A shortwave trough crossed northern New Mexico on the 20th, resulting in enhanced wind speeds both aloft and at the surface across the east central plains. The strong winds resulted in areas of blowing dust, which reduced visibilities to near 3 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 shortwave trough crossed northern New Mexico on the 20th, resulting in enhanced wind speeds both aloft and at the surface across the east central plains. The strong winds resulted in areas of blowing dust, which reduced visibilities to near 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 Feb 20, 3:00 AM MST, 6 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 .DISCUSSION...DROPPED WINTER HIGHLIGHTS FOR ALL BUT SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AS LIMITED REPORTS SO FAR INDICATE SUB HIGHLIGHT SNOW AMOUNTS HAVE ACCUMULATED ACROSS THE REGION...AND OBS/SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATE CLEARING/DRYING OVER THE NORTHWEST. EXCEPTION HAS BEEN THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS WHERE COMBO OF WIND AND SNOW COULD PERSIST INTO THE MORNING BEFORE DIMINISHING. OTHERWISE HAVE ALSO CONVERTED THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...EAST CENTRAL PLAINS AND SOUTHCENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WITH WIND ADVISORIES FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEAST...SANDIA AND MANZANOS AND CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS. STILL APPEARS THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL STRETCH ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TO THE TEXAS BORDER. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THERE MAY BE ABOUT A SIX HOUR WINDOW FOR THE STRONGEST WINDS...CENTERED AROUND 18Z. INDICATIONS ARE THE WIND SHOULD DIMINISH BY EARLY EVENING. TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. THEREAFTER...TUESDAY SHOULD BE DRY AND WARMER ALTHOUGH CAN/T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SNOW SHOWER OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER AS A WEAK DISTURBANCE PASSES BY. IN ADDITION...AN UPPER LOW DEVELOPS TO OUR SOUTHWEST...BUT STILL APPEARS TO HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON OUR CWA...EXCEPT FOR SOME MID TO HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE DEPICTED STRETCHING ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST/SOUTHCENTRAL. WEDNESDAY MAY BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WORK WEEK...IN ADVANCE OF A STRONGER CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM FORECAST TO IMPACT THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE THURSDAY. COLDER AIR WILL AGAIN SPREAD OVER MUCH OF THE NORTH AND EAST ALONG WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS...WHILE THE GFS SUGGESTS INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST SMALL AMOUNTS OF SNOW ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS AND NORTHEAST. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY APPEAR TO BE RECOVERY DAYS...ALTHOUGH WESTERLY WINDS LOOK TO INCREASE SATURDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM SAGS INTO THE GREAT BASIN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES. GFS HAS A FASTER PROGRESSION THAN THE ECMWF WHICH HANGS UP THE SURFACE FRONT NORTH OF NEW MEXICO. FOR NEXT SUNDAY/S TEMP FORECAST SIDED WITH THE COLDER GFS. && .AVIATION...MVFR CONDITIONS IN -SHSN WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NM. MTN OBSCURATIONS ARE LIKELY THROUGH 18Z. CIGS AND VSBYS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE THROUGH MID DAY... HOWEVER...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED FROM KCQC SOUTH TO KSRR AND EAST TO THE TEXAS BORDER. GUSTS TO 50 KTS ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA. MEANWHILE...GUSTS BETWEEN 30 KTS AND 45 KTS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF THE NE PLAINS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. && .FIRE WEATHER...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST PLAINS. UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING EAST ACROSS COLORADO HAS CONSIDERABLY TIGHTENED THE UPPER LEVEL GRADIENT OVER NM THIS MORNING. MEANWHILE...A 998 MB SURFACE LOW IS RESIDING OVER SE COLORADO. THROUGH THE SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO KANSAS BY MID DAY...THE SURFACE GRADIENT ACROSS NEW MEXICO WILL REMAIN QUITE STRONG. GOOD MIXING COMBINED WITH THE SURFACE GRADIENT WILL YIELD VERY STRONG WINDS ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON. WEST TO NWLY WIND GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-40 AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL ALSO FALL BELOW 15 PERCENT RESULTING IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CRITICAL CONDITIONS WILL BE MOST WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS...OR ZONE 108. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT NUDGING INTO NE NM WILL KEEP HUMIDITIES HIGHER ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF ZONE 104...THUS...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN SAN MIGUEL AND SOUTHERN HARDING COUNTIES WITHIN THIS FIRE WEATHER ZONE. WOULD ALSO NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE AN HOUR OR TWO OF CRITICAL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AS WELL AS THE SANDIA/MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF I-40 DESPITE BELOW NORMAL TEMPS. AS MUCH DRIER DEWPOINTS FILTER INTO THE STATE TODAY AND TONIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY FALL QUICKLY AFTER WINDS CEASE THIS EVENING. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE UP TO 12 DEGREES COOLER THAN LAST NIGHTS TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN NM. A LEE SIDE TROUGH WILL TRY TO RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF ON TUESDAY AS A NORTHERN BRANCH WAVE SLIDES ACROSS NORTHEAST NM. THIS MAY RESULT IN GUSTY WINDS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR...THOUGH NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS TODAY. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL AGAIN DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT ACROSS THE PLAINS. WILL KEEP THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH INTACT...THOUGH RIGHT NOW MAIN CONCERN IS ACROSS GUADALUPE COUNTY. ELSEWHERE... WINDS LOOK TO REMAIN TOO LIGHT TO RESULT IN CRITICAL CONDITIONS. ANOTHER TROUGH LOOKS TO GLANCE THE NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE ON THURSDAY. THIS SHOULD AGAIN INCREASE NORTHWESTERLY WINDS FROM THE FOUR CORNERS AREAS SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. HOWEVER A POTENTIALLY STRONG BACK DOOR FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM RESULTING IN MUCH COOLER TEMPS ACROSS THE NE AND PERHAPS A LITTLE PRECIPITATION. MODELS THEN DISAGREE ON THE TIMING OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. IF THE GFS IS CORRECT...ANOTHER BOUT OF STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR ON SUNDAY...SOME BEHIND ANOTHER BACK DOOR FRONT. IF THE ECMWF IS CORRECT...THE STRONGEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. STAY TUNED. 34 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 38 19 45 25 / 20 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 33 0 39 10 / 50 10 10 5 CUBA............................ 34 9 42 18 / 30 5 5 0 GALLUP.......................... 36 7 46 17 / 10 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 33 11 44 15 / 20 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 39 13 47 19 / 10 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 42 17 49 21 / 5 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 51 28 57 27 / 5 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 32 -6 35 6 / 50 10 10 5 LOS ALAMOS...................... 36 18 43 22 / 20 0 0 0 PECOS........................... 32 17 44 23 / 20 0 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 33 -3 38 10 / 40 5 5 5 RED RIVER....................... 26 -4 33 5 / 50 5 5 5 ANGEL FIRE...................... 31 -5 37 8 / 40 5 5 5 TAOS............................ 34 4 40 14 / 30 5 5 5 MORA............................ 34 14 44 21 / 10 5 5 0 ESPANOLA........................ 41 14 47 21 / 20 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 37 15 44 21 / 30 5 5 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 40 17 46 23 / 20 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 40 23 51 27 / 20 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 44 25 51 30 / 10 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 46 18 53 23 / 5 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 44 19 53 24 / 5 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 48 23 55 28 / 5 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 44 23 51 29 / 10 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 51 28 58 31 / 5 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 38 18 48 25 / 30 5 5 0 TIJERAS......................... 40 20 50 26 / 20 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 38 17 48 26 / 10 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 36 20 48 26 / 10 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 41 25 52 29 / 5 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 47 26 55 31 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 44 25 50 33 / 5 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 39 10 49 17 / 10 5 5 5 RATON........................... 44 12 52 22 / 10 0 0 0 SPRINGER........................ 42 17 53 23 / 10 0 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 40 18 51 25 / 10 0 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 45 23 56 31 / 10 0 0 0 ROY............................. 42 21 54 28 / 5 0 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 50 23 62 26 / 5 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 48 23 60 28 / 5 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 53 24 64 29 / 0 0 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 54 23 61 31 / 0 0 0 0 PORTALES........................ 56 24 63 31 / 0 0 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 58 24 65 31 / 0 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 65 27 68 33 / 0 0 0 0 PICACHO......................... 53 25 63 32 / 0 0 0 0 ELK............................. 51 25 59 32 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ523-526-533>537-539-540. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ104-108. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ108. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521-522-524-529>532-538. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512-515. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON MST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ513-514. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 NMZ501>540-211300- 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- 600 AM MST MON FEB 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WHILE SNOW DIMINISHES OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING...STRONG AND GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WHERE GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST MAY RESULT IN THE PLAINS AND LOWLANDS WITH LOCALIZED BLOWING SNOW IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO LIKELY FOR MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY LOCALIZED CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637 TO REPORT SNOW AMOUNTS...STRONG WINDS GREATER THAN 50 MPH...OR WILD LAND FIRES.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Texas Mesonet station just southwest of Dora recorded sustained wind speeds over 40 mph for just over 4 hours.
The West Texas Mesonet station just southwest of Dora recorded occasional wind gusts over 58 mph for over 2 hours. Winds peaked at 64 mph at 1050 am.
The KVII SchoolNet site recorded a peak wind gust of 64 mph.
The APRSWXNET site just northwest of Sumner Lake recorded a peak wind gust of 66 mph while railroad station employees near Taiban estimated winds of 60 mph.
The KCVN AWOS recorded a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
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, February 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: 357820, 357821, 357817, 357818, 357819.