As a strong upper level storm system exited the state on the 8th, strong winds in its wake mixed down to the surface across eastern New Mexico despite clouds and some precipitation.
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.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
As a strong upper level storm system exited the state on the 8th, strong winds in its wake mixed down to the surface across eastern New Mexico despite clouds and some precipitation.
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Mar 8, 11:51 AM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1151 AM MST MON MAR 8 2010 .UPDATE... HAVE ADDED THE NORTHEAST INTO A WIND ADVISORY. THOUGH SOUTHERN HARDING COUNTY MAY BE CLOSE TO ADVISORY SPEEDS NOW...REALLY EXPECT PEAK WINDS TO OCCUR LATER AS SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO TX/OK AND 700 MB 50-60KT JET STREAK MOVES OVER UNION COUNTY. THUS...STRONGEST WINDS MAY NOT BE UNTIL 6PM OR LATER. NO OTHER CHANGES MADE AT THIS TIME. NPW ALREADY OUT. 34 && .PREV DISCUSSION...335 AM MST MON MAR 8 2010... POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK OVER NEW MEXICO TODAY... LEADING TO DEPARTING THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EAST...RAIN/MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY WINDS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR. UPPER LOW IS CURRENTLY TRACKING THROUGH CENTRAL ARIZONA EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH A BROAD REGION OF LARGE SCALE ASCENT AND MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING IMPACTING NM. IT APPEARS PER THE BLENDED AMSU/SSMI SATELLITE IMAGERY THAT THE NRN/NE PORTIONS OF THE CWA CONTINUE TO ENJOY 200 PCT OF NORMAL PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES. THIS WILL SUPPORT A CONTINUATION OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE NE/EC PLAINS THRU 14-17Z. COLD AIR ADVECTION IS ON THE INCREASE AT THIS HOUR...LEADING TO FALLING SNOW LEVELS. AS THE UPPER LOW MIGRATES ACROSS THE STATE...MOST AREAS CAN EXPECT SHOWERY ACTIVITY...WHICH WILL LIMIT THE QPF FACTOR. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS AND NE PLAINS AS A DEFORMATION ZONES DEVELOPS. WARNING LEVEL SNOWS ARE STILL LIKELY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...THUS WILL NOT ADJUST WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS. AS THE UPPER LOW EJECTS THE NE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON...EXPECT A STRONG 700MB JET TO DEVELOP IN ITS WAKE ALONG A LINE FROM THE SRN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS...WHERE SPEEDS COULD APPROACH 60KTS. APPEARS SOME OF THIS MOMENTUM WILL TRANSLATE TO THE SFC. THERE IS RELATIVELY GOOD CONFIDENCE OF HIGH WIND WARNING SPEEDS FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...MAINLY FROM KLVS TO KCQC... EASTWARD TO SANTA ROSA. STILL UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND THE ERN ZONES WILL SUSTAIN WARNING LEVEL SPEEDS FOR A SUSTAINABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO MONITOR AND UPGRADE IF NECESSARY. IN ADDITION...WIND SPEEDS COULD REMAIN IN THE ADVISORY CATEGORY PAST 06Z/TUE FOR LOCALES NEAR CLINES CORNERS. A PARADE OF UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WORK WEEK AS A LONG WAVE TROUGH MEANDERS OVER THE ROCKIES AND GREAT PLAINS. IT APPEARS THE SECOND DISTURBANCE WILL QUICKLY CHASE THE CURRENT STORM AS IT STARTS TO IMPACT WRN NEW MEXICO BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS STILL MODEL INCONSISTENCIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS TRACK...STRENGTH AND TIMING AS IT TRAVERSES THE STATE TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM WILL NOT HAVE AS MUCH MOISTURE TO WORK WITH...HOWEVER IT WILL HAVE COLDER AIR AROUND -6 TO -11C AT 700MB. ONGOING FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE BUT WILL NUDGE TO A BLEND OF THE GFS/ECMWF AS THEY ARE THE MOST CONSISTENT TO THE GFS ENSEMBLE PACKAGE. STORM NUMBER THREE WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST... ARRIVING AROUND THE WED NIGHT TIME FRAME. NOT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD...THERE IS STILL HIGH INCONSISTENCY WITH THE FORECAST MODELS... BUT IT APPEARS THIS WAVE COULD BE WEAKER IN NATURE. INHERITED GRIDS ARE SIDING WITH THE GFS AND SEE NO COMPELLING REASON TO DETER ATTM. BEYOND THE THURS PERIOD...THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE IDEAS ON HOW FAST TO EJECT THE AFOREMENTIONED LONG WAVE TROUGH. STAY TUNED...DPORTER .AVIATION... THE CENTER OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CROSS FROM EAST CENTRAL AZ THIS MORNING TO THE OK PANHANDLE BY THIS EVENING. WIDESPREAD IFR AND MVFR CONDITIONS IN PRECIPITATION AND/OR FOG CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE MORNING IN THE VICINITY OF NEW MEXICOS NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AND OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. THE NM SNOW LEVEL WILL VARY AROUND 6300 FEET THIS MORNING BEFORE LIFTING TO BETWEEN 6500 AND 7000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE LOW BEGINS TO EXIT NORTHEASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON... COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA...BUT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE. FARTHER NORTH AND EAST STEADIER PRECIPITATION WITH CONSISTENT MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THIS MORNING IN NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO...AS THE CONVECTIVE BAND CURRENTLY OVER THAT AREA GRADUALLY EXITS NORTHEASTWARD. HOWEVER...WITH THE CROSSING OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THIS AFTERNOON...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY REDEVELOP AREAWIDE...AND SOME OF THEM MAY BE EMBEDDED IN BROADER AREAS OF RAIN/SNOW OR RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS. THUNDERSTORM TOPS SHOULD REACH 25 TO 35K FEET. ALSO THIS AFTERNOON...STRONG WESTERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS A 700 MB WIND SPEED MAXIMUM CROSSES THE STATE. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TO AROUND SANTA ROSA AND CONCHAS LAKE...WHERE WIND GUSTS MAY EXCEED 50 KTS AT TIMES. THE STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING...ALTHOUGH SPEEDS SHOULD DROP 10 TO 15 KTS AFTER SUNSET. TONIGHT...ISOLATED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND THESE WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS MAINLY NORTH OF I-40. FARTHER SOUTH DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. 44 .FIRE WEATHER... UPPER LOW CENTERED OVER EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA THIS MORNING WILL TRACK EAST AND NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE OK PANHANDLE BY THIS EVENING. WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE IN MANY AREAS THROUGH THE MORNING...BEFORE GRADUALLY DECREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...STEADY PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST PLAINS THROUGH TODAY AND INTO THE EVENING. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL LIFT FROM AROUND 6300 FEET THIS MORNING TO BETWEEN 6500 AND 7000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON...BEFORE DROPPING TO AROUND 5500 FEET TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TODAY AND THIS EVENING...WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS IN THE SANGRES. THE MAIN THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THIS MORNING IN NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO...AS THE CONVECTIVE BAND CURRENTLY OVER THAT AREA GRADUALLY EXITS NORTHEASTWARD. HOWEVER...WITH THE CROSSING OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THIS AFTERNOON...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROBABLY REDEVELOP AREAWIDE. ADDITIONALLY...WEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG THIS AFTERNOON AND LINGER INTO THIS EVENING IN MANY AREAS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WHERE GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON. GUSTS SHOULD REACH 60 MPH FROM THE SANDIAS AND MANZANOS EASTWARD/NORTHEASTWARD TO CLINES CORNERS...SANTA ROSA...CONCHAS LAKE AND LAS VEGAS. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST IN THE EAST THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. JUST AS PRECIPITATION ENDS IN EASTERN NEW MEXICO ON TUESDAY...IT WILL RAMP UP AGAIN IN THE WEST AS TWO MORE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE SECOND SYSTEM WILL CROSS NEAR OR A LITTLE SOUTH OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR TUESDAY NIGHT BEFORE PASSING INTO TX ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE THIRD UPPER LOW LOOKS A BIT WEAKER...AND IT WILL CROSS SOUTHERN NM FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL KEEP MID WEEK WEATHER UNSETTLED WITH A BETTER CHANCE FOR SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS BECAUSE THE SYSTEMS CROSSING FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BE COLDER. SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN. MEANWHILE...BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS MAY PERSIST ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST AREA TUESDAY...TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. MODELS INDICATE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE WESTERN US AND NM LATE THIS WEEK AND INTO SATURDAY WITH DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER. HOWEVER...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAY CROSS FROM THE NORTHWEST LATER IN THE WEEKEND WITH MORE PRECIPITATION. 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ524>526-534>540. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521>523-529-532-533. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ528-530-531. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512>515-527. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ510-511. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 625 AM MST MON MAR 8 2010 NMZ501>540-091300- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 625 AM MST MON MAR 8 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO. EXPECT SNOW TO PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALES ABOVE 8000 FEET WILL ACCUMULATE 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS IN THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION... AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE LIKELY WITHIN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. THE STRONGEST WIND SPEEDS WILL BE NEAR THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND SANDIA MOUNTAINS...EASTWARD ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR WITHIN TORRANCE AND GUADALUPE COUNTIES. STRONG WINDS WILL START TO WEAKEN BY MID-EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. THIS STORM COULD ALSO BRING WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR WITHIN EASTERN NEW MEXICO FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. DPORTER
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Tucumcari ASOS recorded high sustained winds up to 45 mph off and on for nearly 3 hours during the afternoon.
The Clayton ASOS recorded high sustained winds reaching 41 mph for over an hour.
The Clayton ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 2010
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: 210388, 210387, 210386.