As an upper level storm system approached the state, very strong mid level winds overspread the area. With daytime heating, these strong winds mixed down to the surface resulting in gusts near or over 60 mph in many areas across western New Mexico as well as along and just downstream of the central mountain chain.
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 an upper level storm system approached the state, very strong mid level winds overspread the area. With daytime heating, these strong winds mixed down to the surface resulting in gusts near or over 60 mph in many areas across western New Mexico as well as along and just downstream of the central mountain chain. Areas of blowing dust reduced visibilities below 3 miles at times.
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 21, 2:21 AM MST, 7 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 321 AM MDT MON MAR 21 2011 .DISCUSSION... STRONG WINDS APLENTY UPCOMING TODAY INTO TUE BEFORE BACKING OFF SIGNIFICANTLY BUT NOT ENTIRELY MIDWEEK. ADDING THE JEMEZ MTNS AND NW HIGHLANDS ZONES...511 AND 504...TO THE WIND ADVISORY AREA AND WILL KEEP HIGH WIND WARNING IN PLACE AS IS...PRETTY WELL SUPPORTED BY LATEST MODEL RUNS. WIND ADVISORY MAY WELL BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF E NM FOR TUE...BUT ELSEWHERE WIND SPEEDS WILL BE MODERATELY TO MARKEDLY LOWER. EVEN SOME EASTERN NM LOCALES WILL SEE SLIGHTLY LOWER WIND SPEEDS TUE. WILL NOT ISSUE WIND ADVISORY AT THIS TIME FOR TUE...IN PART DUE TO THE TWO WIND RELATED HIGHLIGHTS ALREADY GOING TODAY. AS FOR PCPN THE INCOMING MAJOR TROUGH WILL SPIT OUT SOME LIGHT TO LOCALLY MODERATE RAIN AND SNOW AMTS ACROSS NW THIRD MAINLY TONIGHT AND TUE MORN WITH JUST A FEW SPRITZLES OF RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW POSS OUTSIDE THAT AREA. AMOUNTS...WHILE RAISED A BIT ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF N AND W NM...STILL FALLING IN LINE TO BE UNDER ADVISORY CRITERIA. WILL HIT IT FAIRLY HARD IN THE HWO...WEATHER SUMMARY AND GRAPHICAST THOUGH AS IT FOLLOWS A STINT OF WELL ABOVE NORMAL VALUES. THIS SYSTEM TO OF COURSE DRY OUT AS IT ENTERS THE STATE AND SO THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE WILL SEE NO MOISTURE BENEFIT FROM IT. MUCH QUIETER WX FOLLOWS FOR THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK...BUT WINDS WILL PICK UP NEAR THE END OF THE WEEK...THOUGH BELOW TODAY/S LEVELS. AFTN TEMPS WILL ACTUALLY FALL SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL NORMS ACROSS MUCH OF W NM TUE...RECOVERING AND THEN STAYING WITHIN JUST A FEW DEGREES OF THE NORM THROUGH FRI. EASTERN AREAS SHOULD GENERALLY STAY ABOVE THE NORMS...BUT WILL SEE THE CLOSEST APPROACH TO NORMAL VALUES WED...WARMING UP A FEW DEGREES THEREAFTER INTO FRI. MUCH OF NM MAY DIP TO A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL BY THE WEEKEND IF THAT UNSETTLED SYSTEM COMES IN AS CHILLY AS CURRENTLY INDICATED. THE PCPN PATTERN AND TREND WITH ITS PASSAGE LOOK FAIRLY SIMILAR TO WHAT IS PROGGED OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS OR SO. 43 && .AVIATION... DRYLINE IS TRYING RETROGRADE INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING. SOME MOISTURE RETURN ALONG AND EAST OF A KROW TO KCVS LINE MAY ALLOW A FEW SCRAPS OF LOW CLOUDS TO DEVELOP BEFORE SUNRISE...BUT THESE WILL QUICKLY GET SCOURED OUT AS MIXING AND DRIER SOUTH SOUTHWEST WINDS DEVELOP. THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN STATEWIDE THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON. STRONGEST WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE FOUND NEAR AND IMMEDIATELY DOWNWIND OF HIGER TERRAIN PEAKS AND RIDGES WITH SOME LLWS AND MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY EXPECTED. WIDESPREAD AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE ALSO LIKELY GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS AND ANTECEDANT DRY SOIL CONDITIONS. EXPECT COMMON VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS TO 3 MILES WITH ISOLATED AREAS BRIEFLY REDUCING TO LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG OVER RIDGETOPS TONIGHT...BUT VALLEY AND LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE SOME RELIEF IN WIND SPEEDS BY MID EVENING. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... WIDESPREAD AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH EVEN SOME EXTREMELY CRITICAL CONDITIONS ALONG THE CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN ZONES. WINDS ALOFT ARE GAINING STRENGTH FROM THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING...AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AS A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INLAND OVER THE WESTERN STATES. YESTERDAY/S ANOMALOUSLY DRY CONDITIONS HAVE ALSO ADDED ANOTHER ELEMENT TO TODAY/S POTENTIAL AS RH RECOVERY IS VERY POOR IN MUCH OF THE CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN ZONES WHERE EXTREME CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP. DRYLINE WILL QUICKLY ERODE EAST BY MID MORNING...AND THE ONLY AREAS THAT WILL HAVE SEEN SOME DECENT RH RECOVERY WILL BE IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO. BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON VERY STRONG WINDS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 AND 60 MPH WILL BE ONGOING OVER MANY AREAS. SOME OF THE NEWER MODEL GUIDANCE DEPICTS A SHRINKING OF THE MID LEVEL DRY SLOT ALONG WITH SOME HEALTHIER DEWPOINTS ADVECTING NORTHWARD OUT OF OLD MEXICO. IT IS DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THE ORIGIN OF ANY BETTER LOW LAYER SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE GIVEN POOR OBSERVING NETWORK SOUTH OF THE BORDER. WILL STAY THE COURSE AND KEEP THE FORECASTED LOW RH IN TACT FOR THE AFTERNOON. RIDGES AND PEAKS WILL STAY BREEZY TO WINDY OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL TO SOUTH CENTRAL AREAS OF THE STATE. ANY PRECIPITATION WILL STAY IN THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF THE STATE WITH A COUPLE INCHES OF HIGH TERRAIN SNOW POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN AND SPREAD ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TUESDAY WITH MORE OF A WESTERLY DIRECTION AS THE PACIFIC FRONT SWEEPS IN. THIS WILL OFFER LOWER TEMPERATURES OVER THE FORECAST AREA...YET A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY MID LAYER WILL BE MIXING TO THE SURFACE IN THE EASTERN ZONES...LEADING TO ANOTHER WIDESPREAD CRITICAL DAY WITH WARNINGS CONTINUING. ONLY POOR TO FAIR RH RECOVERY IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER DAY OF VERY LOW HUMIDITY ON WEDNESDAY. FORTUNATELY WINDS WILL BE MUCH MORE TAME WITH GENERALLY LIGHT BREEZES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST AS A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE QUICKLY PASSES OVER NEW MEXICO. THE BREAK FROM THE WINDS WILL BE SHORT LIVED THOUGH. A DISTURBANCE ALOFT WILL TRACK INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES ALLOWING THE UPPER LEVEL GRADIENT TO INCREASE WHILE A SURFACE LOW ORGANIZES ITSELF TO THE LEE OF THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL CERTAINLY BE MUCH LESS THAN TODAY...BUT STILL CRITICAL WIND WILL COUPLE WITH LOW DEWPOINTS/RH AND ABNORMALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES. ANOTHER UPPER WAVE WILL THEN APPROACH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WITH A REDEVELOPING LEE SIDE SURFACE LOW. THUS...FRIDAY WILL BE SLIGHTLY WINDIER THAN THURSDAY WITH STRONG WINDS EVEN IN THE WESTERN ZONES. STILL THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA LOOKS TO BE WHERE THE LOW RH WILL JUXTAPOSE ITSELF BEST WITH THE STRONG WINDS FOR ANOTHER CRITICAL DAY. INTO SATURDAY THE AFOREMENTIONED WAVE WILL SPEED PAST THE NORTHERN TIER OF ZONES WITH SOME INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION IN THE NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHWESTERN ZONES WHILE STRONGEST WINDS SHIFT TO THE CENTRAL TO SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 65 33 52 26 / 5 40 20 0 DULCE........................... 64 35 47 24 / 5 40 20 5 CUBA............................ 67 33 51 20 / 5 30 10 0 GALLUP.......................... 62 29 48 20 / 5 40 10 5 EL MORRO........................ 64 26 48 19 / 0 30 10 5 GRANTS.......................... 70 26 52 17 / 0 10 10 0 QUEMADO......................... 68 28 54 18 / 5 20 10 0 GLENWOOD........................ 75 36 62 26 / 0 10 5 0 CHAMA........................... 60 26 44 15 / 5 40 30 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 67 33 53 23 / 0 10 10 0 PECOS........................... 72 34 55 22 / 0 5 5 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 66 27 50 16 / 0 10 20 0 RED RIVER....................... 58 30 41 20 / 0 10 20 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 63 27 46 18 / 0 5 5 0 TAOS............................ 67 34 52 21 / 0 10 10 0 MORA............................ 71 35 54 25 / 0 5 5 0 ESPANOLA........................ 73 34 58 25 / 0 5 10 0 SANTA FE........................ 69 32 54 23 / 0 10 10 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 72 36 56 26 / 0 5 10 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 73 42 58 30 / 0 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 75 44 60 34 / 0 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 77 40 62 35 / 0 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 76 43 59 34 / 0 5 5 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 77 41 63 35 / 0 5 5 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 75 43 59 33 / 0 5 5 0 SOCORRO......................... 81 44 72 35 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 70 41 53 29 / 0 5 10 0 TIJERAS......................... 72 39 56 28 / 0 5 5 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 74 38 59 28 / 0 5 5 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 73 40 56 26 / 0 5 5 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 74 44 65 31 / 0 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 80 43 69 28 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 75 45 62 36 / 0 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 73 45 56 30 / 0 5 5 0 RATON........................... 76 36 59 23 / 0 5 5 0 SPRINGER........................ 78 38 62 28 / 0 5 5 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 75 39 57 28 / 0 5 5 0 CLAYTON......................... 81 43 67 31 / 0 5 0 0 ROY............................. 78 48 64 34 / 0 5 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 86 46 71 31 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 84 47 70 34 / 0 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 87 48 72 32 / 0 5 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 85 46 73 34 / 0 10 0 0 PORTALES........................ 86 45 75 33 / 0 10 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 87 45 75 33 / 0 5 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 94 52 83 39 / 0 5 0 0 PICACHO......................... 87 50 74 32 / 0 0 0 0 ELK............................. 82 50 66 34 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521-523-524-526-529-539-540. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101>109. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103-104-107-108. WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501-504-506-507-509-511>515-518>520-522-525-527-528-530>538. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ502-505-508. && 43/52
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 610 AM MDT MON MAR 21 2011 NMZ501>540-221200- 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- 610 AM MDT MON MAR 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND STRONG TO LOCALLY DAMAGING SOUTHWEST WINDS TODAY WILL CREATE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SHARPLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES BELOW A MILE AT TIMES DUE TO BLOWING DUST. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 70 MPH ARE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN PLAINS AND SOUTHERN DESERTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE MOST LIKELY ACROSS...AND JUST EAST FROM...THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION THERE WILL BE SPOTTY 1 TO LOCALLY AS MUCH AS 4 INCH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS MAINLY THE CHUSKA AND SOUTHERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO...JEMEZ AND WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRONG SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY ACROSS MAINLY THE EAST HALF OF THE STATE. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 60 MPH WILL BE COMMON THERE CREATING CRITICAL TO EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND AGAIN SOME AREAS OF BLOWING DUST. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 43
8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The AWOS at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport reported sustained winds nearly continuously for 7 hours. The highest sustained wind speed of 53 mph occurred around the noon hour.
For nearly six hours, the AWOS at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport reported gusts at or above 58 mph. The peak gust of 70 mph occurred at 1215 pm.
Gusts over 58 mph were reported at the Clines Corners ASOS for around 3 hours. The max gust of 61 mph was reported at 139 pm.
Sustained winds over 40 mph were reported at Clines Corners for four hours. The maximum sustained wind was 46 mph around 1pm.
Sustained winds of 40 mph were reported at Las Vegas.
The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facilities Transwestern Pump Station north-northeast of Encinoso recorded a few wind gusts over 58 mph. The strongest wind gust was 62 mph which occurred at 225 pm.
The Magdalena Ridge Observatory recorded a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Gallup ASOS blew at over 58 mph for just over an hour. The peak gust of 67 mph occurred at 422 pm.
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, March 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: 279776, 279775, 279778, 279779, 279780, 279781, 279782, 279777.