An upper low was moving through the Four Corners region with a strong cold front moving east along the Mexican border. A 150 knot jet streak was also over El Paso aiding in the development of strong winds.
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The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.
An upper low was moving through the Four Corners region with a strong cold front moving east along the Mexican border. A 150 knot jet streak was also over El Paso aiding in the development of strong winds. A peak gust of 62 mph was reported with this system in El Paso and Fort Hancock.
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 El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 23, 2:16 AM MST, 11 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
316 AM MDT Thu Mar 23 2017
.SYNOPSIS...
A low pressure system with a cold front will move across New
Mexico and west Texas today bringing windy conditions with blowing
dust across the Borderland along with cooler temperatures.
Westerly winds will cause seasonally warm dry weather this
weekend and Monday but a passing upper disturbance will produce
breezy to marginally windy conditions Saturday and Sunday. Another
low pressure system may bring breezy to windy weather along with
a few rain showers Tuesday and Wednesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
More active zonal progressive pattern will exist across the
southwestern United States through the forecast period and
probably beyond. A deep upper low was moving into Nevada early
this morning with trailing trough axis extending into western
Arizona. This system and an associated cold front will move across
New Mexico and west Texas late this morning through the
afternoon. Downslope winds plus upper dynamics in advance of
trough will also induce strong cyclogenesis over eastern Colorado
with attendant surface trough extending into eastern New Mexico.
This scenario will greatly strengthen winds at low and mid levels
as 90 kt mid level speed max intrudes into the CWA. Warm dry
nature of air mass will result in dry lapse rates to a very high
500 mb level over eastern portions of the CWA allowing stronger
flow aloft to mix downward. Thus a very windy day still
anticipated for today for warnings in effect for the east and
advisories elsewhere. Upward forcing aloft ahead of trough and low
level lift along the front should also prove sufficient for a few
mainly light rain showers despite a lack of moisture. Dynamic
cooling aloft plus cold air advection behind the front may also
allow the rain to briefly mix with or change over to snow over the
high mountains through with no accumulations.
Trough and cold front will be east of the CWA by late evening but
gradients will remain strong enough for breezy to windy
conditions on Friday with temperatures also falling to near
normal. Another weaker upper wave will then move across Arizona
and New Mexico/west Texas Saturday and Sunday causing dry and
breezy to marginally windy conditions with temperatures near of a
little above normal. Passing upper ridge will sustain warm dry
weather Monday but with lighter winds.
GFS and ECMWF in general agreement another deep upper low will
slowly drift across the southwestern United States Tuesday and
Wednesday but they show significant differences in timing and path
of movement. Will therefore go with ensemble/superblend and
outlook a few rain showers with breezy to marginally windy
conditions.
&&
.AVIATION...valid 23/12Z-24/12Z.
Strong low pressure system with a cold front will move across the
region producing windy conditions with surface winds gusting from
50 to 60 mph mainly from 18z to 06z. Thus strong turbulance likely
over some areas below 10,000 feet agl. A few areas of ifr
visibility also likely from blowing dust. A few light rain
showers or high mountain light snow showers possible between 12z
and 00z.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
A low pressure system with a cold front will move across New
Mexico and west Texas today bringing windy conditions with blowing
dust across the Borderland along with cooler temperatures.
Westerly winds will bring seasonally warm dry weather this weekend
and Monday but a passing upper disturbance will produce breezy to
marginally windy conditions Saturday and Sunday. Thus Red Flag
conditions expected over some areas today with near Red Flag
conditions Friday through Sunday. Another low pressure system may
bring breezy to windy weather along with a few rain showers
Tuesday and Wednesday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 78 50 75 48 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 82 47 72 46 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 71 43 72 42 / 10 0 0 0
Alamogordo 76 44 72 43 / 20 0 0 0
Cloudcroft 53 28 49 32 / 20 0 0 0
Truth or Consequences 69 45 74 42 / 20 0 0 0
Silver City 59 37 62 39 / 40 0 0 0
Deming 69 40 71 39 / 20 0 0 0
Lordsburg 66 38 68 37 / 20 0 0 0
West El Paso Metro 76 50 74 49 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 82 41 75 39 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 85 48 77 46 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 73 47 67 47 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 81 47 76 45 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 74 46 73 44 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 74 49 73 47 / 10 0 0 0
Jornada Range 72 39 73 38 / 20 0 0 0
Hatch 71 43 74 41 / 20 0 0 0
Columbus 73 45 73 43 / 20 0 0 0
Orogrande 76 45 74 45 / 10 0 0 0
Mayhill 67 34 61 33 / 20 0 0 0
Mescalero 64 32 59 33 / 20 0 0 0
Timberon 62 32 56 34 / 20 0 0 0
Winston 61 31 65 30 / 30 0 0 0
Hillsboro 66 39 71 39 / 20 0 0 0
Spaceport 70 42 73 41 / 20 0 0 0
Lake Roberts 58 27 64 27 / 40 0 0 0
Hurley 62 35 64 36 / 30 0 0 0
Cliff 64 33 71 32 / 40 0 0 0
Mule Creek 60 35 66 37 / 30 0 0 0
Faywood 64 39 66 40 / 30 0 0 0
Animas 68 40 70 39 / 20 0 0 0
Hachita 70 39 70 38 / 20 0 0 0
Antelope Wells 68 40 72 40 / 20 0 0 0
Cloverdale 62 39 66 41 / 20 0 0 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...High Wind Warning from noon today to midnight MDT tonight for
NMZ413>417.
Red Flag Warning from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for
NMZ112.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for
NMZ401>412.
TX...High Wind Warning from noon today to midnight MDT tonight for
TXZ419>424.
Red Flag Warning from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for
TXZ055-056.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for
TXZ418.
&&
05 RogashHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM 412 AM MDT Thu Mar 23 2017 NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-241245- Upper Gila River Valley-Southern Gila Highlands/Black Range-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley- Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Lowlands of the Bootheel- Uplands of the Bootheel-Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-Eastern Black Range Foothills-Sierra County Lakes-Northern Dona Ana County- Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-Central Tularosa Basin- Southern Tularosa Basin-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet-East Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Otero Mesa-Western El Paso County- Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth Highlands/Hueco Mountains-Salt Basin-Southern Hudspeth Highlands-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County- 412 AM MDT Thu Mar 23 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central New Mexico, southwest New Mexico, and southwest Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Very windy mainly during the afternoon and evening with winds gusting around 50 to 60 mph. Blowing dust will reduce the visibility to less than a mile over a few areas including along Interstate 10 between El Paso and Las Cruces and also around Deming and Lordsburg resulting in dangerous driving conditions. The high winds and low humidity will also create critical fire weather conditions over some locations. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Windy Friday with winds gusting around 40 mph. Possibly breezy to windy with a few lowland rain and high mountain snow showers Tuesday and Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. Rogash
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak gust of 62 mph was recorded at a mesonet site in Fort Hancock.
A peak gust of 62 mph was recorded 6 miles northeast of El Paso. The El Paso Airport reported a peak gust of 61 mph with 58 mph gusts recorded 13 miles north-northeast and 3 miles east of El Paso.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 688569, 687270.