A very strong segment of the jet stream associated with an upper level system dove down across northern and central NM February 26th and 27th. The leading edge of this system brought sporadic high wind gusts to areas of the northern mountains and eastern plains on the 26th before the main segment brought widespread high wind impacts to nearly all areas of northern and central NM.
Every event with a place to put it; 28 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.
A very strong segment of the jet stream associated with an upper level system dove down across northern and central NM February 26th and 27th. The leading edge of this system brought sporadic high wind gusts to areas of the northern mountains and eastern plains on the 26th before the main segment brought widespread high wind impacts to nearly all areas of northern and central NM. Only far northwestern NM missed out on any high wind impacts. Peak gusts of 60 to 70 mph were common throughout central and eastern NM on the 27th. Several vehicle crashes coincided with these high gusts, including a semi rollover on I-25 just south of the Albuquerque Sunport, and several crashes from Roswell to Dexter and Hagerman. Near zero visibility from severe blowing dust and brownout conditions was reported at the same time as these accidents in Chaves County between Roswell and Hagerman. One such multi-vehicle crash unfortunately involved a fatality and several injuries. Three Dust Storm Warnings were issued over Chaves County in response to the blowing dust. Winds finally subsided by the late afternoon and early evening of the 27th.
Key Impacts: High winds, dust storm, snow, winter storm.
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 26, 4:42 AM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
25 high wind, 2 heavy snow, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The Taos Ski Valley measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph at Kachina Peak.
The Tucumcari Airport measured high sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with a peak gust of 61 mph at 12:53 MST.
The Clayton Airport measured high sustained winds of 40 mph for one hour.
The Magdalena Ridge Observatory measured gusts of 60 to 70 mph throughout this time frame with a peak gust of 81 mph at 12:34pm MST.
An estimated 16 inches of snow fell at the San Antonio Sink SNOTEL. Additional snow reports of 7 to 12 inches was reported elsewhere in the zone.
Taos Ski reported 12 inches of new snow. Lighter amounts of 3 inches were reported elsewhere in the zone.
The Las Vegas Airport measured a peak gust of 68 mph. High sustained winds surpassing 40 mph were consistent during this timeframe as well.
A public weather station near Angel Fire measured a peak gust of 68 mph. High sustained winds were between 40 and 43 mph during this time as well.
A ziamet weather station southeast of Vaughn measured high sustained winds of 40 to 49 mph. Peak gusts reached the upper limit of the equipment of 67 mph for this weather station, while other mesonet stations across Guadalupe County also saw peak gusts surpass 60 mph.
A NMDOT weather station along I-40 at the intersection of U.S. Highway 285 measured a peak wind gust of 71 mph with high sustained winds topping out at 54 mph.
The Tucumcari Airport measured a peak gust of 70 mph. Peak gusts regularly surpassed 58 mph with high sustained winds above 40 mph during this timeframe.
The Edgewood mesonet station measured a peak gust of 64 mph. Another NMDOT station measured a peak gust of 61 mph along I-40 at mile marker 181 at 16:20 MST.
The Clayton Airport measured a peak wind gust of 65 mph. Various mesonet sites across Union County also saw peak wind gusts surpassing 60 mph during this time.
The Albuquerque Sunport measured a peak gust of 63 mph. These wind gusts coincided with a semi-rollover along I-25 at Bobby Foster just south of the Albuquerque Sunport near or just before 13:00 MST. The direct cause of the rollover was not stated.
The Gallup Airport measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
The Roswell Airport measured consistent wind gusts over 58 mph with a peak gust of 73 mph at 15:51 MST. These winds caused a dust storm that resulted in several multi-vehicle crashes between Roswell and Hagerman, one involving one fatality. Please see the dust storm entries for these details.
A NMDOT weather station along I-25 at Rowe, NM measured a peak gust of 70 mph. A nearby mesonet station in Glorieta measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
Reports from the Dexter Fire Chief, Chaves County Emergency Manager and County Sheriff showed multiple multi-vehicle crashes between Roswell and Hagerman during this time. The relief route between West McGaffey Street and Sunset Place on the southwest side of Roswell was closed due to near zero visibility at 10:25 MST. A two vehicle crash was reported at 13:35 at Shuswap Road and Old Dexter Highway between Dexter and Hagerman from near zero visibility in blowing dust. A multi-vehicle crash involving seven vehicles was reported at Orchard Park Road and U.S. Highway 285 at 14:30 MST from low visibility in blowing dust. Additional cars became involved by 14:40 MST. Two passengers were trapped in a vehicle fire with one fatality. Responders reported they did not see the vehicle fire initially due to the brownout conditions. At 15:30 MST, another crash involving three vehicles was reported at Wilshire Boulevard and Main Street in Roswell from low visibility in blowing dust. The emergency manager also reported Roswell schools closed 12:00 MST.
A mesonet station just north of Portales measured a peak gust of 58 mph.
The North Oscura Peak WSMR mesonet station measured a peak gust of 58 mph.
Cannon Air Force Base measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The Pole 616 WSMR mesonet station measured a peak gust of 69 mph.
Two mesonet stations at Canyon Blanco and the other just east of Fort Sumner measured peak wind gusts of 59 mph.
A mesonet station just southwest of Estancia measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph. The Moriarty Airport also measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
The Dunken RAWS station measured a peak gust of 61 mph.
The Raton Airport measured a peak gust of 61 mph. A public weather station in Maxwell also measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph at 14:24 MST.
The Santa Fe Airport measured a peak gust of 60 mph.
The NMCC Nogal mesonet station measured a peak gust of 67 mph.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dust Storm, Chaves County Plains | 2024-02-27 | 63 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
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, February 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1153812, 1153827, 1153824, 1153810, 1154045, 1154046, 1153823, 1153813, 1153826, 1153818, 1153828, 1153816, 1153825, 1153815, 1153809, 1153832, 1153811, 1153834, 1153830, 1153819, 1153829, 1153820, 1153831, 1153817, 1153833, 1153822, 1153814, 1153821.