Nasty winds combined with dry air is a sure-fire recipe for wildfire. On Tuesday, Central and Eastern New Mexico are facing the most widespread critical fire hazard in two years.
Kerry Jones is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He says the combination of springtime winds and unusually low humidity creates a dangerously high risk of wildfires starting and spreading.
"To me, that's pretty scary when you have conditions that are so dry and so ripe that just a few sparks could generate a wildfire," said Jones.
So far this year, there’s been twice as many wind advisories than this time last year.
While there aren't any spring showers on the horizon, cooler temperatures are expected later this week.