Wildfire in Martin County, March 2

March 2, 2008 Martin County Wildfire

Unseasonably warm temperatures and very dry and windy conditions contributed to critical fire danger across much of the area.

Winds ahead of the front were sustained near 25 mph with gusts higher than 30 mph, sometimes gusting greater than 40 mph!

Sustained winds of 45 to 55 mph with gusts to near 75 mph were experienced in the mountains.

To further complicate things, snow fell across the extreme northern portions of the area and into the mountains.

Highs on Monday were considerably colder than the recent mild temperatures that have occured across west Texas and southeast New Mexico.