New Mexico, 2000

High Wind in New Mexico, April 18, 2000

April 18, 2000 · NWS ABQ · 21 events in 11 counties and zones

A strong spring wind storm moved over north and central New Mexico with peak winds gusting 60 to 70 mph and causing widespread, but generally minor damage across the region. Several wildfires were whipped by the winds and threatened homes and buildings along the Rio Grande Bosque or river-side forest from near Socorro north to Albuquerque.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$160,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
21

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

A strong spring wind storm moved over north and central New Mexico with peak winds gusting 60 to 70 mph and causing widespread, but generally minor damage across the region. Several wildfires were whipped by the winds and threatened homes and buildings along the Rio Grande Bosque or river-side forest from near Socorro north to Albuquerque. A fire near Santa Fe forced temporary closure of the municipal airport. At least one mobile home was overturned near Milan in Cibola County, while a church and other smaller buildings in Espanola lost parts of their roofs.

Event by event

21 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw forecast zone
Measured
47 kt (54 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
79 kt (91 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
47 kt (54 mph)
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
Measured
49 kt (56 mph)
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro

When
April 18, 9:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5140594, 5140595, 5140596, 5140597, 5140598, 5140599, 5140600, 5140601, 5140602, 5140603, 5140604, 5140605, 5140606, 5140607, 5140608, 5140609, 5140610, 5140663, 5140664, 5140665, 5140666.