Mountain wave activity brought another round of high winds impacting parts of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These winds crashed lee of the mountains along portions of the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the I-25 corridor at Raton during the night of February 19, 2023 to the morning of February 20, 2023.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Mountain wave activity brought another round of high winds impacting parts of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These winds crashed lee of the mountains along portions of the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the I-25 corridor at Raton during the night of February 19, 2023 to the morning of February 20, 2023. Strong westerly winds mixed down to the surface and spread across parts of the eastern plains, impacting parts of Guadalupe and Curry Counties during the afternoon of February 20, 2023.
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 19, 4:18 PM MST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 418 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 300 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 An active weather pattern will continue this week. Isolated to scattered light rain and snow showers over the west and central through Tuesday will become more widespread Wednesday, taper off Thursday into Friday then possibly increase for the upcoming weekend. Windy conditions will plague mainly eastern New Mexico Monday and Tuesday with locally strong to damaging winds along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. A significant wind event is expected Wednesday with very strong to damaging winds over much of northern and central New Mexico and areas of blowing snow in the higher terrain and blowing dust over the eastern plains. Winds will diminish Thursday into Friday but strengthen somewhat again Saturday. Near to above normal high temperatures through Tuesday cool to below normal Wednesday and Thursday before rebounding to end the week. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Monday night) Issued at 300 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 The subtropical jetstream is bringing Pacific moisture over the state, with advection forecast to peak this evening. The result has been increasing cloud cover with multiple layers and increasing winds, mainly along/east of the central mountain chain. Surface dewpoint temperatures have been steadily rising through the day and despite the increasing PWATs, showers have had a hard time producing measurable precipitation north of the southern mountains. Precipitation is forecast to continue to trend up across the southern mountains through the evening hours, but accumulating snowfall will likely be relegated to the peaks given high snow levels of 9-10Kft. Winds have increased to advisory level at KLVS and KRTN this afternoon, well ahead of the High Wind Warning that goes into effect this evening, so we've issued a Wind Advisory for the northeast and far northeast highlands until then. No changes to the High Wind Warning, with both the latest NAM and GFS showing a continued threat for strong to damaging winds to work down the east slopes of the Sangre De Cristos to the adjacent highlands overnight. Above to well above normal temperatures are forecast overnight due to extensive cloud cover and a disturbed lower boundary layer. Another windy day is forecast Monday, mainly along/east of the central mountain chain and especially along and south of the I-40 corridor from Clines Corners to the TX border. Will issue a Wind Advisory for Monday for those areas as a High Wind Warning continues for the east slopes of the Sangre De Cristos. Otherwise, Monday will be warmer, especially across eastern NM due to downslope winds. Breaks in the cloud cover is forecast during the afternoon, especially across northern NM. Another night of above normal temperatures is forecast Monday night, but with more efficient radiational cooling than the previous night supplying lows that will be an average 5 degrees lower. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 300 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 Isolated to scattered light rain and snow showers will wax and wane through Tuesday as an upper low pressure system off Baja California is nudged eastward, opens up and is swept over New Mexico late Tuesday. Surface low pressure persists over eastern New Mexico during this time, leading to windy conditions through Tuesday. More localized and strong to potentially damaging winds are possible along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains through Tuesday. Both high and low temperatures will be mostly above normal Tuesday and Tuesday night. An incoming storm system and associated cold front will bring a significant wind event Wednesday to northern and central New Mexico. Snow showers will increase over western and then into central New Mexico Wednesday, leading to potential for reduced visibilities in blowing snow over the higher terrain. In the eastern plains, areas of reduced visibilities in blowing dust will be possible. While there's no question the wind will be strong to potentially damaging Wednesday, the NBM guidance for this package is extreme. The MEX, ECX and ConsMOS/ALL guidance aren't shabby either but used those to tone down the wind a bit, still with gusts to 75 mph. Travel across the region will definitely be impacted for everyone, not just high profile vehicles. Winds ever so slowly taper down later Wednesday night into Thursday. Projected snowfall amounts in general Wednesday could range from about 3-6 inches over the western and northern high terrain with an inch or so over the Upper Rio Grande Valley and western valleys. Chances for showers continue over the northwest Thursday into Friday with potential for another storm system early next week. Temperatures Wednesday and Thursday fall below normal but rebound Friday into Saturday. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 417 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 Widespread cloudiness will persist as subtropical moisture continues to advect into the area. Cigs may lower a bit more, perhaps into MVFR around KGUP and other localized areas by early Monday morning. Mt obscurations are likely. Isolated rain and high elevation snow showers will persist across central and south central NM through the evening before slowly diminishing. Otherwise, winds will be the main concern over the next 24 hours (and beyond). Current southwest wind gusts between 30 and 35kt over eastern NM will generally wane with sunset, however, westerly winds are likely to increase over and just downstream of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. Similarly to last night, rogue wind gusts in excess of 50kts will be possible along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mts toward KRTN. LLWS is likely at KLVS as well. Westerly winds will ramp back up across the eastern plains on Monday afternoon with widespread gusts between 40-45kts likely. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 300 PM MST Sun Feb 19 2023 A windy week is forecast, with mostly good to excellent vent rates as two troughs impact the region. The strongest winds will be along/east of the central mountain chain through Tuesday. Humidity is forecast to remain below critical threshold through the period, but critical fire weather conditions are possible Tuesday afternoon across the east central plains where the RFTI is showing an expanding critical category. The big wind event is coming Wednesday into Wednesday night when the polar jet stream and an upper level trough pivot east northeast across the area. Chances for wetting precipitation in the form of accumulating snow will accompany the trough passage, focusing in the mountains and areas along/west of the Continental Divide. Expect a break Thu/Fri, although breezy to locally windy conditions are forecast ahead of the next trough/low, forecast to hit the state by the end of the weekend. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 25 49 26 52 / 0 0 5 5 Dulce........................... 18 47 20 47 / 5 5 10 20 Cuba............................ 27 46 25 48 / 10 5 5 5 Gallup.......................... 28 50 24 51 / 5 5 5 5 El Morro........................ 31 48 26 49 / 10 10 5 5 Grants.......................... 27 52 22 54 / 10 5 0 5 Quemado......................... 32 50 25 53 / 20 10 5 10 Magdalena....................... 36 55 31 56 / 20 10 10 10 Datil........................... 33 50 27 52 / 30 10 5 5 Reserve......................... 31 55 22 56 / 50 10 5 20 Glenwood........................ 40 59 32 58 / 50 10 5 30 Chama........................... 18 41 21 41 / 10 10 20 20 Los Alamos...................... 32 48 29 49 / 10 5 5 5 Pecos........................... 33 49 29 50 / 10 5 0 5 Cerro/Questa.................... 31 44 28 43 / 5 5 5 5 Red River....................... 23 38 20 38 / 10 5 5 5 Angel Fire...................... 23 38 21 38 / 20 10 5 10 Taos............................ 25 46 23 46 / 10 5 5 5 Mora............................ 33 48 29 50 / 10 5 0 5 Espanola........................ 31 54 27 56 / 10 5 5 0 Santa Fe........................ 33 48 29 50 / 10 5 0 5 Santa Fe Airport................ 31 52 27 53 / 10 5 0 5 Albuquerque Foothills........... 40 55 35 56 / 10 10 0 5 Albuquerque Heights............. 37 57 32 58 / 10 5 0 5 Albuquerque Valley.............. 36 60 31 61 / 10 0 0 5 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 35 57 31 59 / 10 0 0 0 Belen........................... 35 61 30 63 / 20 5 5 5 Bernalillo...................... 36 58 31 59 / 10 5 5 5 Bosque Farms.................... 34 60 28 62 / 20 5 0 5 Corrales........................ 35 58 30 59 / 10 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 34 60 27 62 / 20 5 0 5 Placitas........................ 37 53 32 55 / 10 5 0 5 Rio Rancho...................... 35 57 31 59 / 10 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 37 63 32 65 / 20 10 10 10 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 36 49 31 51 / 20 10 0 10 Tijeras......................... 36 52 31 54 / 20 10 0 10 Edgewood........................ 33 51 29 54 / 20 5 0 5 Moriarty/Estancia............... 31 54 24 56 / 20 0 0 5 Clines Corners.................. 32 49 30 52 / 20 10 0 5 Mountainair..................... 36 52 31 55 / 40 10 0 10 Gran Quivira.................... 36 54 31 56 / 40 5 0 10 Carrizozo....................... 43 57 38 60 / 50 10 0 10 Ruidoso......................... 39 52 36 54 / 60 20 5 20 Capulin......................... 30 56 27 56 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 30 57 24 57 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 33 59 25 59 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 35 56 29 55 / 5 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 36 65 31 66 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 37 61 32 62 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 44 67 37 68 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 42 63 38 64 / 10 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 43 69 38 70 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 43 68 39 69 / 10 0 0 0 Portales........................ 45 69 40 71 / 10 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 43 67 37 70 / 10 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 46 74 42 73 / 10 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 45 64 41 66 / 10 0 0 5 Elk............................. 42 61 41 62 / 30 5 0 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 9 AM to 6 PM MST Monday for NMZ223-226-229- 232>237-239-240. High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST Monday for NMZ215. Wind Advisory until 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ228-229. High Wind Warning until 5 AM MST Monday for NMZ227-228. && SHORT TERM...11 LONG TERM....99 AVIATION...34
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Raton Municipal Airport measured a gust of 59 mph.
Cannon Air Force Base measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
A NMCC mesonet station at Thompson Cattle measured a wind gust of 67 mph.
A NMCC mesonet station southeast of Vaughn in southwestern Guadalupe County measured a wind gust of 64 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2023
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: 1070966, 1070969, 1070967, 1070968.