New Mexico
Critical to Extremely Critical Fire Weather expected in much of New Mexico and parts of Texas, Colorado, and eastern Arizona
Temperatures across the Central and Southern Plains are forecast to reach between 27°C and 37°C (80°F to 99°F), representing anomalies of 11°C to 17°C (20°F to 30°F) above seasonal norms. This warming is driven by a strong upper ridge positioned over the central part of the country, which is channeling warm southerly air into the region.
As the upper ridge gradually shifts eastward, an amplifying upper-level system over the Four Corners region is expected to move east as well. This pattern will bring very dry air and strong winds into the Southern High Plains beginning late this week, further increasing the potential for wildfires.
As a result, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a series of Critical to Extremely Critical Fire Weather Outlooks for the region beginning today and extending into the weekend.
A critical fire weather area has been designated for parts of eastern Arizona and much of New Mexico, valid April 16, where ongoing dry and windy conditions will increase fire risk.
Across eastern Arizona, New Mexico, and into the southern High Plains, moderate wind speeds of 24–40 km/h (15–25 mph) are expected throughout the afternoon, with the strongest winds anticipated in eastern Arizona and New Mexico.
Relative humidity values will range from 10–15%, with some local areas experiencing values as low as 5–10%, creating an environment conducive to wildfire ignition and spread.
In the Central High Plains, specifically in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, downslope winds of 24–32 km/h (15–20 mph) are expected during the afternoon, while relative humidity may drop to between 10–20%, supporting elevated fire weather conditions.
In the Mid-Missouri Valley, southerly to southeasterly winds reaching 24–32 km/h (15–20 mph) are forecast from late morning into the mid-afternoon.
While there is significant uncertainty regarding afternoon humidity levels due to varying model predictions about cloud cover, dry fuels in the region could support locally elevated fire weather risks.
An extremely critical fire weather area has been issued for parts of central to northeast New Mexico for April 17, while a broader critical area extends from southeastern Arizona into parts of the southern High Plains.
A significant fire weather event is expected in much of New Mexico, where surface winds of 40–64 km/h (25–40 mph) are likely, with gusts reaching 80–97 km/h (50–60 mph) in some areas. Ongoing severe drought has left the region’s fuels at or above the 90th percentile in terms of combustibility. Afternoon relative humidity levels are expected to fall to 5–10%, increasing the likelihood of extreme fire behavior.
Relative humidity values around 10% are forecast for the southern High Plains—including eastern Colorado, western and central Kansas, and the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. Wind speeds will range from 32–48 km/h (20–30 mph), with the strongest winds expected in northwest Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, southeast Colorado, and far southwest Kansas.
Critical fire weather will occur where the strongest winds overlap with sufficiently dry fuels.
Although parts of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains have not been included in the critical area due to greenup reducing fuel receptiveness, several hours of elevated to critical fire weather are anticipated in surrounding regions.
The northward extent of fire weather risks will be limited by a southward-moving cold front that will bring shifting winds and increased humidity to northeast Colorado and northwest Kansas.
References:
1 Short Range Forecast Discussion – NWS/WPC – April 16, 2025
2 Day 1 Fire Weather Outlook – NWS/SPC – April 16, 2025
3 Day 2 Fire Weather Outlook – NWS/SPC – April 16, 2025
CHIMAYO, N.M. (KRQE) – A suspect is dead following a shooting involving the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office in Chimayo on Highway 76. Deputies are said to be okay. New Mexico State Police is investigating the shooting.
KRQE News 13 will provide updates as they become available.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A leader in the New Mexico Republican Party was arrested Wednesday, accused of a deadly hit-and-run in Las Cruces.
Former Treasurer of the Republican Party in New Mexico, Kimberly Ann Skaggs, 54, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene and tampering with evidence, jail records show.
Police documents show the charges stem from a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened Monday afternoon, which killed 40-year-old bicyclist, Andrew Brown.
Investigators believed Skaggs was involved after an investigation revealed that Skaggs allegedly was driving fast in the area, fled the scene after the crash and then tried to hide the vehicle from authorities.
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The investigation
According to police documents, a witness at the scene of the crash– 850 N. Fairacres Rd.– described seeing a dark blonde-haired woman flee in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.
Afterwards, investigators said they saw on Flock cameras– A.I. powered license plate readers– a black Cadillac Escalade traveling near the site of the crash minutes before the incident.
READ MORE: Dona Ana County expands Flock license plate cameras as officials cite crime-solving gains
The license plates showed that the vehicle belonged to Skaggs and that, in September 2025, the Las Cruces Police Department had given her a citation for “racing on streets-exhibition driving.”
Investigators stated that a business on Picacho Ave. captured what they alleged was the same black Cadillac Escalade driving fast.
Then, the documents described how investigators tracked down the Escalade using OnStar’s live GPS tracking, discovering the SUV was at a property on the 5000 block of Northwind Road, which investigators said the Dona Ana County Assessors Office confirmed is a property owned by Skaggs.
On Tuesday, at around 6:41 p.m.– over 24 hours after the deadly hit-and-run– investigators executed a search warrant on the property and described finding the black Cadillac Escalade behind a home, under a red metal carport.
Investigators noted damage on the SUV consistent with the crash, highlighting that there was blood splatter near one of the front tires, markings on the front bumper consistent with hitting a bicycle and parts missing, which investigators said were the same parts found at the scene.
Dona Ana County jail records show Skaggs was booked on Wednesday afternoon and remains jailed without a bond.
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About Skaggs
On the official website of the Republican Party of New Mexico, Skaggs was listed as the treasurer before she was removed.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the Republican Party to learn more and are waiting for a comment regarding the arrest.
Also, according to election statistics, Skaggs ran for State Representative in District 36 in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Democrat Nathan P. Small.
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SANTA FE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asked Attorney General Raúl Torrez to investigate whether any Drug Enforcement Administration agents broke state law when pills reached New Mexico streets.
In a statement, Lujan Grisham said, “make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities.”
The governor also shared a timeline from 2022 to 2025 that she said shows when she asked federal officials for help with New Mexico’s fentanyl crisis and violent crime.
Lujan Grisham said the first request came on June 21, 2022, when she wrote to then-Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray and asked for 50 additional federal agents.
She said she wrote to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland on Sept. 15, 2022, asking for more agents, resources and support for New Mexico law enforcement.
Lujan Grisham said she wrote Garland a second time on Aug. 8, 2023, with the same request.
What came next?
About a month later, Lujan Grisham said she sent Garland a third letter and said New Mexico needed more federal law enforcement to curb violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
She said her most recent request came on Sept. 4, 2025, when she wrote to former Attorney General Pam Bondi and again asked for additional agents and resources.
The governor’s statement says those requests span several years as she pressed the federal government for more help in New Mexico.
Full statement from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham:
“I am appalled by reporting this week by the Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal that revealed federal authorities made a deliberate decision to let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood into New Mexico communities, despite knowing that fentanyl is so lethal the White House has designated it a weapon of mass destruction.
Let me say that again: the Drug Enforcement Administration watched as 74,000 fentanyl pills were delivered to a mobile home park in Albuquerque, and they did nothing. And that’s just one transaction. Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets.
There are no words to describe how reckless and dangerous these decisions were. Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway. The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.
If the justification for letting these pills flood our communities was that it would somehow make New Mexico safer down the road through bigger eventual busts, the results say otherwise. New Mexico now leads the nation in the increase in overdose deaths for the second straight year, despite deaths dropping nationwide.
Today, I wrote to Attorney General Raúl Torrez and asked him to investigate whether any federal agents broke state law when they allowed lethal drugs to remain on our streets, and to prosecute anyone responsible — regardless of whether they are a federal agent or not.
I have spent years working across two administrations — writing letters, traveling to Washington, meeting directly with President Joe Biden and his cabinet, pushing for accountability, asking for more federal agents to be deployed to New Mexico to help fight this crisis.
- On June 21, 2022, I wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, imploring the FBI to assign no less than 50 additional agents to New Mexico to stem escalating drug trafficking and violent crime.
- On September 15, 2022, I wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice provide additional federal agents, resources and support to New Mexico law enforcement. We asked the department to match the level of investigative, analytical, and technical resources the FBI had deployed in its Buffalo, NY surge.
- On August 8, 2023, I wrote again to Attorney General Garland, renewing my request that the DOJ expeditiously assign more federal agents to New Mexico.
- On September 7, 2023, I wrote to Attorney General Garland for a third time, reiterating my request once more federal law enforcement support to curb violent crime, drug and human trafficking.
- On September 4, 2025, I wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, once again requesting additional agents and resources.
I have declared the surge of drugs like fentanyl to be a public health emergency. I have deployed the National Guard to both Albuquerque and Española. While my administration was doing everything we could to stem the tide of fentanyl coming into our state, the federal government deliberately allowed it to flood in.
New Mexican lives are not the federal government’s cost of doing business.
I plan to hold the federal government accountable for this disaster and will explore every possible avenue of action against the federal government to right these wrongs.”
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