Near record breaking temperatures fueled a human caused fire near Chimayo.
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.
Near record breaking temperatures fueled a human caused fire near Chimayo.
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 25, 1:47 PM MST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 247 PM MDT SUN MAR 25 2012 .DISCUSSION... SOME MID-LEVEL MOISTENING WAS NOTED ON THE 12Z KEPZ AND MMCU SOUNDINGS THIS MORNING...THOUGH NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE OVERALL. REGARDLESS...SOME MID LEVEL MOISTURE IS MOVING NORTHWARD. HIGH BASED CU HAS DEVELOPED FROM KSRR NORTHWARD TO KCQC...WITH SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALONG/EAST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS. RADAR DATA INDICATES SOME PRECIP IS FALLING...BUT GIVEN VERY LOW SURFACE DEWPOINTS...ITS NOT LIKELY MAKING IT TO THE GROUND. ADDITIONALLY...THUS FAR...ITS NOT BEEN VIGOROUS ENOUGH FOR ANY LIGHTNING PRODUCTION EITHER. STRUGGLED WITH WHAT TO DO WITH POPS/WX FOR THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. NAM HAS REALLY BACKED OFF ON PRODUCING ANY QPF ALONG/EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN...GFS HAS AS WELL...THOUGH STILL PRODUCES SOME. OPTED TO KEEP 10-POPS/DRY T/GUSTY WIND MENTION FROM KCQC SOUTH...WHERE BETTER MID LEVEL MOISTURE EXISTS WITH LARGE INVERTED-V SOUNDINGS. REMOVED POPS NORTH OF THIS AREA THOUGH KEPT DRY T AND SPRINKLES MENTION FOR THE EVENING HOURS. AFTER SUNSET...SUSPECT THIS ACTIVITY WILL WANE SOME...THUS REMOVED POPS BUT AGAIN LEFT DRY T/SPRINKLES MENTION. NOT TERRIBLY CONVINCED THERE WILL BE THUNDER...HOWEVER. HIGH CLOUDS HAVE MODERATED TEMPS A BIT ACROSS THE WEST TODAY... HOWEVER...THE OTHER STORY FOR TODAY WILL BE THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA.. SEVERAL LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY TIED OR BROKEN THEIR RECORD HIGHS FOR THE DATE...INCLUDING THE ABQ SUNPORT...SANTA FE...RATON...LAS VEGAS...CLAYTON...AND TUCUMCARI. AS SHORTWAVE GLANCES THE FOUR CORNERS AREA ON MONDAY...WINDS WILL PICK UP AND SCOUR OUT THE MOISTURE IN THE EAST THAT CONTINUES TO ADVECT INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. MAY SEE AN ISOLATED TSTM NEAR THE TEXAS BORDER BEFORE THE PSUEDO-DRYLINE PUSHES INTO TEXAS. OTHERWISE...MAIN STORY WILL BE THE WIND. WILL LIKELY NEED A FEW WIND ADVISORIES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST WHERE SFC GRADIENT IS THE STRONGEST. WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND IT DOES NOT APPEAR THE GULF MOISTURE WILL SLOSH BACK INTO OUR SE ZONES UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL CROSS THE STATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...THOUGH LOOKS TO BE MAINLY DRY AT THIS TIME. IT MAY SPARK A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WHERE BETTER GULF MOISTURE RESIDES THURSDAY AFTN/EVE ALONG THE TEXAS BORDER. OTHERWISE... TUESDAY-FRIDAY WILL FEATURE CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR LATE MARCH. 34 && .AVIATION... SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY AS UPPER RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS INTO GREAT PLAINS AND UPPER LOW/TROUGH TRACK INTO GREAT BASIN/COLORADO. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN TO THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AS WELL AS A WEAK MID LEVEL MOISTURE PLUME MAY SPARK ISOLD -TSRA G40KT. MVFR CIGS MAY DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO TONIGHT BUT MAY NOT REACH THE MAJORITY OF CHAVES OR ROOSEVELT COUNTIES. MOISTURE TO BE SWEPT EASTWARD MONDAY AS SOUTHWEST SURFACE WINDS STRENGTHEN. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... UPPER RIDGE AXIS WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT INTO THE GREAT PLAINS AS UPPER TROUGH/LOW TRACKS INTO THE GREAT BASIN/COLORADO TONIGHT/MONDAY. WIDESPREAD MIN RH VALUES OF LESS THAN 15 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON WON/T RECOVER TONIGHT IN THE WEST AND CENTRAL...WHERE ONLY FAIR TO POOR RECOVERIES AREA EXPECTED. IN THE EAST CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST PLAINS RECOVERIES WILL BE BETTER AS AT LEAST ONE MODEL SUGGESTS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE COULD BACK TO NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. AT THE SAME TIME...MODELS STILL INSISTING A WEAK PLUME OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ADVANCE NORTHWARD ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. THIS IS NOT VERY OBVIOUS ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY BUT THE MODIS AIRMASS RGB/GOES H20 IMAGERY SUGGESTS THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ORIGINATING FROM WHERE MODELS INDICATE THE SOURCE REGION IS LOCATED. MORNING MMCU SOUNDING DOES SHOW LAYER OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE BUT NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE. WITH A FEW BUILDUPS OVER THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS AS OF THIS WRITING...POTENTIAL FOR DRY CONVECTION TO REMAIN IN FORECAST FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON/TONIGHT. MOISTURE IS SWEPT TO THE EAST ON MONDAY WITH SMALL CHANCES FOR CONVECTION ALONG THE TEXAS BORDER...DRY OTHERWISE...AND WINDY. HIGH TEMPERATURES REMAIN ABOVE AVERAGE ALTHOUGH THEY WILL BE 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER...WHICH SHOULD BOOST MIN RH VALUES A FEW PERCENT IN THE WEST. HAINES WILL STILL BE 5 TO 6 SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AND OVER MOST OF THE PLAINS. CRITICAL CONDITIONS STILL LIKELY OVER THE CURRENT WARNED AREA MONDAY. WINDS SHOULD DIMINISH TUESDAY AND REMAIN BELOW AVERAGE FOR LATE MARCH THROUGH THE WORK WEEK. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY MAKE SHORT APPEARANCES IN THE SOUTHEAST/EAST CENTRAL PLAINS BUT ELSEWHERE IT WILL BE DRY WITH MIN RH VALUES BELOW 15 PERCENT AND AT BEST FAIR OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES. ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST THROUGH THURSDAY WITH GENERALLY GOOD OR BETTER VENTILATION ALTHOUGH A FEW POCKETS OF FAIR TO POOR ARE POSSIBLE NORTHWEST. FOR LATE IN THE WEEK...MODELS ARE AT ODDS WITH THE FRIDAY WEATHER PATTERN...AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPING LOW OVER THE GREAT BASIN...NO FOOLING. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 40 64 31 68 / 0 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 36 64 25 65 / 0 0 0 0 CUBA............................ 36 66 31 69 / 0 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 29 61 23 66 / 0 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 27 60 24 64 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 31 67 23 70 / 0 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 34 65 29 68 / 0 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 27 69 27 73 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 31 58 24 59 / 5 5 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 46 67 40 67 / 0 0 0 0 PECOS........................... 43 66 36 66 / 5 0 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 38 66 28 67 / 5 0 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 36 56 27 56 / 5 5 0 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 30 59 24 59 / 5 5 0 0 TAOS............................ 34 66 26 66 / 0 0 0 0 MORA............................ 43 66 33 67 / 5 5 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 36 75 27 74 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 46 66 39 65 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 41 70 34 69 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 47 71 42 71 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 49 72 43 72 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 45 73 38 74 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 47 73 39 73 / 0 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 44 75 36 75 / 0 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 48 72 39 72 / 0 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 42 81 39 80 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 40 68 36 68 / 5 0 0 0 TIJERAS......................... 43 71 38 73 / 0 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 42 70 35 69 / 5 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 43 68 36 68 / 10 5 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 42 71 38 72 / 5 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 38 73 36 75 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 43 66 41 68 / 10 5 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 50 71 36 71 / 5 5 0 0 RATON........................... 42 77 33 76 / 5 5 0 0 SPRINGER........................ 47 77 37 75 / 5 5 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 43 70 37 70 / 5 5 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 50 79 44 77 / 5 5 0 0 ROY............................. 50 76 41 75 / 5 5 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 56 82 40 80 / 5 5 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 52 80 43 79 / 5 5 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 55 84 45 85 / 5 5 5 0 CLOVIS.......................... 50 80 43 82 / 5 10 5 0 PORTALES........................ 54 81 43 83 / 5 10 5 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 49 86 41 87 / 5 5 5 0 ROSWELL......................... 53 86 42 87 / 5 5 5 0 PICACHO......................... 50 81 44 83 / 5 5 0 0 ELK............................. 46 74 41 77 / 5 5 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103-104-107-108. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103. && 34/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 544 AM MDT SUN MAR 25 2012 NMZ501>540-261200- 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- 544 AM MDT SUN MAR 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS WHERE LOW HUMIDITIES COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH LITTLE TO NO RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE MONDAY MORNING TO EARLY MONDAY EVENING FOR MOST OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO WHERE LOW HUMIDITIES COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS MONDAY AFTERNOON. ANY LIGHTNING STRIKES FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT MAY EXACERBATE THE WILDFIRE THREAT OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AT 911 AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637 TO REPORT WILDFIRE OUTBREAKS. GUYER
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Chimayo Fire, near Highway 76 and County Road 87, was started when hot jumper cables were laid on dry vegetation. The fire, 10 acres in size, scorched Bureau of Land Management and privately owned land. In total, two homes and two outbuildings were burned.
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, March 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: 365509.