The New Mexico wind machine cranked up again across portions of eastern New Mexico on the 14th. Wind speeds topped 60 mph by the noon hour.
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.
The New Mexico wind machine cranked up again across portions of eastern New Mexico on the 14th. Wind speeds topped 60 mph by the noon hour. The highest gust was 62 mph, as reported by the Ruidoso AWOS.
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 Apr 14, 2:39 AM MST, 5 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 339 AM MDT THU APR 14 2011 .DISCUSSION...JUST A FEW LOWER TO MID BASED CLOUDS HAVE BEEN NOTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WITHIN THE PAST FEW HOURS WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS. MOST OF THESE ARE STAYING NORTH OF THE COLORADO BORDER WHERE EVEN A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED. ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY IS DEVELOPING WITH DYNAMICS RELATED TO THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH QUICKLY SHIFTING EASTWARD INTO COLORADO. THIS FEATURE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A STOUT MID LEVEL JET WITH WINDS EXCEEDING 80 KNOTS AT 500 MB IN THE WEST CENTRAL ZONES OF NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS JET WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSLATE EASTWARD AS THE TROUGH WRAPS UP INTO A LOW AND PULLS INTO KANSAS BY LATE AFTERNOON. AT THE SURFACE A DEEP SURFACE LOW WILL ALSO QUICKLY EXIT INTO KANSAS WITH STRONG PRESSURE RISES ABRUPTLY BUILDING INTO NEW MEXICO. IN FACT THE SURFACE GRADIENT MAY REACH CLOSE TO 18 MB FROM WESTERN TO EASTERN BORDERS OF THE STATE BY THE NOON HOUR TODAY...AND WHILE SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER TODAY THIS STRONG GRADIENT WILL MAKE FOR VERY WINDY CONDITIONS. WORST OF THE WINDS STILL LOOK TO BE ALONG AND DOWNWIND OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WHERE PREVIOUS SHIFT HAS PEGGED THE HIGH WIND WARNING ACCORDINGLY. BLOWING DUST WILL BE LIKELY IN MUCH OF THE EAST CENTRAL TO FAR EASTERN PLAINS WHERE SOME GUSTS WILL REACH 60 TO 65 MPH. HAVE ALSO SUPPLEMENTED THE INHERITED WIND ADVISORY WITH A FEW MORE ZONES...GENERALLY SPREADING NORTH AND WEST FROM THE PREVIOUS ISSUANCE. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE THE PAST FEW EVENTS...PRECIPITATION WILL SEEMINGLY BE JUST A FOOTNOTE TO THE WINDS...GENERALLY REMAINING IN THE NORTHEASTERN ZONES NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER. SOME DRY THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO LEFT IN EASTERN COLFAX AND UNION COUNTIES WHERE ENOUGH INSTABILITY IN INVERTED-V SOUNDINGS IS ADVERTISED. REGARDLESS POPS ARE QUITE LOW...AND WINDS WILL BE THE BIGGER CONCERN. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN A GOOD 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY/S READINGS IN MOST LOCALES WITH MUCH OF THE AREA FALLING SLIGHTLY BELOW MID APRIL AVERAGES. UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE MAKING A DASH TOWARD THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT WITH NORTHWEST FLOW PERSISTING IN NEW MEXICO. THE GRADIENT ALOFT WILL BE GRADUALLY WEAKENING OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE LATE MORNING HOURS FRIDAY...BUT SUCH A STRONG SURFACE GRADIENT WILL TAKE SEVERAL HOURS TO BALANCE OUT. THUS SOME BREEZINESS WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT AND INTO EARLY FRIDAY. BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WINDS WOULD LIKELY BE DECREASING SOME MORE...BUT STILL A BIT BREEZY IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. PRONOUNCED MID LEVEL DRYING WILL FALL OVER THE STATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH THE WINDS ALOFT SHIFTING TO A LIGHTER AND MORE ZONAL COMPONENT BY LATE SATURDAY...COMBINED WITH A REAPPEARANCE OF THE RESIDENT LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH. TEMPERATURES WOULD ALSO WARM BACK UP A FEW DEGREES ON SATURDAY...EXCEEDING CLIMATOLOGY BY A FEW TICKS. ON SUNDAY THE SURFACE LOW WILL SAG SOUTH AND DEEPEN...ALLOWING A BACK DOOR FRONT TO INFILTRATE THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS. AT THE UPPER LEVELS THE PATTERN WILL GENERALLY REMAIN ZONAL WITH A FEW WEAK PERTURBATIONS PASSING NORTH OF NEW MEXICO WITH WIND SPEEDS RISING SLIGHTLY...ENOUGH TO INDUCE SOME BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS DOWN AT THE SURFACE BY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE LOW RELOCATES TO THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE BY MONDAY AS HEIGHT FIELDS BEGIN TO REVEAL SOME TROUGHINESS UPSTREAM. THIS FIRST FEATURE IS ADVERTISED TO AMPLIFY SOME AND PUSH INTO NEW MEXICO MONDAY NIGHT...INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR SOME PRECIPITATION IN THE NORTH INTO TUESDAY. ANOTHER TRAILING WAVE WOULD POTENTIALLY RIDE ON THE HEELS OF THIS FEATURE...KEEPING THIS TREND GOING. HAVE GENERALLY ISOLATED POPS IN THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE STATE THROUGH THIS PERIOD AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AS THE PATTERN LOOKS REPETITIVE WITH CONTINUING BOUTS OF BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS. 52 && .AVIATION...A FEW MID CLOUDS WILL RESULT IN SOME MOUNTAIN TOP OBSCURATIONS ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN EARLY THIS MORNING...TIL ABOUT 14Z...OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS WILL INCREASE EARLY TODAY AS A POTENT SHORT WAVE CROSSES THE STATE ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG JET. BY 18Z...NORTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 OR 45 KT WILL BE COMMON ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH...WITH EVEN STRONGER WINDS AND GUSTS TO 55 KT ACROSS THE EAST IN HE AFTERNOON. AN AWW FOR ABQ IS POSSIBLE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN BLOWING DUST ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE EAST. WINDS DECREASE AFTER 00Z OR 03Z BUT GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE EAST THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. 05 && ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER EVENT TODAY... .FIRE WEATHER...RH VALUES OF LESS THAT 15 PERCENT PERSIST EARLY THIS MORNING FROM THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO THE EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PLAINS WITH POOR RH RECOVERIES MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ZONES. AS AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE CROSSES THE STATE...WINDS WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST...THE CENTRAL HIGH TERRAIN AND ADJACENT EAST SLOPES. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE NOON ACROSS EAST CENTRAL ZONES...EXPANDING TO COVER MOST ZONES BY MID AFTERNOON. IN THE WAKE OF A WEAK FRONT THAT MOVED INTO THE NORTHEAST LATE WEDNESDAY... ISOLATED DRY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON. COLDER AIR MOVES IN FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY AND TEMPERATURES WILL AVERAGE 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER TODAY THAN THOSE ON WEDNESDAY. THE UPPER WAVE WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE TODAY AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS NORTH EAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS WILL REMAIN STRONG OVERNIGHT. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PERSIST DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. FAIR RH RECOVERIES EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE NORTH AND WEST WITH POOR RECOVERIES ELSEWHERE. COOLER TEMPERATURES CONTINUE WITH SUB FREEZING VALUES ACROSS THE NORTH AND WEST. GUSTY NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES ALONG EXTREME EASTERN ZONES ON FRIDAY AND CURRENT GRIDS HAVE A COUPLE OF HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AROUND NOON ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHEAST PLAINS BEFORE THE WINDS DECREASE IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WHERE LOCAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FOR A FEW HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OR LONG DURATION ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME AND A WATCH WILL NOT BE ISSUED. TEMPERATURES REBOUND 5 TO 10 DEGREES MOST LOCATIONS. WARMING CONTINUES ON SATURDAY WITH NEAR ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. WHILE RH WILL BE BELOW 15 PERCENT MOST AREAS WITH SINGLE DIGIT RH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EAST ZONES...SURFACE WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS SHOULD STAY BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLDS....EXCEPT POSSIBLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS FROM LAS VEGAS TO THE TEXAS BORDER. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND SURFACE LOW ARE CURRENTLY INDICATED FOR SUNDAY...WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS DEVELOPING BY MID DAY AND POSSIBLY SOME EAST FLOW INTO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AS THE SURFACE LOW STRENGTHENS OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. CURRENT GRIDS CARRY SOME LOW POPS ACROSS THE NORTH STARTING LATE SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH GENERALLY BREEZY WESTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD. 05 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 57 28 65 30 / 0 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 53 16 61 21 / 0 0 0 0 CUBA............................ 53 15 61 21 / 0 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 55 21 61 24 / 0 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 52 21 59 24 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 57 16 62 20 / 0 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 56 21 63 26 / 0 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 70 31 75 39 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 48 15 55 18 / 5 0 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 53 26 61 29 / 0 0 0 0 PECOS........................... 55 24 62 27 / 5 0 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 51 14 57 21 / 5 5 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 45 15 49 16 / 10 5 0 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 47 16 53 18 / 10 5 0 0 TAOS............................ 54 16 60 23 / 0 0 0 0 MORA............................ 52 21 59 28 / 10 5 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 61 23 69 26 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 57 25 66 30 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 59 26 68 32 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 62 34 68 40 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 64 37 71 42 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 64 33 73 38 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 63 34 72 39 / 0 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 67 32 73 36 / 0 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 63 35 69 42 / 0 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 71 38 73 41 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 60 27 65 31 / 0 0 0 0 TIJERAS......................... 62 32 68 37 / 0 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 60 28 66 29 / 0 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 56 27 61 34 / 0 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 63 33 67 35 / 0 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 70 34 70 35 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 62 37 63 39 / 0 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 57 23 57 30 / 10 5 0 0 RATON........................... 61 24 62 25 / 10 5 0 0 SPRINGER........................ 63 28 65 30 / 10 5 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 59 26 61 29 / 5 0 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 63 33 61 30 / 10 5 0 0 ROY............................. 63 31 63 36 / 5 5 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 71 34 70 37 / 0 5 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 69 35 73 39 / 0 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 73 33 70 34 / 0 5 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 70 34 67 33 / 0 0 0 0 PORTALES........................ 71 34 70 33 / 0 0 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 72 36 73 37 / 0 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 80 41 76 39 / 0 0 0 0 PICACHO......................... 76 40 74 38 / 0 0 0 0 ELK............................. 74 36 71 32 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521>524-526-529-539-540. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101>109. WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501-503-504-506>508-510-511-517>519-530-531-538. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ532>537. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ512-514-515-528. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ527. && 52/05
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 539 AM MDT THU APR 14 2011 NMZ501>540-151200- 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- 539 AM MDT THU APR 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO VERY STRONG WEST NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF NEW MEXICO TODAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY DOWNWIND OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN OF THE STATE WHERE SOME OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 60 AND 65 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG WINDS...VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER MOST OF THE STATE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 50 MPH OR ANY WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637. YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WINDS TO THE ALBUQUERQUE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 52
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Clines Corners ASOS measured sustained winds of 40 mph or greater for over an hour.
KVII in Amarillo reported that the Elida SchoolNet site recorded a 60 mph wind gust. In addition, the military site K4MR recorded a 58 mph wind gust.
The Clines Corners ASOS recorded wind gusts over 58 mph periodically for around 2 hours. The strongest gust was 61 mph at 922 am MST.
Winds gusted up to 58 mph west of Estancia.
The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facilities Transwestern Pump Station north-northeast of Encinoso recorded a 61 mph wind gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2011
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: 284638, 284636, 284634, 284637, 284635, 284633.