Alert archive / New Mexico / Red Flag Warnings in 2025
Red Flag Warning 28, NWS Albuquerque, NM
NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this red flag warning at May 13, 2025, 3:09 PM MDT for 22 counties in New Mexico. It took effect at May 14, 2025, 11:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 10 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 13, 2025, 3:09 PM MDT (21:09 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 14, 2025, 11:00 AM MDT
- Expired
- May 14, 2025, 9:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 10 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Albuquerque, NM
All 22 counties
Bernalillo County, NM, Catron County, NM, Cibola County, NM, Colfax County, NM, Curry County, NM, De Baca County, NM, Guadalupe County, NM, Harding County, NM, Lincoln County, NM, McKinley County, NM, Mora County, NM, Quay County, NM, Rio Arriba County, NM, Roosevelt County, NM, San Juan County, NM, San Miguel County, NM, Sandoval County, NM, Santa Fe County, NM, Socorro County, NM, Torrance County, NM, Union County, NM, Valencia County, NM
The radar
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:10 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 83 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
- 3584 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 84 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 150 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this red flag warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before this red flag warning went out at May 13, 3:06 PM MDT, 3 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 258 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025
- Higher flows will continue in rivers, creeks, arroyos, and low water crossings through this week, especially along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, due to melting snow.
- Dry and increasingly windy conditions are forecast through this evening into Wednesday. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph will be observed in many areas through the evening with gusts of 45 to 60 mph focusing along the central mountains chain eastward on Wednesday. Parts of western and south central New Mexico will also see low humidity with an increased risk of rapid fire spread each day.
Area forecast discussion, May 13, 3:06 PM MDT, 3 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 306 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 258 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 - Higher flows will continue in rivers, creeks, arroyos, and low water crossings through this week, especially along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, due to melting snow. - Dry and increasingly windy conditions are forecast through this evening into Wednesday. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph will be observed in many areas through the evening with gusts of 45 to 60 mph focusing along the central mountains chain eastward on Wednesday. Parts of western and south central New Mexico will also see low humidity with an increased risk of rapid fire spread each day. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 258 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 Southwest winds have strengthened today with widespread gusts from 30 to 40kt as of 230pm. Blowing dust has so far been limited to far southern NM and northeast AZ where very dry conditions have been persistent this spring. The coverage of dust over northern, central, and eastern NM may be more confined to the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere as it is lofted from source regions upstream. Temps are very warm today with widespread 80s and even some low 90s. Low temps tonight will be well above normal again as winds will be slow to decrease thru late this evening in the lower terrain. 700-500mb layer winds will be strengthening to between 50 and 60kt overnight with the jet axis focused over southern NM. These stronger winds aloft will spread to the lower elevations again quickly Wednesday morning. HREF probabilities for gusts >55mph have trended slightly higher along and just east of the central mt chain Wednesday as a very dry, strong Pacific cold front slides thru NM. The High Wind Watch was upgraded to a High Wind Warning and expanded in coverage to more of the nearby plains. Wind Advisories have also been added to surrounding areas. Blowing dust may impact parts of the area again, especially the south and east. High fire danger will also continue given the exceptionally dry air with this frontal passage. Max temps however will trend 10-15F cooler across western NM but remain very warm across the southeast. Lighter winds arriving by Wednesday night with very dry air and partial clearing will give way to very chilly low temps. Folks that have begun outdoor gardening activities across northern and western NM will need to take the necessary precautions to prevent damage to sensitive vegetation. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Monday) Issued at 258 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 The upper level speed max moves out of the region early Thursday, lessening the wind impact compared to mid-week. Even with that, quasi-zonal flow aloft with a forming surface low in southeast CO allows for breezy afternoon conditions to remain, mainly across northeast NM. Gusts may get as high as 40mph as the surface layer remains well mixed. The effects of the Pacific cold front continue to be felt across eastern NM Thursday in the form of high temperatures falling 5-8F from Wednesday. Temperatures rise a few degrees in western NM as the Pacific front has long passed and pressure heights begin to rise slightly. Conditions remain similar Friday and Saturday as quasi-zonal flow remains and temperatures remain near average across the state. A small perturbation in the flow may work to return breezy conditions across the region early this weekend with elevated mid-level flow and continued well mixed surface layers. Another deep trough is forecast to form across western CONUS mid- weekend, then dive down towards NM by Sunday. Discrepancy between models remains focused on the location of the trough by late Saturday/early Sunday, as promoted by EOF patterns in cluster analysis. While location (and thus timing) remains uncertain, the current thinking is the trough sends a speed max around its axis and across NM Sunday afternoon, allowing for peak mixing to deliver gusty conditions across eastern NM and the higher terrain across the entire state. In addition, modest mid-level moisture in areas of synoptic ascent around northwest NM support the development of isolated showers and virga. The ECMWF is more bullish on low level moisture, which would lead to more showers than virga, while the GFS is opposite, having a strong inverted-V profile. Cluster analysis slightly favors ECMWF solutions, with about 40% of members. In short, isolated virga to rain showers appear possible across northwest NM Sunday and continuing into Monday. The speed max likely remains over NM Monday, inducing another windy to gusty afternoon for eastern areas. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1137 AM MDT Tue May 13 2025 An upper level trough approaching from the west will continue to spread strong southwest winds over NM today and tonight. Peak wind gusts of 35 to 45kt are expected between 1pm and 7pm. The highest gusts are most likely to the lee of the central mt chain from near KLVS to KCQC and KSRR, as well as near KGUP. Blowing dust may also impact the region however recent rainfall may limit the overall coverage. Source regions across southern NM will still likely spread lofted dust over southeast NM thru this evening. LLWS will develop overnight as winds aloft continue to strengthen while at least some decoupling occurs in the boundary layer. Widespread turb is also likely to impact the region with the strong winds. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 258 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HIGH FIRE DANGER CENTRAL AND WEST TODAY AND WEDNESDAY... Southwest and west winds have strengthened over the area today ahead of a broad upper level trough approaching from the Great Basin. The coverage of high fire danger has been creeping north and eastward the past few days as indicated by the WFPI (Wildland Fire Potential Index) while ERC values are also trending higher with each passing day of very dry and warm weather. Southwest winds will be slow to taper off this evening across the lower elevations while remaining strong for most of the night over the high terrain. Strong southwest winds will spread into the lower elevations again quickly Wednesday morning ahead of a very dry Pacific cold front. This front will shift winds out of the west then northwest by late day with single digit humidity for most areas south of I-40. Critical fire weather will develop again with a balance between lower fire danger, green up, and low ERC values mitigating potential fire spread across the north and east. Given fire danger is trending higher on more recent guidance, the Red Flag Warning for Wednesday will be expanded into the Central Highlands to include Corona to Clines Corners, Vaughn, and Santa Rosa. Temps Wednesday will trend much cooler across the west behind the front but remain hot across the east and southeast. Despite the cooler temps the coverage of single digit min humidity will actually increase across the region. West-northwest winds will remain breezy Thursday with gusts of 25 to 35 mph common. Temps will remain slightly below normal with another day of min humidity near 10% in many areas. Friday will trend warmer but with lighter winds and greater coverage of single digit humidity again. Another fire growing pattern is expected Saturday and Sunday. However, there is still a fair amount of uncertainty with the timing of the next trough and the coverage/location of critical conditions. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 42 67 35 70 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 36 63 27 65 / 0 5 0 0 Cuba............................ 41 64 33 66 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 35 65 26 69 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 37 63 30 66 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 40 67 29 71 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 40 68 33 69 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 50 73 40 73 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 43 68 34 70 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 43 73 32 76 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 46 76 34 79 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 34 58 26 60 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 48 68 39 66 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 47 68 38 66 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 40 63 32 64 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 35 57 27 54 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 37 59 28 60 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 40 66 28 67 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 41 66 34 66 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 50 74 36 74 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 48 69 37 67 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 50 73 37 71 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 55 76 44 75 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 57 78 45 77 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 58 80 40 79 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 57 78 44 77 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 54 81 43 80 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 56 78 42 78 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 56 80 40 79 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 56 79 43 78 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 56 80 42 79 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 54 74 41 73 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 55 76 44 77 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 60 86 46 83 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 49 70 39 69 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 51 74 41 71 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 49 74 38 71 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 49 76 34 72 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 45 70 37 67 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 51 75 39 72 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 52 75 39 71 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 63 78 47 76 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 56 70 45 70 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 46 71 35 68 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 45 75 36 73 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 47 76 36 73 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 49 70 37 69 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 54 81 44 75 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 51 75 39 72 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 56 85 45 79 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 57 82 46 76 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 57 86 47 79 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 59 88 51 80 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 57 89 51 81 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 58 86 48 81 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 63 93 56 88 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 64 83 50 82 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 62 80 49 79 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for NMZ101-105-106- 109-124. Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Wednesday for NMZ101-105- 106-109-124-125. Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ202-205-208-223- 224-226-229-232>240. Wind Advisory from noon to 8 PM MDT Wednesday for NMZ208-212-215- 220>222-224-225-228-231-232-234>238-241. High Wind Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Wednesday for NMZ223-229- 233-239. High Wind Warning from 6 AM to 8 PM MDT Wednesday for NMZ226-240. && SHORT TERM...42 LONG TERM....77 AVIATION...42
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 13, 3:01 PM MDT, 8 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
301 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0242 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 E Storrie Lake State 35.65N 105.13W
05/13/2025 M62 MPH San Miguel NM ASOS
ASOS station KLVS Las Vegas Muni Airport.
&&
NMPThe office that day
Everything else NWS Albuquerque, NM issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 3:58 AM MDT | High Wind Watch | ABQ | Chaves, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance | 11 hr |
| May 13, 3:14 PM MDT | High Wind Warning | ABQ | Chaves, Guadalupe, Lincoln, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance | 29 hr |
| May 13, 3:14 PM MDT | Wind Advisory | ABQ | Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, De Baca and 11 more | 29 hr |
Nearby
Red Flag Warnings in New Mexico, 2025Every red flag warning in 2025
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.