ Chaves Plains-Eddy Plains-Lea-Gaines-Loving- Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor-Eastern Culberson- Reeves County Plains-Chinati Mountains-Marfa Plateau- Davis Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills- 836 PM CST Tue Feb 17 2026 /736 PM MST Tue Feb 17 2026/ ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 MPH OR GREATER, RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT OR BELOW 15 PERCENT, AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS GAINES COUNTY, THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS, UPPER TRANS PECOS, VAN HORN CORRIDOR, DAVIS MOUNTAINS, AND MARFA PLATEAU... * WINDS...Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * RFTI...6 or critical. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. * SEVERITY... FUELS (ERC)...50th-69th percentile...3 (out of 5). WEATHER...Near Critical...2 (out of 5). FIRE ENVIRONMENT...5 (out of 10). 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 will increase potential for fire growth. && $$
1 follow-up statement
239 WWUS84 KMAF 181937 RFWMAF URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 137 PM CST Wed Feb 18 2026 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 MPH OR GREATER, RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT OR BELOW 15 PERCENT, AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER ACROSS GAINES COUNTY, THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS, UPPER TRANS PECOS, VAN HORN CORRIDOR, DAVIS MOUNTAINS, AND MARFA PLATEAU... NMZ117>119-TXZ045-059-272>278-190200- /O.CON.KMAF.FW.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260219T0200Z/ Chaves Plains-Eddy Plains-Lea-Gaines-Loving- Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor-Eastern Culberson- Reeves County Plains-Chinati Mountains-Marfa Plateau- Davis Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills- 137 PM CST Wed Feb 18 2026 /1237 PM MST Wed Feb 18 2026/ ...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CST /7 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR 20 FOOT WINDS OF 20 MPH OR GREATER AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT OR BELOW 15 PERCENT FOR SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO INTO GAINES COUNTY, TEXAS AND SOUTHWARD INTO THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS, MARFA PLATEAU, AND VAN HORN CORRIDOR... * WINDS...Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * RFTI...5 or critical. * IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended. * SEVERITY... FUELS (ERC)...50th-69th percentile...3 (out of 5). WEATHER...Critical...3 (out of 5). FIRE ENVIRONMENT...6 (out of 10). PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will increase potential for fire growth. && $$
The office that day
Everything else NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 8:44 PM MST | High Wind Warning | MAF | Eddy | 44 hr |
| Feb 17, 8:44 PM MST | Wind Advisory | MAF | Eddy, Lea | 23 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in Texas, 2026Red Flag Warnings in New Mexico, 2026Every red flag warning in 2026
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.