Little to no precipitation fell in February which lead to many areas seeing worsening drought conditions in southern New Mexico.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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 EPZ wrote it up.
Little to no precipitation fell in February which lead to many areas seeing worsening drought conditions in southern New Mexico.
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 Jan 31, 10:22 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM 1022 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 933 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 - Remaining dry through the forecast period. - Much warmer temperatures after Saturday, with near record high temperatures Monday through Wednesday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 254 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 For mid/late winter, this is one of the quieter stretches of weather I can remember. No chance of precip, no siginificant winds/blowing dust events. Just progressive warming and near record high temps by Monday. The main culprit for this is a strong blocking ridge out over the Pacific extending north-south over 150W...remaining nearly stationary through 240 hours (Feb 10). This will result in the polar jet remaining north of the area and the sub-tropical jet south of the area. A standing long wave trough basically forms on the lee of the ridge, giving our area a long stretch of dry, warm west flow aloft. Thus, no shot at precip through the entire forecast period (through next Friday), and gradually warming temperatures not seen since mid-November. The stretch Monday through Wednesday looks to be the warmest, with some lowland highs reaching 80+ degrees. These three days will undoubtably break some records. Temps a bit lower after Wednesday but still well above normal. A backdoor front tries to buck the upper and may encroach into the far eastern CWA Friday morning but quickly erode out by the afternoon. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 933 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 VFR conditions will prevail through the period with SKC through Saturday morning, then FEW250 at TAF sites around 18z. Winds will be light and variable through Saturday morning then turn S/SW around 18z on Saturday and remain light except for a few gust up to 20 mph at KTCS. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 254 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 Very little, if any, sensible weather through Wednesday. Fire conditions will become elevated just due to low humidity and drying fuels. No significant winds are expected through this period, and also no chance of precipitation through the same period. Min RH: Lowlands 12-17% through Monday, decreasing to 7-12% Tuesday through Thursday. Mountains 13-23% through Monday, decreasing to 10-18% Tuesday through Thursday. Vent rates poor- fair through Tuesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... El Paso 33 66 39 74 / 0 0 0 0 Sierra Blanca 30 65 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Las Cruces 26 63 35 73 / 0 0 0 0 Alamogordo 24 62 31 68 / 0 0 0 0 Cloudcroft 25 49 28 56 / 0 0 0 0 Truth or Consequences 26 64 36 70 / 0 0 0 0 Silver City 27 60 33 67 / 0 0 0 0 Deming 23 66 33 75 / 0 0 0 0 Lordsburg 21 65 31 71 / 0 0 0 0 West El Paso Metro 33 64 41 73 / 0 0 0 0 Dell City 22 66 32 73 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Hancock 27 70 35 76 / 0 0 0 0 Loma Linda 32 58 38 66 / 0 0 0 0 Fabens 27 67 35 74 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Teresa 28 64 35 72 / 0 0 0 0 White Sands HQ 33 63 40 73 / 0 0 0 0 Jornada Range 19 64 27 71 / 0 0 0 0 Hatch 23 67 32 72 / 0 0 0 0 Columbus 26 66 37 75 / 0 0 0 0 Orogrande 23 61 29 69 / 0 0 0 0 Mayhill 28 61 35 71 / 0 0 0 0 Mescalero 24 56 30 64 / 0 0 0 0 Timberon 23 55 28 64 / 0 0 0 0 Winston 19 62 26 70 / 0 0 0 0 Hillsboro 27 67 35 72 / 0 0 0 0 Spaceport 20 64 26 70 / 0 0 0 0 Lake Roberts 17 61 23 68 / 0 0 0 0 Hurley 22 63 31 70 / 0 0 0 0 Cliff 12 66 12 71 / 0 0 0 0 Mule Creek 9 62 9 68 / 0 0 0 0 Faywood 27 63 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Animas 21 69 32 74 / 0 0 0 0 Hachita 21 67 32 73 / 0 0 0 0 Antelope Wells 26 70 36 76 / 0 0 0 0 Cloverdale 31 65 39 70 / 0 0 0 0 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. NM...None. && FORECASTER...41-Kelly
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The entire zone started the month in Severe(D2) drought and by the end of February was in Extreme(D3) drought. The Cooperative Observer in Cliff reported 0.11 inches of precipitation which was 0.98 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) drought to start February to Extreme(D3) drought by the end of the month.
The zone started off in Severe(D2) drought and finished the month in Extreme(D3) drought. The Redrock Cooperative Observer reported 0.16 inches of precipitation which was 0.65 inches below normal.
The month started out with the western half of the zone in Severe(D2) drought and the east in Extreme(D3) drought. By the end of the month, the entire zone was in Extreme(D3) drought. There was no precipitation at the Antelope Wells Cooperative Observer which was 0.43 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) drought to Extreme(D3) drought during the month of February.
The zone started out with the southern portion of the zone in Extreme(D3) drought improving to Moderate(D1) drought over the north. By the end of February, all of the zone was in Extreme(D3) drought except the far northeast where it was placed in Severe(D2) drought. The Deming airport received only a trace of precipitation which was 0.62 inches below normal.
The southern half of the zone started in Severe(D2) drought while the north was in Moderate(D1) drought. By the end of the month, most of the west was in Extreme(D3) drought with the remainder of the zone in Severe(D2) drought.
Most of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought with Severe(D2) drought mainly in the northeastern portion of the zone. There was no precipitation at the Cooperative Observer at New Mexico State University which was 0.36 inches below normal.
Extreme(D3) drought continued over the far southeast portion of the zone while areas across the north transitioned from Moderate(D1) drought to mainly Severe(D2) drought. The Mountain Park Cooperative Observer reported 0.11 inches of precipitation which was 0.95 inches below normal.
Most of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought with areas in the northwest that started in Abnormally Dry(D0) to Moderate(D1) drought worsened one category to Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought. The Cloudcroft Cooperative Observer reported 0.33 inches of precipitation which was 1.36 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Severe(D2) drought. There was no precipitation at the Elk Cooperative Observer which was 0.33 inches below normal.
The northeast portion of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought while the remainder of the zone stayed in Extreme(D3) drought.
The zone started in Severe(D2) drought but by the end of the month, the western half of the zone moved into Extreme(D3) drought. The White Signal Cooperative Observer reported 0.32 inches of precipitation which was 0.74 inches below normal.
The month started with the western half of the zone in Severe(D2) drought with the east in Moderate(D1) drought. Most of the zone within Grant County moved into Extreme(D3) drought with little change further east.
The zone ranged from Extreme(D3) drought over the south to Abnormally Dry(D0) drought over the north with most of the northern areas finishing the month in Moderate(D1) drought. The White Sands National Park Cooperative Observer reported 0.03 inches of precipitation which was 0.35 inches below normal.
The southwest portion of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought while the remainder of the zone continued in Severe(D2) drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2025
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: 1233364, 1233365, 1233366, 1233367, 1233369, 1233371, 1233373, 1233374, 1233376, 1233377, 1233378, 1233379, 1233380, 1233381, 1233383, 1233384.