A deep upper low moving through the Great Basin with a 140 knot jet streak moving over Southern New Mexico brought wind gusts up to 79 mph to the region.
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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 EPZ wrote it up.
A deep upper low moving through the Great Basin with a 140 knot jet streak moving over Southern New Mexico brought wind gusts up to 79 mph to the region.
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 Apr 5, 10:24 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
1124 PM MDT Fri Apr 5 2024
...New AVIATION...
.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 130 PM MDT Fri Apr 5 2024
Windy conditions persist through Saturday as a Pacific cold front
passes by. Much cooler air arrives behind the front with quieter
weather expected for Sunday. The next system arrives to start the
workweek with breezy to windy conditions returning for Monday.
Northern areas have a chance of rain and mountain snow on Tuesday
as most of the lowlands remain dry.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 130 PM MDT Fri Apr 5 2024
Breezy to windy conditions have developed out west this afternoon
as our next wind storm moves into the region. Some dust has been
lofted along the Lordsburg Playa due to the gusty SSW winds, but
so far it hasn't been very impactful. We will keep a close eye on
this area and surrounding dust sources for potential blowing dust
into the evening. Widespread dust impacts are not expected from
this system as we head into tomorrow as well. The closed low
currently over N Nevada will progress eastward across the central
Rockies by tomorrow. This will result in strengthening lee
troughing tonight along the Front Range and plenty of winds for
our area, especially higher terrain and east slopes.
Since the attendant Pacific cold front will pass through the CWA
later tonight, this is more of a two-day wind event. The strongest
winds are expected to occur with the frontal passage (between
midnight and sunrise) from west to east. A slight wind shift is
forecast with the frontal passage from SW to W. The High Wind
Warning now starts earlier (midnight) for the mountain zones to
align better with the front's timing. East slopes of the Blacks,
San Andres, and Sacramentos have a low chance of gusting to 70 mph
(moreso the Sacs). The front will be east of the CWA by mid-
morning Saturday with a tight pressure gradient holding throughout
the day. 850mb winds remain at 30-35kts through the afternoon
east of the Rio Grande. The more W-NW flow should lower the threat
of blowing dust for Saturday.
Of lesser impact from this system will be scattered rain/snow
showers in the Gila Region later tonight associated with the cold
front. Not much moisture is expected to accompany it, but
temperatures will become more winter-like across the region. There
is a low chance of an inch or two of snow by the morning. Snow
levels will crash to about 5500ft before precip comes to an end
around sunrise. Mainly dry conditions are expected outside of the
Gila Region. There is a slight chance of snow flurries in the
Sacs as well.
A chilly start to your Sunday is expected as the pressure gradient
loosens, allowing for better radiational cooling Saturday night.
Temperatures rebound through Monday as the next disturbance dives
southeast out of the Great Basin. Deep southwesterly flow returns
for Monday with breezy to windy conditions expected. Blowing dust
is possible on Monday as we remain dry and warm up a few more
degrees. The upper low tracks across NM on Tuesday, bringing some
moisture and the chance of precip for northern areas. It looks
like the system will stay far enough north to keep most of the
lowlands dry unfortunately. Both the Euro and GFS have the wrap-
around moisture mainly north of the CWA. The mountains could see a
couple inches of snow if enough of the moisture makes it into our
area. Tuesday should be another breezy but cooler day as the low
passes by. A quiet period returns beginning on Wednesday with an
upper ridge moving in from the west. Temperatures rebound to near
normal later next week as winds stay relatively light.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1123 PM MDT Fri Apr 5 2024
Winds remaining quite strong overnight out of the WSW. Surface
speeds 25 to 35 knots with peak gusts around 50 knots.
Strongest winds will be right mountain-top with mostly
unidirectional shear. Skies FEW-SCT070 falling slightly to SCT040
by sunrise. FROPA from the west early Saturday morning, shifting
winds to 260-290 and remaining quite gusty around 30 knots
throughout the daytime hours. Winds subsiding Saturday evening.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 130 PM MDT Fri Apr 5 2024
Fire weather concerns continue through Saturday as a result of
windy conditions, dry air, and drying fuels. Red Flag Warnings
remain in effect for the lowlands of south-central New Mexico and
far west Texas Saturday afternoon. 20 foot winds of 20 to 30 mph
are expected in those areas, however temperatures will be much
cooler behind tonight's cold front. Somewhat lighter winds are
expected further west along with more moist ERCs (FWZs 110, 111,
and 113). Far west TX has drier fuels (ERCs mainly above 50th
percentile) which provides more confidence in those RFWs. After a
calmer Sunday, winds pick up again Monday and Tuesday as our next
system moves into the region. Increased fire weather potential is
forecast for Monday as deep southwest flow develops ahead of the
disturbance. A chance of rain returns in northern areas on
Tuesday with most lowland areas staying dry. Temperatures rebound
for Monday, then cooling to below normal again on Tuesday. A
warming trend then takes over later in the week.
Min RHs range from 10-18% in the lowlands on Saturday, falling to
6-12% on Sunday; 15-25% in the mountains on Saturday, then 10-18%
for Sunday. Vent rates will be mostly excellent each afternoon
through Tuesday, except for Sunday which is good to very good.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 49 64 41 71 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 46 61 35 68 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 43 63 35 71 / 0 0 0 0
Alamogordo 41 61 33 67 / 10 10 0 0
Cloudcroft 25 37 23 44 / 20 30 0 0
Truth or Consequences 41 59 34 70 / 10 10 0 0
Silver City 31 48 28 60 / 20 20 0 0
Deming 39 59 30 69 / 0 0 0 0
Lordsburg 36 56 29 68 / 10 10 0 0
West El Paso Metro 46 62 38 70 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 46 64 31 72 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 47 66 35 74 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 42 55 33 64 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 47 65 36 72 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 43 60 33 69 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 46 61 40 69 / 0 10 0 0
Jornada Range 41 60 32 69 / 0 0 0 0
Hatch 41 62 31 71 / 0 0 0 0
Columbus 42 60 34 72 / 0 0 0 0
Orogrande 43 60 33 67 / 0 10 0 0
Mayhill 33 50 29 59 / 10 20 0 0
Mescalero 31 48 28 55 / 20 30 0 0
Timberon 29 48 26 55 / 10 10 0 0
Winston 30 51 28 64 / 10 10 0 0
Hillsboro 34 57 29 68 / 10 10 0 0
Spaceport 39 61 31 69 / 0 0 0 0
Lake Roberts 26 49 23 61 / 20 30 0 0
Hurley 31 52 25 64 / 10 10 0 0
Cliff 34 55 28 67 / 20 20 0 0
Mule Creek 31 51 29 62 / 30 30 0 0
Faywood 33 52 28 64 / 10 10 0 0
Animas 38 58 30 70 / 0 0 0 0
Hachita 38 58 30 70 / 0 0 0 0
Antelope Wells 37 61 31 70 / 0 0 0 0
Cloverdale 34 54 31 65 / 10 10 0 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Saturday for TXZ055-056.
Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM MDT Saturday for TXZ419>422.
NM...Wind Advisory until 6 AM MDT Saturday for NMZ401-403>406-408-409-
425.
High Wind Warning until 6 PM MDT Saturday for NMZ415-416-426-427.
Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Saturday for NMZ112.
Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM MDT Saturday for NMZ414-417-428-
429.
Wind Advisory until midnight MDT tonight for NMZ426.
&&
FORECASTER...34-BrownThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak gust of 79 mph was measured at the Apache site on the White Sands Missile Range. There was also strong winds at the WSMR Main Post area where a camper trailer was tipped over.
A peak gust of 65 mph was recorded at the Mayhill RAWS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2024
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: 1170416, 1170420.