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 90^th 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

By Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico

The New Mexico Department of Health is warning people against giving baby poultry as gifts on Easter Sunday this weekend because of chicks and ducklings’ links to salmonella risk.

Children who handle, snuggle or keep poultry inside homes face increased exposure to salmonella bacteria, which causes salmonellosis disease, DOH said in a news release on Tuesday morning.

“Even healthy-looking birds can shed salmonella, which can cause serious infection,” Sarah Shrum Davis, an epidemiologist with the bureau, said in a statement. “To prevent infection, children under 5 should not handle poultry. Make sure older children wash their hands after handling birds or their eggs. And do not kiss or snuggle live poultry.” 

Davis told Source NM in an interview on Tuesday that salmonella normally resides in poultry’s gastrointestinal tract without making the birds sick, and when the birds poop, it is present in their feces.

Keeping poultry inside the home “highly increases” the risk of exposure to salmonella, she said.

“People can be concerned — baby chicks and ducklings are small — so maybe they keep them in the kitchen or somewhere warm where they’re safe from predators,” Davis said. “We advise against that.”

The same applies if someone spends time in a bird enclosure, even if they don’t touch the birds themselves, she said. Salmonella can live on surfaces for some period of time so if someone touches a surface where a bird has been, like their bedding, it is possible to be exposed.

“That’s why we recommend that people always wash their hands after they clean the coop, handle anything or touch anywhere the birds might have been,” Davis said. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Boses)

Symptoms of salmonellosis typically include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, according to DOH, but more serious infections can spread from people’s intestines to the blood stream and throughout the body, which can be fatal if left untreated.

A higher risk of developing a serious infection and complications exists among infants, young children, older adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

When Source NM asked the New Mexico Department of Agriculture about whether chicks and ducklings also carry any risk of spreading a strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) called H5N1, spokesperson Jenny Green told Source NM in an email that “the risk of salmonella is far greater than that of HPAI at this time.”

H5N1 was detected in a commercial chicken flock in Roosevelt County last April, and in a private backyard flock of chickens, ducks and geese in Bernalillo County in February.

Green wrote that as young people in 4-H and FFA programs participate this spring in “Chick Days” at farm supply retailers, NMDA and the New Mexico Livestock Board urge people to prevent the spread of both pathogens.

Green shared preventive measures including properly handling and cooking eggs, buying chicks from hatcheries approved by the National Poultry Improvement Plan, isolating new chicks for a month, wearing dedicated clothing and shoes when handling poultry, and reporting sick birds to the Livestock Board by calling 505-841-6161. 

NMDA is also pointing people to best practices it published in March and from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April.

For salmonella, DOH recommends preventive measures such as: thoroughly washing hands with soap and water after touching live baby poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam; not allowing live baby poultry inside homes or in kitchens and pantries or other areas where food or drink is prepared, served or stored; and consulting with a doctor if anyone experiences abdominal pain, fever or diarrhea.

As many as 130 cases of salmonellosis are reported in children each year in New Mexico, according to data compiled by the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Bureau at DOH.

In 2022, New Mexico had 465 total cases of salmonellosis among adults and children, according to the latest available DOH data.

DOH cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the U.S. each year.

As of Feb. 24, CDC was investigating a salmonella outbreak among eight people, some of them children, linked to pet geckos in California, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.

Related

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Employees with Storehouse New Mexico say the more financial stress on New Mexicans, the longer the lines get in the pantry. 

The pantry is where folks can find workers at Storehouse New Mexico anytime food is ready for pickup.

“We have a very small team here at the storehouse, so volunteers are very crucial to what we do as an organization. Volunteers help us pack boxes of food, they pack grocery carts when families come to the food pantry, and they even help sort donations that come in,” said Jill Beats, a Storehouse New Mexico marketing representative.  

Beats says as the demand grows, so does the need for more volunteers. Just in 2024 Storehouse topped their annual record.

“In the last year, the Storehouse has seen a big increase in the numbers of people we are supporting. We have been averaging the last five to six years about 55,000 people a year and last year in 2024 we toped over 79,000,” said Beats. 

With less than two months left in the school year, the lines are only getting longer. 

“We see a lot more families in the summer because children that get free meals at school, either breakfast or lunch, all of a sudden their families need to feed them, and they also have to pay for additional daycare and things. So a lot of additional families usually turn to us in the summer,” Beats said. 

They hope New Mexicans can help them get through this busy period. 

“So far we have been really blessed to be able to continue to feed as many people as we can, but those numbers are always really tight for a food pantry,” said Beats. 

Volunteers meet at Storehouse Tuesday through Saturday. Folks interested in volunteering can call (505)842-6491or visit their website.