Breezy southwest winds across northern and central New Mexico on April 20, 2019 were enhanced by virga showers moving quickly northeast through the region. The strongest wind gusts occurred in the area from near Farmington to Taos where peak winds near 60 mph were reported.
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.
Breezy southwest winds across northern and central New Mexico on April 20, 2019 were enhanced by virga showers moving quickly northeast through the region. The strongest wind gusts occurred in the area from near Farmington to Taos where peak winds near 60 mph were reported. Rainfall amounts from this activity were generally less than five hundredths of an inch.
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 Apr 20, 10:26 AM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1126 AM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Moderate and gusty southwest flow will prevail this afternoon, with a few virga showers across northwest NM possibly resulting in strong/erratic wind gusts at KFMN, KGUP and KSAF. Otherwise, VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...219 AM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019... .SYNOPSIS... Warm and dry conditions continue today and Sunday with critical fire weather being the main concern through southern and eastern New Mexico. A few showers with an isolated thunderstorm or two will be possible over the northern mountains this afternoon. Confidence continues to grow for a storm system to bring a sharp change in the weather pattern starting Sunday night and lasting into Wednesday, bringing good chances for showers and storms across central and eastern New Mexico Monday and Tuesday. Western New Mexico will also see greater precipitation chances, but more tame compared to the east. Cooler temperatures also arrive with this storm system, warming up to end next week as dryer weather also returns. && .DISCUSSION... Today and Sunday...The ridge axis remains over NM this morning, but will slide east through the day with a weakening mid-level disturbance pressing over northwest and northern NM. Southwest winds will increase as a result, along with a few showers and isolated thunderstorms over the northern high terrain late in the afternoon. Critical fire weather will be the main concern today thanks to the increased winds, high temperatures and instability (see Fire Wx Discussion). The mid-level disturbance quickly goes on its merry way into the Great Plains Sunday, but there won't be much change in sensible weather. Southwest winds remain increased with dry and warm weather allowing for another round of critical fire weather through eastern portions of NM. Monday - Wednesday...Model guidance is coming into much better agreement with the evolution of a large upper trough digging down the Great Basin and closing off into an upper low over AZ Mon-Tue. Conditions begin to change Sunday night into Monday morning as a backdoor sfc cold front swings through northeast NM. At the same time, southwest flow aloft will strengthen over NM as the upper low begins to close off near Las Vegas, NV. Showers/storms will favor the leading edge of the backdoor cold front and east slopes of the Sangre's where wind shear will be the most conducive for storm cell development. Some convection is likely over the northwest high terrain as well, but coverage will be limited. Shower and storm activity will continue through Monday night and Tuesday as the upper low moves over NM and the backdoor front progresses further south and west to or through the central mountain chain. Conditions finally begin to clear out Wednesday as the upper level trough starts to open and progresses into far west TX. WPC guidance continues to advertise storm total precipitation of 0.50"-1.50" over the Sangre de Cristo Mtns with lower amounts of a tenth to three-quarters of an inch elsewhere across central and eastern NM. This seems likely given the above climatological PWAT associated with this system and likelihood high efficient storm cells to develop Monday night. Tuesday will be the coldest day when the center of upper low is squared over NM. Temperatures begin to warm back up Wednesday. Late Next Week...A warming and drying trend is still in the cards to end next week, with the GFS showing a ridge setting up over NM while the ECMWF is more zonal with the flow aloft. 24/RJH && .FIRE WEATHER... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY FOR NORTHEAST PLAINS, SANDIA/MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS, AND WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS... Attention will turn to the weak trough that is forecast to swing over the Four Corners this afternoon. A few isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible, mostly within north central zones of NM, but the potential for true wetting precipitation remains quite bleak. As the trough approaches, mid level flow will increase over portions of NM while a lee side surface trough sets up in eastern CO. Warmer than average temperatures will create deep vertical mixing and steep temperature lapse rates. This will usher stronger winds down to the surface while also drying the boundary layer. This afternoon wind speeds still appear to be marginally critical over the southern and eastern tiers of fire weather zones in our forecast area with some ambiguity on fuel status given recent spotty precipitation, and green up. The Fire Weather Watch will be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning where confidence is highest that fuels will be sufficiently dry, but it should be noted that critical winds and very low RH will be found expanding beyond these zones today. Another trough will approach the southwestern states on Sunday, closing into a low over NV while a weaker disturbance precedes it and treks across northern NM. While some cooling will take place in western NM, temperatures in the eastern plains will remain well above normal with high Haines indices Sunday afternoon. Stiff mid level flow will once again mix down, initiating breezy to windy conditions across NM with the strongest speeds tending to expand over east central to northeastern parts of the state. Also of note, the latest model guidance appears to have trended up with these speeds. Will hoist a Fire Weather Watch for FWZ 104 and 108 with critical conditions also seeping into the fringes of adjacent zones to the west. Again, there is some uncertainty on fuel status, particularly with FWZ 108, but for the sake of awareness, the Watch will be hoisted. Fortunately, critical fire weather conditions look to subside thereafter as the NV low pressure system inches southeastward through AZ/NM with lighter winds, cooler temperatures, and increased precipitation accompanying. 52 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening for the following zones... NMZ104-108. Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for the following zones... NMZ104-107-109. && 33
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 235 AM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 NMZ501>540-211100- 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- 235 AM MDT Sat Apr 20 2019 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 this afternoon from 1pm to 8pm MDT for the Northeast Plains, Sandia/Manzano and Gallinas Mountains, and West Central Highlands, where low humidity combined with strong southwest winds will create critical fire weather conditions. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Another round of critical fire weather is likely Sunday afternoon through the East Central and Northeast Plains due to strong southwest to west winds and low humidity. Confidence continues to grow for a Pacific storm system to bring numerous to widespread showers and thunderstorms to central and easter New Mexico Monday and Tuesday. Stay tuned to the latest forecast updates as this event approaches. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Contact your local law enforcement at 911 and the National Weather Service at 1.888.386.7637 to report wildfire outbreaks. 24
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A virga shower produced a peak wind gust up to 59 mph several miles northwest of Kirtland.
A virga shower produced a peak wind gust up to 60 mph at the Taos airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2019
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: 808704, 808705.