A strong cold front approached the state from the Pacific Northwest and combined with a powerful jet stream aloft to produce widespread windy to very windy conditions. Westerly winds increased over western New Mexico ahead of the front.
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 approached the state from the Pacific Northwest and combined with a powerful jet stream aloft to produce widespread windy to very windy conditions. Westerly winds increased over western New Mexico ahead of the front. As the cold front pushed southeast across the state winds shifted to the northwest. Strong winds were reported over the central high terrain and adjacent east slopes and highlands. Winds gradually tapered off into the late morning hours Thursday.
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 19, 12:15 PM MST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1215 PM MST WED FEB 19 2014 .UPDATE... UPDATED GRID/TEXT PRODUCTS FOR THE UPGRADE FROM THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. INCLUDED SOME PERIPHERY WIND ADVISORIES AROUND THE WARNING FOR TONIGHT. ALSO EXTENDED OUT THE INITIAL WIND ADVISORY FOR THE WEST CENTRAL MTNS TIL 10 PM. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT BOUNDARY IS STILL ON TRACK TO SWEEP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. SIGNIFICANT WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SHORT DURATION HIGH WIND WARNING/ADVISORY SPEEDS WILL BE OBSERVED ALONG THIS BOUNDARY ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS. A MORE PROLONGED HIGH WIND IMPACT IS EXPECTED ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTNS LATER TONIGHT. ESPECIALLY AREAS TO THE LEE OF THE SANDIA/MANZANO AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MTNS BASED ON LATEST WIND PROFILE FORECASTS. DISTINCT POST COLD FRONTAL INVERSION AND SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT ARE CLASSIC SIGNATURES FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT. DID INCREASE POPS TONIGHT ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN SAN JUAN MTNS/SANGRE DE CRISTOS AND NORTHWEST PLATEAU BASED ON LATEST NAM12KM DATA. STILL LOOKING AT SIMILAR SNOW AMOUNTS OF A DUSTING TO 1.5 INCHES FAVORING THE HIGHEST TERRAIN/WEST ASPECTS. 50 && .PREV DISCUSSION...1036 AM MST WED FEB 19 2014... .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE STRENGTHENING WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ALOFT AS UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSH INTO GREAT BASIN AND THEN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NM. COLD FRONT TO REACH THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BETWEEN 20/00Z AND 20/03Z. SFC WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40KT PORTIONS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM AFT 19/18Z AS THE STRONGER WINDS ALOFT MIX DOWN...AND SFC WINDS MAY DIMINISH SOMEWHAT AFTER SUNSET BUT WILL STRENGTHEN AGAIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT. NW SFC GRADIENT WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGH 20/12Z. LOCAL AREAS OF VSBY 2-4SM IN BLDU POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN VICINITY OF THE FRONT. && .PREV DISCUSSION...321 AM MST WED FEB 19 2014... .SYNOPSIS... WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY OVER NEW MEXICO AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT WILL BRING HIGH WINDS TO MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO TONIGHT...ALONG WITH COLDER AIR AREAWIDE FOR THURSDAY. A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT OVER THE FAR NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN. A QUICK WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL ONCE AGAIN FOR SUNDAY. WINDS WILL REMAIN BREEZY ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND. GUYER && .DISCUSSION... THE EXTRAORDINARILY WARM AND TRANQUIL WEATHER FOR MID FEBRUARY WILL COME TO AN END TONIGHT AS A POWERFUL COLD FRONT BLASTS THRU NM. 08Z SFC OBS SHOW THE FRONT STRETCHING FROM NEAR BOISE SOUTHWEST ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THICK HIGH CLOUD COVER AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH WILL GRADUALLY CLEAR FROM WEST TO EAST TODAY...ALLOWING STRONG SW FLOW ALOFT TO MIX DOWN AND CREATE WIDESPREAD BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS. WILL FOCUS A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE CHUSKAS ACROSS THE GALLUP AREA AND THE WEST CENTRAL MTS TODAY. THE FRONT WILL THEN SLAM SE ACROSS THE STATE AND DELIVER A PUNCH OF HIGH WINDS AND MUCH COLDER AIR. THE 03Z SREF SHOWS THE STRONGEST PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE NW CORNER BY 03Z THURS THEN OVER CENTRAL NM BY 06Z. SFC PRESSURE RISES ON THE ORDER OF 12MB IN 6 HOURS WILL ACCOMPANY AN IMPRESSIVE 700MB JET AXIS OF 60-80 KTS. ISSUING HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE 02Z-17Z THURS PERIOD...WHICH WILL ALSO CAPTURE GRADUALLY DECREASE THRU THE MORNING HOURS. OTHERWISE...A FEW MORE ADVISORIES WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE NORTHERN MTS AND SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE PLAINS. TOSSED IN SOME BLDU BUT ONLY IN AREAS DOWNWIND OF SOURCE REGIONS LIKE THE NW PLATEAU...ESTANCIA BASIN AND THE CAPROCK. NOT EXPECTING ANY WIDESPREAD REDUCTIONS TO VSBYS OR CIGS. DESPITE A DRAMATIC COOL DOWN NEAR 20F THURS TEMPS WILL STILL BE ONLY 5 TO 10F BLW NORMAL. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL FORCE WIND CHILL READINGS EVEN LOWER SO AFTER OUR LONG STRETCH OF WARM WEATHER IT WILL FEEL QUITE COLD. LOWERED HIGHS EVEN MORE THAN PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH STRONG COLD ADVECTION THRU THE DAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WILL BE COLD THURSDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT UNDER INVERSION AREAS. EAGER GARDENERS THE PAST WEEK WILL WANT TO RE-WINTERIZE OUTDOORS. WARM ADVECTION ON FAST WEST TO NW FLOW WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PROVIDING A QUICK WARM UP FOR MOST OF THE REGION. A BACK DOOR FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SLIDE INTO FAR EASTERN NM SUNDAY THEN RETREAT MONDAY BEFORE ANOTHER POTENTIALLY STRONGER FRONT SHIFTS INTO THE AREA TUESDAY. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... AFTER A CLOUDY START...WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN GRADUALLY TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES THE CENTRAL ROCKIES FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE TROUGH APPEARS TO BE COMING IN A LITTLE SLOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. THIS SHOULD SLOW THE WIND SPEED INCREASE AND RESULT IN STRONGER WINDS LASTING LONGER INTO THURSDAY...AFTER QUITE A BLOW TONIGHT. HIGH TEMPERATURES 10 TO 18 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL TODAY SHOULD RESULT IN SOME NEW RECORDS. WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. DECIDED TO CONVERT THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE EASTERN PLAINS...THOUGH LOCATIONS ALONG NEW MEXICOS EASTERN BORDER PROBABLY WONT REACH THE WIND SPEED CRITERIA. WIND SPEEDS WILL PEAK TONIGHT AS A STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT AND BACK DOOR COLD FRONT CROSS...AND THE POLAR JET STREAM MOVES OVERHEAD. MODELS PROG 700 MB TEMPERATURES TO PEAK IN THE 40 TO 70 KT RANGE EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TOWARD 12Z THURSDAY MORNING. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SURFACE WINDS OVER 60 MPH FROM GRANTS EASTWARD TO SANTA ROSA AND YESO. IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL FALL AROUND 20 DEGREES ON THURSDAY FROM WEDNESDAYS READINGS. THE SPEED MAXIMUM ALOFT WILL SHIFT EAST OF NEW MEXICO BY MID DAY OR EARLY AFTERNOON...LINGERING LONGEST FROM MOUNT TAYLOR AND CLINES CORNERS TO AROUND ROSWELL. PATCHES OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON FROM ALBUQUERQUE TO YESO...AND ALSO FROM RATON TO ROY. THIS INCLUDES MUCH OF THE SANDIA/MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY HEADLINES BECAUSE TEMPERATURES WILL VARY FROM 3 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND HAINES INDICES SHOULD ONLY PEAK AROUND 3. THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS EASTWARD ACROSS THE NE PLAINS. UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN NEAR THE CO BORDER. HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY SHOULD REBOUND A GOOD 10 TO 15 DEGREES UNDER ZONAL TO SLIGHTLY NW FLOW ALOFT. MODERATELY STRONG WIND SPEEDS ALOFT AND A LEE TROUGH SHOULD RESULT IN ANOTHER ROUND OF BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ALMOST TO TUCUMCARI. THIS WILL INDUCE LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THAT AREA. A SHALLOW BACK DOOR COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO SAG INTO THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS FRIDAY NIGHT...WHICH WILL RESULT IN SOME COOLER READINGS THERE SATURDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO SUNDAY IF THE FRONT CAN LINGER. WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE LIGHTER THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A DEEP RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN US. 44 && && && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ507-511-515-519-521>524-526-529-533-537>540. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101-103>109. WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512-514-518-520-525-528-532-534>536. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ502-505-506. && 50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 548 AM MST WED FEB 19 2014 NMZ501>540-201300- 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- 548 AM MST WED FEB 19 2014 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 FROM NOON UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EXCEPT THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND UNION COUNTY. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN AND AROUND GALLUP THIS AFTERNOON WHERE GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THESE WINDS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND INCREASE TONIGHT FROM NEAR MOUNT TAYLOR ACROSS THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA...SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS... AND ADJACENT EAST SLOPES AND HIGH PLAINS. GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA WITH THE PEAK OCCURRING BETWEEN 10 PM AND 4 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STRONG WINDS WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF THURSDAY MORNING. MARGINAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON BUT OVER A MORE LIMITED AREA OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .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
5 high wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple news outlets reported that a wildfire had started in Valencia County near the Conejo Transfer station in Los Lunas. The fire named the Crawford fire consumed 5 acres and a trailer. The fire was also referred to as the Gabeldon fire.
The ASOS located at Gallup Municipal Airport recorded sustained wind speeds in the 40's with a peak gust to 59 mph during the evening of February 19, 2014.
The Tower RAWS recorded a peak wind gust to 61 mph during the evening hours of February 19, 2014.
The Clines Corners ASOS recorded sustained wind speeds ranging fron 40-44mph with a peak wind gust to 63 mph overnight February 19 into the afternoon of February 20, 2014.
The AWOS at Moriarty Airport recorded a peak wind gust to 59 mph during the late evening hours of February 19, 2014.
A spotter at the top of Sandia Peak Tram relayed that a wind gust to 83 mph was recorded sometime during the overnight hours. At 630 am, when the gage was reset, it immediately recorded 66 mph then blew between 40 and 60 mph through 9am before slowly decreasing into the late morning and early afternoon hours.
Another nearby spotter reported wind damage where a 20 ft steel section was partially torn off side of his house (3 NNE Sedillo).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2014
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: 491297, 491289, 491290, 491291, 491292, 491294.