A broad upper level trough swung over New Mexico on the 18th and 19th. While the trough brought some much needed precipitation to the northwest, it also generated strong winds statewide.
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.
A broad upper level trough swung over New Mexico on the 18th and 19th. While the trough brought some much needed precipitation to the northwest, it also generated strong winds statewide. Dry low levels resulted in very gusty winds in isolated locales as precipitation largely evaporated. In other areas, the gusty winds were the result of mountain waves crashing onto the surface. Regardless of the cause, winds topped 60 mph across portions of northern and central New Mexico.
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 18, 2:26 AM MST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 326 AM MDT MON APR 18 2011 ...STRONG WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER THE MAIN STORY THIS WEEK... .DISCUSSION... BREEZY CONDITIONS AND A LAYER OF MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS HAVE DETERRED OVERNIGHT TEMPS FROM FALLING VERY MUCH. TEMPERATURES ACROSS NEW MEXICO THUS FAR HAVE ONLY DIPPED BACK TO THE 50S AND 60S WITH A FEW 40S OVER THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN. WE EXPECT THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO REMAIN TIGHT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BREEZY CONDITIONS IN PLACE. FORECAST CHALLENGES FOR TODAY WILL BE WIND SPEEDS AND EXTENT OF BOTH ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. NAM-WRF 700MB ANALYSIS STILL DOES NOT SHOW IMPRESSIVE WIND SPEEDS BUT A STRONG SURFACE LOW WILL TAKE SHAPE WHICH WILL MAKE UP FOR IT AT THE SURFACE. GUIDANCE HAS HAD A TOUGH TIME RESOLVING WIND SPEEDS AS OF LATE AND THE WEAK 700MB FLOW PORTRAYED IN THE NAM-WRF LOOKS A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FORECAST WINDS A TAD ABOVE GUIDANCE AND DEWPOINTS BELOW. WILL CONTINUE RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL SECTIONS AND HOIST A WIND ADVISORY MAINLY FOR THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS NORTH TO LAS VEGAS. SOME BLOWING DUST WILL BE KICKED UP IN THOSE AREAS. IN ADDITION...JET ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. SUITE OF GFS/NAM/UKMET AND ECMWF ALL SHOWING SOME QPF DEVELOPING. LIFTED INDICES APPROACH 0 AND PERHAPS -1 AND WILL CONTINUE ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION MAINLY FOR THE HIGH TERRAIN. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN RATHER HIGH OVERNIGHT BUT THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL LIKELY SEE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH THIS SHORTWAVE. AT THIS TIME...THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES...POSSIBLY 3 WILL BE FOUND OVER THE SAN JUANS CLOSEST TO THE COLORADO BORDER. ON TUESDAY...MODELS ARE ADAMANT ABOUT DRIVING A 50 TO 60+ KT 700MB JET ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WITH MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY EXPECTED. STRONGER WINDS WILL CRASH DOWN TO THE SURFACE AS EARLY AS SUNRISE TUESDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING GUSTS. WILL LIKELY SEE A DECENT SWATH OF HIGH END ADVISORY WINDS BUT EXTENT OF WARNING LEVEL WINDS IS UNCERTAIN AND WILL ALLOW THE DAY SHIFT ANOTHER INSPECTION BEFORE ISSUING A WATCH. WILL UPGRADE FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO A WARNING. IN ADDITION...NAM12 CONTINUES TO EDGE A COLD FRONT INTO THE FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. CONVERGENCE AND ADDED MOISTURE WITH THE BOUNDARY MAY BE ENOUGH TO SPARK A FEW SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. DID ADD THIS TO THE GRIDS. WEDNESDAY STILL LOOKS LIKE A RETURN SURGE OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVER THE EAST AND A CONTINUATION OF VERY DRY CONDITIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. ANY MOISTURE RETURN WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE SHAPING UP TO BE ANOTHER WINDY DAY WITH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS RETURNING TO NEW MEXICO. LONG RANGE GFS AND TO MORE EXTENT THE ECMWF SHOW A MORE SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING NEW MEXICO BY NEXT SUNDAY. WAY TOO EARLY TO MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS WITH THIS STORM BUT AS HAS BEEN THE CASE ALL SPRING...SYSTEMS TEND TO TRACK FURTHER AND FURTHER NORTH WITH TIME. WILL CONTINUE A FORECAST TOWARD PERSISTENCE ATTM. KW && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ALL AIRPORTS. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE STRONGER TODAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION...ESPECIALLY FROM THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN EAST INTO THE PLAINS WHERE GUSTS UP TO 45 KTS ARE POSSIBLE. VERY DRY SOIL WILL LEAD TO AREAS OF BLDU WITH VSBYS AS LOW AS 5-6SM POSSIBLE FROM AROUND CLINES CORNERS EAST TO NEAR LAS VEGAS AND PERHAPS TUCUMCARI. AWW CRITERIA WINDS MAY BE REACHED FOR AN HOUR OR TWO AT ALBUQUERQUE DEPENDING ON STRENGTH OF MIXING TODAY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET MOST AREAS EXCEPT THE LEE OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN WHERE DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL LEAD TO ERRATIC GUSTY WINDS THRU SUNRISE. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... ...VERY ACTIVE FIRE WX PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THIS WEEK... WIDESPREAD POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERIES AND BREEZY CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NM WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL AND LOCALLY EXTREME FIRE WX CONDITIONS TODAY. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS... SINGLE DIGIT RH VALUES...STEEP LAPSE RATES...AND EXCEPTIONALLY DRY SOIL MOISTURE VALUES WILL FURTHER EXACERBATE DANGEROUS FIRE ACTIVITY. AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL SLIDE EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO TONIGHT ALLOWING WINDS TO STAY BREEZY OVERNIGHT IN THE HIGH TERRAIN AND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES WHERE ERRATIC WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE FLOW EXISTS. RECOVERIES WILL BE POOR AGAIN ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN PLAINS... LEADING INTO ANOTHER DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR TUESDAY. HAVE UPGRADED THE WATCH TO A WARNING FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS...SW MTS AND WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. A SURFACE FRONT WILL SLIP SOUTH DOWN THE EASTERN PLAINS BEHIND THIS WAVE TUESDAY NIGHT. RECOVERIES WILL TREND MUCH BETTER BEHIND THIS FRONT. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL ALLOW SURFACE WINDS TO VEER BACK TO THE SW OVER THE NE PLAINS WHERE CRITICAL FIRE WX CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE LOCALIZED AREA. WILL HOLD OFF ON HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS TIME. ANOTHER FAST MOVING UPPER WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO THURSDAY AND INTO THE PLAINS FRIDAY...ALLOWING FOR STRONG WINDS OVER NM ONCE AGAIN. THIS WILL LEAD TO A NEAR REPEAT OF TODAY AND TUESDAY. EXPECT STRONG SW FLOW THURSDAY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS...SINGLE DIGIT RH VALUES...AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS...THEN STRONG DRY WEST TO NW FLOW FRIDAY. ANOTHER WAVE SLIDES TOWARD THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...CONTINUING THIS VERY ACTIVE FIRE WX SEASON. GUYER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 77 47 68 38 / 0 40 20 0 DULCE........................... 71 38 60 29 / 5 50 30 0 CUBA............................ 74 41 65 31 / 0 20 20 0 GALLUP.......................... 74 40 65 32 / 0 20 10 0 EL MORRO........................ 69 38 64 32 / 0 20 10 0 GRANTS.......................... 77 42 69 30 / 0 10 10 0 QUEMADO......................... 76 40 69 36 / 0 5 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 80 45 77 43 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 65 40 55 30 / 5 60 40 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 72 45 64 41 / 0 20 10 0 PECOS........................... 70 41 66 37 / 0 10 20 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 69 38 60 28 / 0 30 20 0 RED RIVER....................... 61 33 50 28 / 0 40 30 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 64 35 55 28 / 0 20 20 0 TAOS............................ 72 40 63 28 / 0 20 20 0 MORA............................ 69 42 63 33 / 0 10 10 0 ESPANOLA........................ 79 42 70 36 / 0 10 5 0 SANTA FE........................ 76 42 68 36 / 0 10 10 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 78 45 70 38 / 0 10 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 80 49 73 44 / 0 5 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 81 51 74 48 / 0 5 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 82 47 76 42 / 0 5 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 82 48 75 44 / 0 5 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 84 48 77 39 / 0 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 82 48 75 44 / 0 5 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 86 51 82 51 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 77 43 70 41 / 0 5 5 0 TIJERAS......................... 78 46 72 41 / 0 5 5 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 77 43 73 36 / 0 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 75 43 69 40 / 0 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 78 48 74 42 / 0 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 81 50 78 46 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 72 47 69 46 / 0 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 78 44 68 34 / 0 10 5 5 RATON........................... 81 46 73 33 / 0 10 5 5 SPRINGER........................ 80 47 73 37 / 0 10 5 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 76 47 70 36 / 0 5 5 0 CLAYTON......................... 86 50 73 38 / 0 5 10 0 ROY............................. 81 46 73 40 / 0 5 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 87 55 83 46 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 86 53 81 46 / 0 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 91 55 84 43 / 0 0 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 87 52 82 44 / 0 0 0 0 PORTALES........................ 88 53 83 46 / 0 0 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 89 55 84 49 / 0 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 93 56 87 50 / 0 0 0 0 PICACHO......................... 85 54 81 49 / 0 0 0 0 ELK............................. 79 49 75 45 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101>109. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103>105-107>109. WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ523-529. && 17/GUYER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 601 AM MDT MON APR 18 2011 NMZ501>540-191215- 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- 601 AM MDT MON APR 18 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF NEW MEXICO FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING. IN ADDITION...AN AREA OF STRONGER WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM CLINES CORNERS NORTH TO LAS VEGAS. WIND GUSTS MAY EXCEED 50 MPH IN THESE AREAS. THE STRONG WINDS MAY CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW THREE MILES AT TIMES. LATER THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL TRACK ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BRINGING THE CHANCE FOR SNOW SHOWERS TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ELEVATIONS ABOVE 8500 FEET COULD RECEIVE A COUPLE INCHES OF FRESH SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL CRITICAL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW...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 ...WIND DAMAGE OR WILDFIRES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637. YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER TO THE ALBUQUERQUE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 17
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A mostly dry microburst resulted in winds of 60 mph for a period of 8 minutes at the Farmington ASOS.
As a mountain wave crashed onto the surface, the Clines Corners ASOS recorded sustained winds over 40 mph.
As a mountain wave crashed onto the surface, the Clines Corners ASOS measured a 62 mph wind gust.
Sandia Peak recorded a peak wind gust of 73 mph.
The Clayton ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 59 mph, which was likely due to a dry microburst.
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: 285150, 285152, 285151, 285153, 285154.