A strong upper level low over northwest New Mexico brought very strong winds to much of southern and eastern New Mexico during the afternoon of the 14th. The south to southwesterly winds resulted in blowing dust, which reduced visibilities below 2 miles at times.
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 strong upper level low over northwest New Mexico brought very strong winds to much of southern and eastern New Mexico during the afternoon of the 14th. The south to southwesterly winds resulted in blowing dust, which reduced visibilities below 2 miles at times. Even lower visibilities were reported downwind of White Sands National Monument, including around Ruidoso, where much of the sand was relocating to. Up to 70 mph winds were measured in the Sacramento Mountains, while a peak wind gust of 74 mph was reported in Raton. A few trees were knocked over as well as portions of tin roofs were peeled back due to the strong winds. As the upper level low shifted east overnight, snow developed over the northern high terrain. Up to 10 inches of snow was reported around Red River and Taos Ski Valley.
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, 2:38 AM MST, 5 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 338 AM MDT SAT APR 14 2012 ...POTPOURRI OF SPRING WEATHER HAZARDS THIS WEEKEND... .DISCUSSION... THE CENTER OF AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM REACHED LAS VEGAS...NEVADA...OVERNIGHT. THIS LOW WILL REACH THE FOUR CORNERS BY SUNSET...THEN EJECT RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD... REACHING NEBRASKA BY SUNRISE SUNDAY. THIS TIMING REFLECTS A SLIGHTLY SLOWER ARRIVAL OF THE SYSTEM AND MUCH FASTER EXIT THAN PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS. THE QUICKER PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD PREVENT SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...EXCEPT FOR THE SAN JUAN AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS WHERE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ALREADY IN EFFECT. SATELLITE AND RADAR IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING DEPICT A NNW TO SSE ORIENTED BAND OF RAIN SHOWERS...SNOW SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL AZ. THIS BAND WILL BRING A BRIEF WAVE OF PRECIPITATION TO WESTERN NM THIS MORNING...BUT DEW POINTS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AHEAD OF THIS WAVE SUGGEST THAT PRECIPITATION WILL BE MODEST. BEHIND THE BAND OF PRECIP...MUCH DRIER AIR IS EVIDENT ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...AND SURFACE DEW POINTS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP RAPIDLY IN THE WAKE OF THE BAND AS IT TRANSLATES TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON. BY SUNDAY...STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS MAY REACH 6 INCHES ON THE WEST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS NEAR THE CO BORDER...WITH ONLY A FEW INCHES ACROSS THE REST OF OUR NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS. AN INCH OR SO OF SNOW MAY ALSO ACCUMULATE BELOW 7500 FEET...MAINLY NEAR GALLUP THIS MORNING AND ACROSS THE FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW SHORT WAVES WILL FLOW THROUGH A TRAILING UPPER TROUGH THAT WILL LINGER OVER NM IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING UPPER LOW...KEEPING THE WEATHER UNSETTLED IN WESTERN...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE EMBEDDED WITH LOWER ELEVATION RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MONDAY...A FEW SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE STATE...BUT CONFIDENCE IS ONLY MODERATE THAT ANY PRECIP WILL REMAIN THAT LONG. THE BIGGER PROBLEM WITH THE STORM SYSTEM WILL BE VERY STRONG WINDS TODAY...AS THE POLAR JET STREAM MOVES OVERHEAD AND A STRONG LEE TROUGH DEVELOPS AT THE SURFACE. SOUTHWEST WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON...EXCEPT FOR WEAKER WINDS ACROSS THE NW MOUNTAINS AND PLATEAU...AND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WIND ADVISORY AND HIGH WIND WARNING ALREADY IN EFFECT UNTIL SUNSET...WHEN SURFACE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECOUPLE FROM STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA TONIGHT AND A COLD FRONT CROSSING THE AREA FROM THE WEST WILL SHIFT THE LEE TROUGH FURTHER EAST ONTO THE GREAT PLAINS. LOW HUMIDITIES WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS TO PRODUCE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TODAY. TUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE COMING WORK WEEK...NW FLOW ALOFT WILL GRADUALLY BECOME MORE ZONAL. AFTER BELOW NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES DEVELOPING TODAY THROUGH MONDAY...READINGS WILL RISE ABOVE NORMAL AGAIN TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. AFTERNOONS MAY BE GUSTY...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES NORTH OF OUR STATE. 44 && .AVIATION... VFR IS EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE REGION OVER THE NEXT 24 HRS HOWEVER WINDS WILL BE A BIG CONCERN. A BAND OF RAIN/SNOW WITH EMBEDDED -TSRA WILL MOVE EAST INTO WESTERN NM AND IMPACT KFMN AND KGUP THRU THIS EVENING WITH MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS EXPECTED. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR ANY LOWER EXCURSIONS TO IFR WOULD BE WITH CIGS TONIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONTAL AIRMASS OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN NM. OTHERWISE STRONG SW WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN ISSUE WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 KNOTS POSSIBLE FROM THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS. AWW CRITERIA WINDS ARE A CERTAINTY FOR THE SUNPORT THIS AFTERNOON. SOME BLDU MAY REDUCE VSBYS TO NEAR MVFR BRIEFLY FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY EASTWARD. WINDS WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... A BAND OF RAIN/SNOW OVER AZ IN ASSCN WITH A COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE EAST INTO WESTERN NM THIS MORNING. CURRENT POOR RECOVERIES IN THIS AREA WILL REBOUND QUICKLY AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES EAST. DEWPOINT VALUES WILL COME UP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA INITIALLY THRU EARLY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER THE WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT DRY SLOT DEVELOPING BEHIND THIS BAND OF RAIN AND SNOW AND AM CONCERNED CRITICAL FIRE WX CONDITIONS MAY BE SATISFIED WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. TEMPS WILL BE BELOW NORMAL HOWEVER BUT WINDS WILL BE HOWLING. WILL KEEP CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS AS IS BUT DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO MONITOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NM CLOSELY. OTHERWISE...THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WILL BE OVER EASTERN NM WHERE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH MIN RH VALUES NEAR 10 PCT AND TEMPS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. RECOVERIES TONIGHT WILL TREND UP DRAMATICALLY STATEWIDE BEHIND THE COLD FRONTAL BNDRY. BREEZY NW FLOW INTO SUNDAY AND INSTABILITY DRIVEN CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPS BLW NORMAL AREAWIDE. SUNDAY MORNING WILL BRING WIDESPREAD FREEZING TEMPS AS WELL TO NORTHERN AND WESTERN NM. A FEW SHOWERS MAY LINGER INTO MONDAY OVER THE NORTHERN MTS AND THE NE PLAINS. TEMPS WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. A VERY QUIET WEATHER REGIME IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. TEMPS WILL MODERATE TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL BY THE END OF THE WEEK UNDER GENERALLY LIGHT WESTERLY WINDS. MIN RH WILL AVERAGE 10 TO 15 PCT IN THE LOWER TERRAIN AND EASTERN PLAINS AND 15 TO 25 PCT IN THE HIGH TERRAIN. RECOVERIES WILL BE FAIR TO GOOD MOST MORNINGS. VENT RATES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL TREND BACK TO EXCELLENT. GUYER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 50 28 57 30 / 60 40 20 5 DULCE........................... 49 20 53 21 / 80 60 40 20 CUBA............................ 51 23 52 27 / 60 50 40 20 GALLUP.......................... 46 22 53 24 / 70 30 20 5 EL MORRO........................ 44 19 48 23 / 80 30 30 10 GRANTS.......................... 51 23 53 25 / 50 20 20 10 QUEMADO......................... 49 24 50 28 / 60 20 20 10 GLENWOOD........................ 58 26 61 30 / 60 10 10 5 CHAMA........................... 44 20 46 22 / 80 60 50 30 LOS ALAMOS...................... 49 27 50 34 / 40 30 30 20 PECOS........................... 51 24 49 31 / 20 20 20 20 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 54 18 49 22 / 30 40 40 30 RED RIVER....................... 45 17 41 23 / 40 50 50 50 ANGEL FIRE...................... 46 19 42 23 / 40 40 40 50 TAOS............................ 52 22 51 24 / 30 30 40 20 MORA............................ 50 23 47 27 / 20 20 30 20 ESPANOLA........................ 58 26 59 29 / 30 20 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 49 27 49 34 / 30 30 20 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 54 26 55 32 / 20 20 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 58 32 58 40 / 20 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 58 33 59 39 / 20 10 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 61 34 62 39 / 20 5 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 61 32 61 37 / 20 10 10 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 62 32 61 35 / 20 5 10 5 RIO RANCHO...................... 59 32 59 37 / 20 10 10 5 SOCORRO......................... 67 34 64 37 / 20 5 5 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 56 26 56 33 / 30 20 20 20 TIJERAS......................... 59 27 59 35 / 30 10 20 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 55 26 54 32 / 10 5 10 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 54 23 51 29 / 10 10 10 20 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 57 28 54 33 / 10 5 5 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 65 28 60 31 / 5 5 5 5 RUIDOSO......................... 56 25 51 31 / 5 5 5 5 CAPULIN......................... 57 29 46 31 / 5 20 40 20 RATON........................... 63 31 56 32 / 10 10 30 20 SPRINGER........................ 61 30 55 30 / 5 10 20 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 54 26 52 30 / 10 10 10 20 CLAYTON......................... 69 35 56 36 / 5 10 20 10 ROY............................. 62 31 54 34 / 5 5 10 10 CONCHAS......................... 70 35 63 36 / 5 5 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 69 35 64 38 / 5 5 5 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 75 37 64 39 / 0 5 5 10 CLOVIS.......................... 75 37 62 39 / 0 5 5 5 PORTALES........................ 78 38 63 40 / 0 0 5 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 77 36 69 39 / 5 5 5 5 ROSWELL......................... 78 41 72 42 / 0 0 5 5 PICACHO......................... 71 31 64 35 / 5 5 5 5 ELK............................. 65 29 59 35 / 5 5 5 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ522-527>538. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ104-108. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ508-520-521-523>526-539-540. WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ505>507-515-519. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO NOON MDT SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ510-512>514. && 44/GUYER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 601 AM MDT SAT APR 14 2012 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- 601 AM MDT SAT APR 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP TODAY. GUSTS TO 45 OR 50 MPH WILL BE COMMON...EXCEPT ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE GUSTS MAY PEAK NEAR 65 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONG WINDS WILL DIMINISH AROUND SUNSET. PLEASE REVIEW THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY AND HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN SHOWERS...SNOW SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO WESTERN AREAS TODAY AND SNOW MAINLY TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. BY SUNDAY MORNING... AROUND A HALF FOOT OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS OF WEST CENTRAL...NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO BY SUNDAY MORNING. PLEASE REVIEW THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE STORM SYSTEM PRODUCING THE WIND AND SNOW WILL EJECT NORTHEASTWARD INTO NEBRASKA BY SUNRISE SUNDAY...BUT A TRAILING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL KEEP THE WEATHER UNSETTLED OVER NEW MEXICO THROUGH SUNDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT. AN INCH OR TWO OF ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. 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. 44
18 high wind, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The New Mexico Tech Magdalena Ridge Observatory at 10,634 feet in the southwest mountains recorded wind gusts over 60 mph for much of the day. The strongest winds occurred when the front moved through where wind gusts topped 80 mph for a short time.
Sustained winds topped out at 54 mph at the KSRR AWOS, though sustained winds over 40 mph were reported for over four hours.
A peak wind gust of 70 mph was measured at the KSRR AWOS at 1035 am MST, though wind gusts over 58 mph were reported for four hours.
A peak wind gust of 64 mph was measured at the KCQC ASOS at 1142 am MST, though wind gusts over 58 mph were reported for over three hours.
A spotter estimated wind gusts up to 65 mph which peeled tin roofs off of two to three ranches in the Trujillo area.
A spotter estimated wind gusts up to 65 mph near Gladstone.
A spotter estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph near Roy.
A spotter estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph near Bell Ranch.
Law enforcement officials estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph in Vaughn.
A spotter estimated peak wind gusts near 60 mph in northeast Lincoln County.
The Dunken RAWS site reported wind gusts over 58 mph for four hours, peaking at 61 mph between 109 and 209 pm MST.
The KRTN ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 74 mph at 1119 am MST, though another gust of 70 mph occurred at 1159 am MST.
The Albuquerque ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 60 mph. These winds knocked over a large tree in southwest Albuquerque, near 8th and Copper.
The KROW ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
A spotter reported a 66 mph measured wind gust just northwest of Edgewood.
The Frost Ranch SchoolNet site measured a 62 mph wind gust. Relayed by KVII in Amarillo.
The West Texas Mesonet site near Dora recorded sustained winds over 40 mph for over an hour.
The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner recorded a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
Up to 10 inches of snow was reported in Taos Ski Valley and in Red River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2012
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: 365204, 365212, 365210, 365209, 365215, 365216, 365217, 365218, 365219, 365228, 365229, 365214, 365230, 365227, 365207, 365221, 365224, 365226, 365231.