Dry and breezy conditions with above normal temperatures over eastern New Mexico through much of February elevated fire weather potential by early March. A small wildfire broke out along State Road 236 and Roosevelt Road near Portales and quickly grew to around 100 acres.
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.
Dry and breezy conditions with above normal temperatures over eastern New Mexico through much of February elevated fire weather potential by early March. A small wildfire broke out along State Road 236 and Roosevelt Road near Portales and quickly grew to around 100 acres. Officials promptly extinguished the fire however a shed was burned in the process.
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 4, 2:40 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 240 PM MST Sat Mar 4 2017 .SYNOPSIS... Overall a pretty quiet weather pattern through next week. However, there will be a couple of opportunities for precipitation, and unfortunately, strong winds. Weak flow aloft will back more to the southwest Sunday with increasing winds aloft as an upper trough approaches. This trough cross NM Monday with strong zonal flow aloft. Breezy to windy conditions expected Sunday and Monday, with Monday the noticeably windier day when we expect strong to potentially damaging winds. it will also turn cooler Monday with rain and snow showers in the northwest mountains. Dry weather returns for Tuesday through Wednesday night. Return flow moisture could deliver showers to our central and south central areas Thursday through Friday. The next upstream short wave trough could impact NM next weekend with some precipitation and cooler temperatures. && .DISCUSSION... A great late winter day across northern and central NM with mixed with some mid and high level clouds. Not a lot of wind although moderate breezes persist across the east central highlands into the northeast. Pacific trough will come ashore tonight into Sunday and cross NM Monday. Gradient aloft will tighten Sunday and Monday with surface winds on the increase. Breezy to windy conditions Sunday will be followed by windy to very windy conditions Monday, including strong winds across much of the east, with potentially damaging winds in the northeast quarter of our forecast area. Temperatures will lower some in the west Sunday and all areas Monday as a cold front zooms across the state. Our best shot for some precipitation will be Sunday through the day Monday, but relegated to the northwest mountains. Dry weather Tuesday and Wednesday with less wind and lots of sunshine. Highs will not be too far from normal Tuesday but they will climb above normal Wednesday. GFS continues bringing moisture north into NM for later next week. Canadian does so but to a much less degree than the GFS. The ECMWF remains precipitation free. Will continue with the idea of isolated POPS for the western and northern mountains south of I 40 Thursday through the day Friday. The next short wave through from the west could bring some rain and snow to the state next weekend. It appears the better chances will be north of I 40 and mostly confined to the northern mountains. Winds will increase again while temperatures lower next weekend. CHJ && .FIRE WEATHER... High clouds will continue to scurry in from the west with prevailing SW breezes across the higher terrain that will gradually taper down overnight. Lows will be 5 to 15 degrees above normal with good to excellent recoveries across the far SE plains because of return flow. Winds will begin increasing early Sun morning across the northern and western mountains before expanding areawide by Sun aftn...ahead of the approaching Pacific system. By Sun evening, stronger winds will develop across the Chuskas and the Sangre De Cristos Mtns. Before sunrise Mon, winds will taper down across the Chuskas but will ramp up more across the Sangre De Cristos and much of the NE quadrant by Monday aftn. 700mb level winds ranging from 50-65kts over much of central and eastern NM are great indicators that strong to damaging winds will favor the NE/EC Plains Mon aftn. So far, wind gusts in those selected areas will range from 45 to 55 mph with possibility of blowing dust to occur. Meanwhile, with dry...warm and windy conditions up and coming fire weather concerns will increase each coming day. For Sun...a few hours of critical fire condtions will prevail across much of eastern NM as breezy to windy SW winds increase across much of the state. Temperatures will be above normal areawide with low Min Rh values and fair overnight recoveries. By Mon, the upper level system will pass through the central Rockies ramping up winds even more across the state. Critical fire weather concerns will expand in coverage across central and eastern NM Mon as drier air filters in from the west accompanied by strong to damaging winds. As the Pacific system pushes through the central Rockies, a Pacific cold front will follow lowering temperatures 5 to 15 degrees. This will produce a challenge as far as where to limit or extend red flag/fire weather watch concerns. Other than Mon, Tues and Wed will be the driest days next week as dewpoints plummet into the single digits and teens...brought on by drier air following the Pacific system. Winds will lessen but remain breezy to windy across the Sangre De Cristos and portions of the EC Plains. Temperatures will slowly rebound north and west but remain a few degrees cooler central and east because of an overnight weak back door front ushering in cooler air. The warm and dry pattern will resurface Wed/Thurs as zonal westerly flow dominates the region until Thurs night/Fri morning as models indicate possible return flow that could usher in some low level moisture south of the I-40 corridor. Meanwhile, temperatures will creep back above normal areawide by after Tues. Vent rates will be good to excellent Sun/Mon before deteriorating Tues-Thurs. Rates look to rebound Fri. && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE High clouds will prevail across the state today as breezy SW winds continue across high terrain areas. Winds will taper down after sunset but anticipate winds increasing further on Sun...beginning Sun morning across the northern and western mountains before expanding areawide Sunday aftn. 45 to 55 mph gusts will favor the northern Sangre De Cristo and Chuska mtns by Sunday evening. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 32 59 33 49 / 0 10 10 5 Dulce........................... 27 55 27 45 / 0 20 30 30 Cuba............................ 30 56 30 48 / 0 10 0 5 Gallup.......................... 29 59 30 51 / 0 0 0 5 El Morro........................ 28 59 28 50 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 29 61 29 55 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 33 60 31 58 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 36 70 34 65 / 0 5 0 0 Chama........................... 22 52 25 40 / 0 20 40 40 Los Alamos...................... 35 58 35 50 / 0 0 0 5 Pecos........................... 34 62 34 53 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 24 58 28 46 / 0 0 10 0 Red River....................... 22 47 26 35 / 0 0 10 5 Angel Fire...................... 24 50 27 38 / 0 0 5 0 Taos............................ 25 61 30 48 / 0 0 5 0 Mora............................ 34 62 36 52 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 31 64 34 57 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 35 62 35 54 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 31 63 33 57 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 40 65 41 61 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 39 68 41 63 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 35 70 36 65 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 38 68 40 64 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 36 71 36 68 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 38 67 39 63 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 38 72 41 71 / 0 5 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 36 61 37 58 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 34 63 36 59 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 30 65 32 61 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 33 63 33 56 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 36 65 39 63 / 0 5 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 40 69 42 66 / 0 5 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 37 63 40 64 / 0 5 0 0 Capulin......................... 34 67 36 56 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 30 69 33 59 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 32 70 33 60 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 33 66 35 57 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 40 74 41 65 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 35 71 37 61 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 42 76 44 69 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 40 74 43 69 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 43 80 45 74 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 40 78 43 73 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 42 79 44 74 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 41 78 44 75 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 39 81 44 83 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 40 74 47 75 / 0 5 0 0 Elk............................. 38 71 44 74 / 0 5 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning from noon to 6 PM MST Sunday for the following zones... NMZ103-104-108. Fire Weather Watch from Monday morning through Monday afternoon for the following zones... NMZ104-108. && 40
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 448 AM MST Sat Mar 4 2017 NMZ501>540-051200- 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 Cristos above 9500 feet/Red River- Southern Sangre de Cristos above 9500 feet- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley- Lower Chama River Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area- Middle Rio Grande Valley/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- 448 AM MST Sat Mar 4 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Elevated fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon across the Northeast Plains. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Increasing winds and dry conditions may bring critical fire weather conditions to portions of eastern New Mexico Sunday afternoon and again Monday. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect both days for various portions of eastern New Mexico. In addition, strong winds late Sunday and again Monday may require wind advisories. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 11
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A wildfire broke out along State Road 236 and Roosevelt Road near Portales. The fire consumed nearly 100 acres. A shed was also destroyed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 2017
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: 673326.