A strong cold front backed up against the central mountain chain and eventually spilled into portions of the Rio Grande Valley. High winds hit the Albuquerque Metro area with a peak wind gust of 68 mph.
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 cold front backed up against the central mountain chain and eventually spilled into portions of the Rio Grande Valley. High winds hit the Albuquerque Metro area with a peak wind gust of 68 mph. An upper level disturbance aided in snow development with light to moderate snowfall over 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 Mar 8, 3:38 AM MST, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 338 AM MST THU MAR 8 2012 ...ACTIVE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS NEW MEXICO AS UPPER LOW MOVES IN... .DISCUSSION...CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS DIFFLUENT FLOW WORKING OVER THE CENTRAL TO NORTH CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE STATE AS THE CORE OF THE LOW SLOWLY CHUGS NEAR THE WESTERN BORDER. THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN FILLING IN SUBSTANTIALLY FROM WHERE IT WAS YESTERDAY...AND IT HAS ALSO SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT HAS BECOME CUT OFF FROM THE PARENT POLAR JET. STILL...DESPITE THE RISING HEIGHTS IN THE CORE OF THE SYSTEM...SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS WILL WORK WITH AN UPSLOPE WIND COMPONENT OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN FACES OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THE SURFACE FRONT HAS PLUNGED THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS...AND IS CURRENTLY SNEAKING INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AS OF THIS WRITING. HAVE RAISED POPS SOME OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS...JEMEZ...AND SAN JUANS...MOSTLY ALONG EAST FACING SLOPES WHERE UPSLOPE COMPONENT WILL PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION. THE SANGRES...CENTRAL MOUNTAINS/HIGHLANDS...AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WERE ALREADY BOASTING HEFTY POPS SO THESE WERE JUST SLIGHTLY MASSAGED UPWARD AND THEY STILL APPEAR TO BENEFIT LARGELY FROM THE JUXTAPOSITION OF UPSLOPE AND UPPER DYNAMICS. DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE SACRAMENTOS...AS THE MODELS ARE ADVERTISING A FARTHER SOUTHWARD TRACK INTO TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY WHICH COULD INTRODUCE MORE SNOWFALL. THE OTHER BIG ISSUE WITH TODAY/S WEATHER WILL BE THIS MORNINGS BACK DOOR COLD FRONT INTRUSION INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. AGAIN...THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW HAS SHIFTED FARTHER SOUTH AND THE SURFACE GRADIENT HAS BECOME BETTER ORIENTED FOR A STRONG GAP/CANYON WIND EVENT. WILL CHANGE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE MIDDLE/LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY ZONES...RUNNING THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL BE OBSERVED BY THE EASTERN HALVES OF THESE ZONES WITH MUCH LESS IMPACT ON THE WESTERN HALVES. IMPACT COULD BE VERY SIGNIFICANT TO ABQ AIRPORT OPS SINCE EAST ORIENTED RUNWAY IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BY LATE AFTERNOON WINDS SHOULD DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE SURFACE HIGH BUILDS DIRECTLY OVER NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...KILLING OFF THE CULPRIT GRADIENT. MUCH LIKE OTHER CUT-OFF LOW CASES THIS WINTER...LARGE UNCERTAINTIES ARE STILL PRESENT AMONG THE MODELS...EVEN AT ONLY 30 HOURS OUT. THE EXIT OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE A SLOW ONE...BUT THE PLACEMENT OF THE CORE WILL DICTATE WHERE DYNAMICS CAN PRODUCE ANY LINGERING PRECIPITATION. AFTER TODAY/S WEATHER PERIOD...HAVE BLENDED SOMEWHAT BETWEEN THE NAM AND ECMWF...FOCUSING PRECIP INTO THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE STATE TONIGHT...AND FINALLY WORKING SOME BETTER PROBABILITIES INTO THE EAST CENTRAL/NORTHEASTERN PLAINS. THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TOWARD THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS WILL STAY THE FAVORED AREAS FOR PRECIP INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...BUT POPS FALL OFF RAPIDLY WITH TIME GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN MODEL PLACEMENTS AS WELL AS THE CONTINUOUS FILLING IN OF THE UPPER LOW WHICH WOULD LIMIT DYNAMICS ALOFT. ALL MODELS DO SUGGEST THAT A DUMBELLING PIECE OF ENERGY WILL SAG SOUTHWEST OF THE CORE LOW...EVENTUALLY ORBITING THROUGH OLD MEXICO AND BYPASSING NEW MEXICO. BY SUNDAY...THE LOW APPEARS TO FINALLY BE ABSORBED BY THE ARCHING POLAR JET...AND THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT WILL BE CARRIED OUT OF THE STATE. HOWEVER...WILL KEEP A CAUTIOUS EYE ON THIS AS MODELS OFTEN TEND TO GET TOO HASTY IN THESE SCENARIOS. INTO NEXT WEEK EXPECT A TREND TOWARD RELATIVELY LIGHT ZONAL TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AT THE UPPER LEVELS. THIS SHOULD KEEP MORE TRANQUIL WEATHER ON HAND WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE. 52 && .AVIATION...COMPLEX WEATHER SYSTEM TO BRING A VARIETY OF WEATHER THRU THE PERIOD. STRONG BACK DOOR FRONT WELL INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS MORNING WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS TO PERSIST DURING THE DAY. GAP WINDS INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEYS WILL BE STRONG...ESPECIALLY FROM KABQ TO KOMN...AND SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY. PRECIPITATION TO INCREASE AS WELL WITH THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND CENTRAL EAST SLOPES AND HIGHLANDS AS FAVORED AREAS FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. THEREFORE EXPECT MVFR AND LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS TO INCREASE IN AREAL CONVERGE THROUGH 00Z TO 06Z TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO DECREASE A BIT AFTER 06Z THROUGH 12Z ACROSS THE WEST WHILE THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE NORTHEAST. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. 05 && .FIRE WEATHER...ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN TODAY AND CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY. DEEP UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW CURRENTLY POSITIONED OVER THE ARIZONA NEW MEXICO BORDER. STRONG COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH SIGNIFICANT GAP WINDS INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY. SURFACE MOISTURE HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY WITH THIS SURGE WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AS WELL. PRECIPITATION TO INCREASE TODAY...THOUGH ULTIMATELY THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL DETERMINE THE AREAS OF GREATEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. CURRENTLY EXPECT ENHANCED POPS NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AS WELL AS OVER AND TO THE EAST OF THE CENTRAL HIGH TERRAIN. LOW LEVEL EAST FLOW TO REACH THE ARIZONA BORDER BY MIDDAY. MODELS IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LOW TRACKING TO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO TODAY...WITH STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE NORTHEAST. MODEL AGREEMENT DIVERGES THEREAFTER AS ALL MODELS NOW MAINTAIN A STALLED CLOSED LOW OVER EASTERN OR CENTRAL NEW MEXICO INTO FRIDAY WITH THE UPPER TROUGH ELONGATING INTO NORTHERN MEXICO. PRECIPITATION ON FRIDAY TO BE GENERALLY EAST OF THE CENTRAL HIGH TERRAIN. TEMPERATURES REBOUND A FEW DEGREES. NAM AND ECMWF MAINTAIN A CLOSED LOW OVER THE STATE INTO SATURDAY WITH THE GFS MORE PROGRESSIVE. CURRENT GRIDS CARRY A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION MAINLY NORTH AND EAST ON SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO REBOUND WHILE REMAINING BELOW SEASONAL VALUES. EXTENDED MODELS CURRENTLY DEPICT A GENERAL ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE STATE SUNDAY INTO MID WEEK. MORE WARMING ON SUNDAY AND MIN RH VALUES COULD DIP BELOW 15 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND EAST. CONTINUED DRY WITH SOUTHWEST TO WEST SURFACE FLOW MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH VENTILATION RANGING FROM GOOD TO EXCELLENT MOST LOCATIONS. 05 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 45 25 53 27 / 30 20 0 5 DULCE........................... 39 15 48 19 / 60 30 5 10 CUBA............................ 38 16 47 21 / 60 50 10 20 GALLUP.......................... 42 19 48 18 / 30 10 0 5 EL MORRO........................ 37 15 41 18 / 50 20 5 10 GRANTS.......................... 38 16 44 21 / 70 40 10 10 QUEMADO......................... 40 18 43 20 / 30 10 0 5 GLENWOOD........................ 51 23 55 22 / 10 5 0 0 CHAMA........................... 35 12 40 13 / 70 50 10 20 LOS ALAMOS...................... 36 20 44 23 / 70 50 10 20 PECOS........................... 34 18 38 20 / 70 70 30 30 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 32 10 42 13 / 70 60 30 20 RED RIVER....................... 26 7 34 9 / 80 80 40 30 ANGEL FIRE...................... 29 8 33 10 / 80 80 40 30 TAOS............................ 35 14 44 18 / 60 50 20 10 MORA............................ 29 15 34 17 / 70 80 40 30 ESPANOLA........................ 41 21 50 22 / 40 40 5 10 SANTA FE........................ 36 20 40 21 / 50 50 20 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 38 22 42 23 / 40 40 5 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 40 25 40 28 / 40 40 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 42 27 42 29 / 20 30 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 44 23 44 25 / 20 30 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 43 25 44 26 / 20 40 5 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 44 25 48 25 / 20 30 5 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 42 27 47 29 / 20 40 5 5 SOCORRO......................... 45 25 49 28 / 30 20 5 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 34 16 36 19 / 80 70 20 20 TIJERAS......................... 38 23 39 23 / 70 50 20 20 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 36 17 39 18 / 60 60 20 20 CLINES CORNERS.................. 32 19 36 21 / 80 80 30 30 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 38 21 41 23 / 50 40 20 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 42 23 44 23 / 40 30 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 34 18 37 25 / 70 50 20 20 CAPULIN......................... 32 17 35 18 / 70 80 60 30 RATON........................... 34 19 42 19 / 60 70 40 20 SPRINGER........................ 33 21 40 21 / 60 80 40 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 30 17 36 19 / 80 80 40 30 CLAYTON......................... 34 24 38 23 / 50 70 40 20 ROY............................. 33 22 37 23 / 50 80 40 20 CONCHAS......................... 37 27 43 26 / 40 70 30 20 SANTA ROSA...................... 36 25 41 27 / 50 60 30 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 38 26 40 25 / 40 70 30 20 CLOVIS.......................... 38 26 40 25 / 20 40 20 5 PORTALES........................ 40 27 41 26 / 20 30 20 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 40 26 46 26 / 30 50 20 10 ROSWELL......................... 45 31 45 29 / 20 20 10 0 PICACHO......................... 40 25 42 25 / 30 30 20 10 ELK............................. 38 21 39 23 / 50 40 20 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ519-520. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-504-506-507-517-518-522-524-526-534-535-537-539. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON MST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ510>516-521-523-527>533. && 52/05
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 527 AM MST THU MAR 8 2012 NMZ501>540-091300- 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- 527 AM MST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE STATE WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW AND AREAS OF STRONG WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED IN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WITH A FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATION ALSO POSSIBLE IN NEARBY VALLEYS AND PLAINS. SEE ACCORDING WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35 TO 45 MPH WILL ALSO BE FOUND OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS OF THE STATE TODAY...AND SOME EASTERLY GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE TO LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL CAPABLE OF ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID TO LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY...BUT SOME RESIDUAL SHOWERS ARE STILL EXPECTED. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECORD ANY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION OR ANY STRONG WIND GUSTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT 1.888.386.7637 OR VIA THE WEB AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 52
4 high wind, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds caused power lines and power poles to fall at the intersection of Montgomery and Moon streets. A 50-year old, 50 foot tall pine tree was also blown down at Montgomery and Eubank.
A wind gust of 59 mph was reported at the Sevilleta RAWS, one mile east-southeast of Contreras.
A wind gust to 88 mph was reported by a trained spotter 7 miles west-northwest of Sandia Park.
Winds were sustained at 44 mph from 840am to 940am MST one mile east of Fort Sumner.
Up to 10 inches of snow fell across the southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains above 9500 feet.
Up to nine inches of snow fell across the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.
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: 361507, 361510, 361508, 361509, 361511, 361512.