A winter storm system deepening over the Great Plains forced a powerful back door cold front through eastern New Mexico on February 25, 2020. North winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts near 70 mph focused over Union County.
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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 winter storm system deepening over the Great Plains forced a powerful back door cold front through eastern New Mexico on February 25, 2020. North winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts near 70 mph focused over Union County. A 75-ft pine tree was toppled onto the Hass Funeral Home resulting in minor damage to the property. This large tree was a landmark for the Clayton area and sources indicated the tree will be used to create two memorial benches for the funeral home. A metal roof was partially blown off a golf cart building at the Clayton Golf Club. A trampoline was missing after it was blown out of a residential back yard. A truck bed liner was found in a street after it had been blown from a pick up truck. Fortunately, no injuries occurred due to these high winds.
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 25, 4:30 AM MST, 5 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 430 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020 .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE Strong north-northwest flow will prevail today as a jet max dives south over the area, initiating snow showers between north central and south central NM. VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist, except for this morning at KLVS and KSAF where MVFR conditions are likely with snow showers. Areas of mountain obscurations will prevail this morning across the northern mountains and will be reduced to patchy obscurations by late morning. Winds will gradually diminish through the evening hours. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...250 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020... .SYNOPSIS... Very cold air will continue to move in on brisk north winds today. High temperatures today will be 15 to 25 degrees below average for late February. Widespread single digit and teens for lows are forecast Wednesday morning. High temperatures warm somewhat Wednesday but remain well below late February averages. The warming continues Thursday into the first half of the weekend with above average highs forecast for Friday and Saturday. Temperatures remain above average on Sunday but clouds and breezes will likely increase ahead of the next storm system forecast to bring a return of rain and snow chances early next week. && .DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... A jet max diving south from over the Great Basin down the back side of an upper level low, currently over far western KS/NE, will deliver a round of snow showers to the Sangres, eastern highlands into portions of the east central plains today. Snow amounts will range from one quarter to one inch and may briefly impact Interstate 40 between Clines Corners and Santa Rosa, as well as Interstate 25 near Las Vegas. Strong winds will develop on the backside of the low across northeast and east central NM later today as well, with areas of blowing snow likely near the CO border and through Raton Pass. Will issue an Wind Advisory for much of northeast NM, which will run from late morning through early evening. The airmass filling-in today will be very cold, with high temperatures forecast to be 15-20 degrees below normal. Winds will decouple late this evening and combine with clear skies and a very cold airmass to deliver well below normal temperatures with some of the coldest temperatures since the Feb 5/6 event. Dry northwest flow will prevail Wednesday with plenty of sunshine allowing for some warming, though high temperatures will still be 5-15 degrees below normal. LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)... Tranquil weather underneath dry northwest flow aloft will be the rule Wednesday night through Friday. A backdoor cold front will bring cooler temperatures to far northeast NM Thursday otherwise dry conditions with near average temperatures are forecast elsewhere. Temperatures rise to above average values for all areas Friday and Saturday as a ridge aloft moves overhead. Models agree that zonal flow aloft transitions over the southwest U.S. Saturday, resulting in westerly breezes for much of the state. The downsloping effects caused by the west winds will result in additional warming for the RGV and much of eastern NM Saturday afternoon. By Sunday, models agree that southwest flow aloft will result in increasing clouds and a slight chance for light showers across the north mountains. The closed upper-level low forecast to be over southern CA responsible for the southwesterly flow aloft remains on track to bring chances of showers and mountain snow showers to western and northern NM early next week. GFS and ECMWF continue to disagree a bit on the timing and exact placement of the low center but agree on the overall pattern. GFS is slower and farther north with the low center than the ECWMF but sensible weather result is similar with precipitation chances on the uptrend early next week. 11/33 && .FIRE WEATHER... A very cold and dry airmass will fill into the area today behind the cold front, with breezy to windy conditions and excellent ventilation. Vent rates will take a dip Wednesday as winds relax and dry northwest flow prevails. A warming trend is forecast from mid to late week, with daytime temperatures rising above normal areawide by Friday. Winds and vent rates will trend up over the weekend as a potent upper level trough/low approaches from the northwest. The pattern will likely be active next week with the potential for two closed upper lows to impact the region. 11 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 7 PM MST this evening for the following zones... NMZ227-228-230-231-234. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 246 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020 NMZ201>241-261030- Northwest Plateau-Chuska Mountains-Far Northwest Highlands- Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains- West Central Highlands-Southwest Mountains- San Francisco River Valley-Tusas Mountains Including Chama- Jemez Mountains-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley- Espanola Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area- Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area- Lower Rio Grande Valley-Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood- Estancia Valley-Central Highlands-South Central Highlands- Upper Tularosa Valley-South Central Mountains- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass- 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- San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands- 246 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A blast of cold air invades the state today, along with another round of strong north-northwest winds across western and eastern New Mexico. Gusts up to 50 mph could impact travel, especially along portions of U.S. Highways 64 and 87, as well as Interstate 40. Light snow across the northern mountains will have little impact to travel with accumulations less than an inch. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Temperatures Wednesday morning in the teens and single digits will rival some of the coldest temperatures this winter season. After this, a warmup begins into the weekend. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 33
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 947 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020 NMZ233-237-251900- Guadalupe County-De Baca County- 947 AM MST Tue Feb 25 2020 ...MODERATE SNOW MOVING THROUGH GUADALUPE AND DE BACA COUNTIES... An area of light to moderate snow is shifting southward across Guadalupe and De Baca counties this morning. Though snow amounts are generally expected to be less than one inch, visibility may be reduced for those travelling across the region. Slick spots are expected on portions of Highway 84 and Highway 54, as well as many secondary roads. Anyone travelling across east central New Mexico this morning, be prepared for changing weather and road conditions. For the latest New Mexico road conditions visit nmroads.com or call 5-1-1. 34
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Clayton airport reported sustained winds between 40 mph and 50 mph for a couple hours.
The Clayton airport reported peak wind gusts between 58 mph and 67 mph for a few hours. An observer at the Holiday Hotel reported a peak wind gust up to 72 mph. A 75-ft pine tree toppled onto the Hass Funeral Home resulting in minor damage to the property. A metal roof was partially torn off a golf cart building at the Clayton Golf Club. Fortunately, no injuries occurred with these high winds. Damage amounts are estimated for minor damage to the roof of the funeral home, damage at the golf course, total loss of one trampoline, and a bed liner that blew out of a pick up truck.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2020
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: 870561, 870562.