A strong jet stream over New Mexico combined with a deepening surface trough over the plains to produce another round of strong gusty winds. The strongest winds were observed along ridges of the central mountain chain and adjacent east slopes extending eastward across the high plains.
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 jet stream over New Mexico combined with a deepening surface trough over the plains to produce another round of strong gusty winds. The strongest winds were observed along ridges of the central mountain chain and adjacent east slopes extending eastward across the high plains. A few virga showers that developed over central and western New Mexico also resulted in localized strong gusts at Gallup and Albuquerque where gust up to 61 mph were reported. Several other areas reported peak wind gusts to around 60 mph, including Clines Corners, Clovis, Sumner Lake and White Sands.
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 27, 4:57 PM MST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 457 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL IMPACT MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO INTO THE OVERNIGHT. ANY PRECIPITATION WILL GENERALLY FAVOR THE NORTHWESTERN QUADRANT OF THE STATE WITH SNOW BEING CONFINED TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT...LOWERING SOME WITH PRECIPITATION DECREASING IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY. VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ABOVE 8000 FEET...WITH GENERALLY RAIN BELOW. SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...AND ANY SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY WILL BE CAPABLE OF ENHANCING ALREADY STRONG GUSTS. MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL OBSERVE PERIODIC GUSTS OF 25 TO 45 KT THROUGH THE MID TO LATE EVENING WITH BRIEF HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE UNDER PRECIPITATION CELLS. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...333 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014... .SYNOPSIS... TWO STORM SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT NM THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. THE FIRST SYSTEM CROSSING FROM THE WEST TONIGHT WILL PRODUCE A FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATING SNOW FAVORING WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS MAINLY THIS EVENING. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING SOME STRONG WINDS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MAINLY ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. A SLOWER AND STRONGER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CROSS FROM THE WEST PRODUCING MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION...BUT AGAIN FAVORING THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS FOR POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THIS STORM WITH THIS AFTERNOONS FORECAST PACKAGE. && .DISCUSSION... MODELS HAVE SPED UP THE UPPER TROUGH CROSSING TONIGHT...NOW SHOWING ALMOST ALL OF THE ACCUMULATING PRECIPITATION OCCURRING THIS EVENING. THE SAN JUANS AND WEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SANGRES SHOULD RECEIVE 1-3 INCHES OF SNOW WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NEAR THE CO BORDER. LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE MOSTLY RAIN SHOWERS...AND THESE COULD EXTEND AS FAR SOUTH AS HIGHWAY 60 AS THE BULK OF THE TROUGH PASSES TO THE NORTH. A BROAD AREA OF 45 TO 65 KT WINDS AT 700 MB ARE EXPECTED TO CROSS FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. AFTER WINDS DIE DOWN WITH SUNSET THIS EVENING...THEY WILL RESTRENGTHEN ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN AND ADJACENT EAST SLOPES WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. THE SECOND SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE WEST COAST AS A LARGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...THEN WEAKEN INTO AN OPEN WAVE AS IT CROSSES MORE DIRECTLY OVER NM THIS WEEKEND. MODELS DEPICT IT BRINGING A BROAD AREA OF A TENTH TO ONE QUARTER INCH RAIN/LIQUID WATER EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS TO MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN NM...AND HIGHER AMOUNTS APPROACHING AN INCH IN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. WILL ISSUE A WINTER STORM WATCH WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND THE CHUSKAS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. MOST OF THE MOISTURE WILL CROSS IN A BROAD SWATH AHEAD OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND BEFORE THE COLD AIR ARRIVES WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. SO...SNOW ACCUMULATION AT ELEVATIONS BELOW 7500 FEET WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED FAVORING THE UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION...POSSIBLY INCLUDING GALLUP. ANOTHER LOCATION TO WATCH FOR SNOW ACCUMULATION MAY BE THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND NE PLAINS AS THE GFS MODEL BRINGS A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT IN WITH SNOW SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. AFTER TEMPERATURES PLUMMET A FEW TO 21 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON SUNDAY...READINGS WILL REBOUND MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY UNDER ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. HIGHS WEDNESDAY SHOULD REACH A FEW TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... THE MAIN STORY THRU THE WEEKEND WILL BE A FIRE-SLOWING PATTERN AS ABUNDANT MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. THERE WILL HOWEVER BE SOME AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS. CURRENTLY WINDS ARE ON THE INCREASE ALONG THE EAST SLOPES AND FAR WESTERN NM WHERE GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED. MIN RH VALUES ARE IN THE 15 TO 20 PCT RANGE OVER PORTIONS OF LINCOLN AND UNION COUNTIES SO SOME PATCHY CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH LATE TODAY. SHOWERS AND EVEN A FEW STORMS HAVE ERUPTED OVER NORTHERN AND WESTERN NM. STRONG AND ERRATIC WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH VERY LITTLE WETTING PRECIP. THE HIGHER MT AREAS OF NORTHERN NM WILL SEE WETTING PRECIP AND LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THRU TONIGHT. FRIDAY WILL REMAIN BREEZY/WINDY FOR MUCH OF EASTERN NM WHILE TEMPS STAY 15 TO 20F ABOVE NORMAL. A DYNAMIC DRY SLOT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING SYSTEM FROM TODAY WILL TREND RH VALUES DOWN FOR MUCH OF EASTERN NM. THERE WILL BE A COUPLE HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER IN A THIN RIBBON BENEATH THE DRY SLOT HOWEVER DURATION/INSTABILITY IS NOT GREAT ENOUGH TO WARRANT RED FLAGS. MOISTURE AND RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL THEN BE ON THE INCREASE AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. THE REAL STORY COMES SATURDAY/SUNDAY AS ABUNDANT MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. PRECIP NUMBERS FROM WPC ARE IMPRESSIVE FOR THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN FOR THIS PERIOD. AN AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES LIQUID EQUIVALENT IS POSSIBLE...AND THIS WILL TRANSLATE AS SNOW FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. A FEW AREAS ABOVE 9000FT MAY REALLY GET SMACKED...PUTTING A DECENT DENT IN FIRE POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST 7 TO 10 DAYS. LOWER TERRAIN AREAS LOOK TO PICK UP BETWEEN ONE TENTH AND THREE TENTHS OF AN INCH OF RAIN...LIMITING FIRE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW DAYS. VENT RATES AS SUCH TREND DOWN AND MIN/MAX RH VALUES MUCH MUCH HIGHER THRU MONDAY. THERE IS EVEN SOME POTENTIAL FOR WRAP AROUND PRECIP IN THE FAR NE PLAINS AND SOME SNOW THERE. A STRONG BACK DOOR FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SHIFT INTO THE PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT BEHIND THIS SYSTEM...COOLING OFF THE AREA BELOW NORMAL THRU TUESDAY. THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK ACTUALLY LOOKS QUITE SEASONABLE FOR EARLY MARCH WITH PERIODIC BREEZY/WINDY CONDITIONS OUT EAST...NEAR TO ONLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS BY WEEKS END...AND PATCHY CLOUDS AND PERIODIC LIGHT PRECIP FOR THE NORTHERN HIGHER TERRAIN. OVERNIGHT INVERSIONS WILL KEEP RECOVERIES UP ESPECIALLY WITH LINGERING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE FROM THIS WEEKENDS ACTIVITY. GUYER && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM MST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512>515-521-523-524-526-528-529-532-533-539. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ502-510>514. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MST THU FEB 27 2014 NMZ501>540-281300- 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 THU FEB 27 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS ALONG WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHWEST THIRD THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ON THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE SAN JUAN...CHUSKA AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS TO AROUND 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORE SIGNIFICANT RAIN AND SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY AND COVERAGE ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO IS A POSSIBILITY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT INTO LATE SUNDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN HIGHER TERRAIN...THOUGH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY SNOW LEVELS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN USUAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAIN AND SNOW AMOUNTS TO THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 253 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 NMZ501>540-281300- ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY- EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY- RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY- SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 253 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 ...A CHANGING WEATHER PATTERN FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO... NEARLY THREE WEEKS OF DRY WEATHER OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO WILL FINALLY COME TO AN END BY THE TIME THE WEEKEND IS OVER. TWO DISTURBANCES WILL IMPACT THE STATE...THE FIRST ONE HAS ALREADY BEGUN...PRODUCING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS AREA WIDE AND SOME RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE NORTH. THE SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TONIGHT TO AROUND 6000 FEET...WITH MOSTLY SNOW FALLING AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL AREAS. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE MOSTLY LIGHT WITH AN INCH OR TWO ON THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...MAYBE 3 OR 4 INCHES NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER FACTOR INTO FRIDAY. WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND SPREAD ONTO THE ADJACENT EASTERN HIGHLANDS EARLY FRIDAY. WEST WINDS WILL AVERAGE 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. THE FIRST SYSTEM WILL QUICKLY EXIT THE STATE EARLY FRIDAY. FOLLOWING QUICKLY ON THE HEELS OF THE FIRST STORM WILL BE A SECOND...STRONGER STORM SYSTEM. IT WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE NORTHWEST FRIDAY WITH RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS. PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND TO THE EAST AND SOUTH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE PRETTY HIGH THROUGH MUCH OF THIS STORM...LIMITING SUBSTANTIAL SNOWFALL TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS MAY RECEIVE SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. ALL OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO SHOULD RECEIVE PRECIPITATION BY THE TIME THE WEEKEND IS OVER. THE BULK OF THE RAIN AND SNOW WILL BE OVER THE WEST AND CENTRAL AREAS...WITH THE LEAST IN THE EAST. AS THE STORM EXITS TO THE EAST SUNDAY NIGHT...WRAP AROUND MOISTURE MAY BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE NORTHEAST. STRONG WINDS ARE FORECAST AGAIN SATURDAY FOR THE EASTERN HIGH PLAINS...WITH BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. WINDS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG ON SUNDAY. IF TRAVELLING OVERNIGHT IN THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN...ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. BEFORE DEPARTING...CHECK ROAD CONDITIONS AT NMROADS.COM OR BY DIALING 5 1 1. STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS WITH NOAA WEATHER RADIO...ON LINE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR YOUR PREFERRED INTERNET WEATHER INFORMATION PROVIDER...AND FROM BROADCAST AND PRINT MEDIA. JOIN THE WEATHER CONVERSATION ON BOTH TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Peak winds between 58 and 61 mph with visibilities reduced to 2.5 miles in blowing dust.
Peak winds between 58 and 63 mph.
White Sands Missile Range 616.
Sumner Lake.
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: 499851, 499852, 499853, 499854, 499856, 499857.