A series of winter storms, highlighted by a slow-moving storm over the desert Southwest in the middle of the month, resulted in above average precipitation across northern, central, and western New Mexico. This resulted in the removal of extreme drought and the reduction of severe drought across north central New Mexico.
Every event with a place to put it; 29 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 series of winter storms, highlighted by a slow-moving storm over the desert Southwest in the middle of the month, resulted in above average precipitation across northern, central, and western New Mexico. This resulted in the removal of extreme drought and the reduction of severe drought across north central New Mexico. Meanwhile, below average precipitation and periods of high winds across eastern New Mexico allowed severe to extreme drought conditions to persist. Exceptional drought conditions continued across southern and southwest Chaves County.
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 29, 10:27 PM MST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1027 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 244 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 Temperatures will warm another few to several degrees tomorrow amongst dry conditions and sunny skies. Winds increase moving into Saturday, especially across the eastern plains, with above normal temperatures prevailing. Winds strengthen further on Sunday areawide, with very windy conditions expected across the eastern plains. Light showers favoring northwest New Mexico may accompany the disturbance's passing. Cooler weather expected Monday and while winds won't be as brisk as Sunday, they will still be elevated. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday night) Issued at 244 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 Last night's upper level trough that brought snow to portions of southern, southeast and east central NM has now exited into Texas. However, low clouds are still persisting early this afternoon across the Pecos River Valley and Caprock keeping temperatures in the 30s. These low clouds should continue breaking up from west to east the rest of the day. Elsewhere, its a picturesque leap day with seasonable temperatures, mostly sunny skies, and breezy southwest winds. Winds will taper off for most after sunset with a light breeze across the eastern and central highlands due to a surface lee trough. Near zero surface dewpoint depressions from last night's precipitation along with nearly calm winds could allow for some areas of low clouds and patchy fog to develop around sunrise for the Pecos River Valley and the upper Tularosa Valley. Any patchy fog in these areas will break up shortly after sunrise. Friday will be a mild 1st day of Meteorological Spring with above average temperatures, mostly sunny skies and breezy west winds across west central NM and across the east slopes and adjacent plains of the central mountain chain. Above average lows are expected Friday night with west winds remaining elevated across the northern mountains due to strengthening 700 mb flow of 40 to 50 kts come daybreak Saturday. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 244 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 Flow aloft begins the strengthen overhead as a monster 511dam upper low swirls of the coast of the PacNW. An impressive 160kt 300mb jet rounds out the base of this system, its outer fringes brushing up against the Four Corners on Saturday. Deep layer mixing will help to translate more sporty winds aloft easily to the sfc in the afternoon, with breezy to windy conditions nearly areawide. The adiabatic compression will help for temperatures to gain another few degrees, keeping afternoon highs well above normal. The jet scoots ever closer on Sunday while a lee-side low deepens to 998mb in eastern CO. These two things in concert will set the stage for another potential day of windy to very windy conditions, particularly across the eastern plains. While the position of the synoptic features won't promote the magnitude of winds seen earlier this week, gusts of 45 to 55mph will be possible, especially in the eastern plains north of I-40. Potential for these winds to increase in future updates seems reasonable as the event draws closer, and wind highlights may be required. Meanwhile, modest moisture will brush the northern border of the state, bringing the possibility of light showers to the Four Corners and northwest mts. The broad system becomes more negative in its tilt Monday, and while winds slacken quite a bit, they will still be quite elevated. Inconsistencies are present between the GFS and ECMWF, with the former depicting a very different location to the lee-side sfc low than the former. The GFS's scenario would lead to another windy day across the eastern plains. Temperatures Monday will be a few to several degrees cooler in the wake of the system's passing. A regime of quasi- zonal flow sets up Tuesday and a backdoor front rushes down the Great Plains, allowing our eastern plains to get a reinforcing shot of cold air. Elsewhere will see a modest rebound to afternoon highs. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 904 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist except for across south central, east central and southeast portions of NM where patchy low stratus/fog will be associated with LIFR conditions. KROW will likely be impacted overnight with LIFR conditions in dense fog, but should improve by 15-16Z. Otherwise, expect gusty west-southwest winds Friday afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 244 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024 ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY, AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES... Some low level moisture lingers over south central and southeast New Mexico tonight due to last night's precipitation and this may lead to some patchy fog Friday morning. A quick drying and warming trend begins Friday afternoon with stronger southwest winds and much lower relative humidity values across northeast New Mexico. Much drier mid level air moves into the state from the southwest Saturday with gusty southwest winds creating critical fire weather conditions for eastern New Mexico. Critical to extreme fire weather conditions are anticipated over northeast and east central New Mexico due to winds of 40 to 50 mph combining high single digit to low teen minimum relative humidity values. For that reason a Fire Weather Watch is in place for this region Saturday afternoon. Critical fire weather conditions are possible across the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley due to winds of 20 to 30 mph and minimum relative humidity values of 10 to 15 percent. Poor humidity recoveries are expected Saturday night over the eastern plains with a longer duration of critical to extreme fire weather conditions expected Sunday due to even stronger winds of 45 to 55 mph as of this forecast package. Near critical fire weather conditions are possible across the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley Sunday due to minimum relative humidity values of around 15 percent among west winds of 30 to 40 mph. Fire weather concerns look to possibly taper off on Monday across eastern New Mexico, but that could change. A backdoor cold front may then enter eastern New Mexico Monday night bringing in cooler temperatures and higher humidity into Tuesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 29 60 32 64 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 21 54 24 56 / 0 0 0 5 Cuba............................ 27 56 29 58 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 25 60 27 60 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 27 56 27 56 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 24 60 25 61 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 25 60 28 59 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 32 61 34 61 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 27 58 28 57 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 23 62 25 61 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 34 65 37 64 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 18 47 21 48 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 32 54 33 57 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 30 55 32 57 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 29 49 32 50 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 21 45 24 47 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 17 44 22 45 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 23 55 25 57 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 31 55 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 28 62 29 65 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 31 57 33 58 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 30 60 31 62 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 37 64 38 65 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 34 66 36 67 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 33 68 34 69 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 33 66 35 68 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 30 68 30 70 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 34 66 35 68 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 30 67 31 69 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 32 67 34 68 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 30 67 30 69 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 35 60 36 63 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 34 66 35 67 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 35 69 36 71 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 33 56 35 59 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 33 59 35 61 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 32 60 33 61 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 26 61 28 63 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 29 57 30 59 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 31 59 33 61 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 30 58 31 62 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 35 62 38 65 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 33 57 37 58 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 28 60 30 61 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 25 62 27 62 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 26 62 29 64 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 30 60 32 61 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 34 69 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 31 65 32 67 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 33 71 36 73 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 36 66 36 69 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 36 71 36 73 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 33 70 39 73 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 31 70 35 74 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 33 70 35 73 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 36 73 39 80 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 38 69 41 70 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 35 67 41 67 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening for NMZ104-123-125-126. Fire Weather Watch from Sunday morning through Sunday evening for NMZ104-123-125-126. && SHORT TERM...71 LONG TERM....12 AVIATION...11
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
808 PM MST Thu Feb 29 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM Snow Portales 34.18N 103.35W
02/29/2024 M2.0 inch Roosevelt NM CO-OP Observer
CO-OP Observer station PORN5 Portales.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
29 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was reduced to the southern portion of the zone.
Severe drought was reduced to the northern portion of the zone.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was reduced to the southern portion of the zone.
Severe drought was reduced to the far northern, western, and southern portions of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the zone.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought remained, except across the far northern part of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the southern half of the zone.
Severe drought was reduced to the southern portion of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the zone.
Severe drought remained across the zone. Extreme drought was removed.
Moderate to severe drought remained across the northern part of the zone. Extreme drought was removed.
Moderate to severe drought remained across the northern part of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the northern part of the zone. Extreme drought was removed.
Severe drought remained across the northern part of the zone. Extreme drought was removed.
Severe drought remained across most of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the southern quarter of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the zone.
Severe drought remained across the western portion of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the western portion of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the northwest portion of the zone.
Severe drought remained across the portions of the zone.
Severe to extreme drought remained across the zone with exceptional drought continuing over the south-central portion of the zone. Periods of high winds resulted in areas of blowing dust across highway 285 in the southern portion of the zone.
Severe to extreme drought remained across the southern half of the zone.
Extreme drought remained across the zone with a sliver of exceptional drought continuing over the far southeastern fringe of the zone.
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, March 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: 1161180, 1161181, 1161182, 1161183, 1161184, 1161185, 1161186, 1161187, 1161188, 1161189, 1161190, 1161191, 1161192, 1161193, 1161194, 1161195, 1161197, 1161198, 1161199, 1161200, 1161201, 1161202, 1161203, 1161204, 1161205, 1161207, 1161208, 1161209, 1161211.