New Mexico, 2025Dust Storm in New Mexico, February 27, 2025
February 27, 2025 · NWS EPZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A back door cold front pushed through southern New Mexico the morning of February 27th. On the back side of the front, east to southeast winds increased across the Lordsburg Playa and created dust channels which reduced visibilities to near zero along Interstate 10 resulting in a fatal accident.
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- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A back door cold front pushed through southern New Mexico the morning of February 27th. On the back side of the front, east to southeast winds increased across the Lordsburg Playa and created dust channels which reduced visibilities to near zero along Interstate 10 resulting in a fatal accident.
What forecasters said that day
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 Feb 27, 4:40 AM MST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 435 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
- A cold front will move continue to move across the area today creating breezy to windy conditions, especially for locations bordering Arizona.
- Temperatures rebound again by the weekend and into Monday.
- Breezy to windy conditions combined with dry air will create fire weather concerns Saturday through Tuesday.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 4:40 AM MST, 3 hours 35 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
440 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 435 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
- A cold front will move continue to move across the area today
creating breezy to windy conditions, especially for locations
bordering Arizona.
- Temperatures rebound again by the weekend and into Monday.
- Breezy to windy conditions combined with dry air will create
fire weather concerns Saturday through Tuesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 230 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
A backdoor cold front will continue pushing east to west across
the area today, creating breezy winds for much of the lowlands.
Windy conditions will be seen for several hours this morning and
early afternoon in Hidalgo county, especially in and around the
area where I-10 passes through the county. A wind advisory has
been issued for this area this morning through mid afternoon
today. Aloft, a moisture starved shortwave trough stays stagnant
over AZ through the remainder of the day today and through much
of Friday. Light winds, dry conditions and gradual warming can be
expected on Friday before breezy to windy conditions and fire
weather concerns will be seen over the weekend. Heading into
Saturday, the aforementioned cutoff low will slowly migrate
eastward closer to the area from southern California. This will
create breezy to windy conditions for the area, but especially for
locations bordering Arizona. Models last night had this upper low
well to our north, but the new track with the latest model data
has the low skirting just to the north of the CWA. Precipitation
continues to look bleak as we're on the southern side of the low.
However, this will create fire weather and dust concerns. By
Sunday, the low progresses east along the northern CWA line and
then begins to lift out of New Mexico and into the central Great
Plains. Breezy conditions continue into Sunday, but won't be as
windy as Saturday. Elevated fire weather concerns Sunday as well
as dust issues. Dust shouldn't be as impactful as Saturday, but
dust production seems quite likely.
The next big upper trough arrives in time for Monday causing windy
conditions across the area, dust, and critical fire weather
concerns. Continued breezy winds and red flag issues will persist
Tuesday. Midweek next week seems a bit quieter as a ridge starts
to build in.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 435 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
VFR conditions will persist through the TAF period. Continued
breezy east winds will persist for all sites this morning,
gradually calming in the afternoon and should be AOB 10KT for
sites after 00Z except KDMN where low end breeziness may persist.
Skies continue to clear out today but may see FEW-SCT100 and
FEW-SCT250 later tonight.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 230 AM MST Thu Feb 27 2025
Elevated to critical fire concerns are expected each day starting
Saturday lasting through Tuesday. Breezy east to southeast winds
will be seen today for much of the lowlands thanks to a cold front
that has been pushing through the area. This will raise min RHs
largely out of critical thresholds, but still around 16-20% in the
lowlands and 25-35% in the area mountains. Dry conditions persist,
returning critical RHs on Friday to locations west of the Rio
Grande, but winds will stay well below critical thresholds. That
all changes heading into Saturday as breezy to windy southerly to
southwest winds are expected that afternoon coupled with single
digit RHs across the lowlands and RHs 15-20% in the area
mountains. May need a fire weather watch/Red Flag warning for
Saturday afternoon if these trends continue. Sunday is still
breezy but not as windy as what we're expecting Saturday. Min RHs
Sunday will still be within critical thresholds for the lowlands
and around 20-30% for the mountains. Monday will be another windy
day coupled with critical min RHs. Looks like a red flag warning
may be needed that afternoon areawide if these trends continue.
Critical RHs persist Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday looks to be
another breezy to windy day which would create near critical to
critical fire conditions almost areawide.
Ventilation rates will be good to very good today, poor to good
tomorrow, and good to excellent over the weekend. Rates will
become excellent Monday and Tuesday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 67 40 72 44 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 60 33 69 39 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 64 35 69 37 / 0 0 0 0
Alamogordo 65 33 68 37 / 0 0 0 0
Cloudcroft 43 25 50 30 / 0 0 0 0
Truth or Consequences 63 35 68 38 / 0 0 0 0
Silver City 59 35 64 37 / 0 0 0 0
Deming 66 35 71 35 / 0 0 0 0
Lordsburg 66 36 70 36 / 0 0 0 0
West El Paso Metro 65 43 70 46 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 64 31 69 35 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 68 34 75 39 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 58 37 65 42 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 68 38 74 41 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 64 38 69 40 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 65 40 68 45 / 0 0 0 0
Jornada Range 64 33 69 35 / 0 0 0 0
Hatch 67 33 72 35 / 0 0 0 0
Columbus 67 38 71 40 / 0 0 0 0
Orogrande 63 34 67 38 / 0 0 0 0
Mayhill 51 27 63 32 / 0 0 0 0
Mescalero 54 26 60 31 / 10 0 0 0
Timberon 51 25 59 30 / 0 0 0 0
Winston 56 23 62 27 / 0 0 0 0
Hillsboro 62 33 67 37 / 0 0 0 0
Spaceport 64 31 68 34 / 0 0 0 0
Lake Roberts 59 32 65 35 / 10 0 0 0
Hurley 61 31 66 33 / 0 0 0 0
Cliff 67 28 73 29 / 0 0 0 0
Mule Creek 63 33 67 35 / 10 0 0 0
Faywood 60 35 65 37 / 0 0 0 0
Animas 67 33 72 35 / 0 0 0 0
Hachita 65 33 71 35 / 0 0 0 0
Antelope Wells 67 34 74 38 / 0 0 0 0
Cloverdale 63 36 68 42 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Wind Advisory until 8 AM MST this morning for Eastern/Central El
Paso County-Western El Paso County.
NM...Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 3 PM MST this afternoon
for Lowlands of the Bootheel-Southwest Desert/Lower Gila
River Valley-Uplands of the Bootheel.
Wind Advisory until 8 AM MST this morning for Southern Dona Ana
County/Mesilla Valley.
&&
FORECASTER...37-SlusherDust Storm, Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
- When
- February 27, 8:15 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 3 indirect
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 32.326, -108.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winds gusted over 50 mph at times along the Lordsburg Playa resulting in dust channels that created near zero visibilities. These visibilities affected Interstate 10 and caused an 11 vehicle accident around mile marker 10. The accident and continued reduced visibilities at times kept the interstate closed through much of the day.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Dense Fog in Texas, February 27, 20252 injured · 1 event
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 27 to 28, 20259 events
- Hail in Ohio, February 27, 20251 in hail · 7 events
- Winter Weather in Maine, February 27, 20256 events
- High Wind in Montana, February 27, 202553 kt wind · 3 events
- High Wind in California, February 27 to 28, 202570 kt wind · 3 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, February 27, 20252 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, February 27, 20252 events
- Wildfire in South Carolina, February 27, 20251 event
- Hail in Kentucky, February 27, 20250.75 in hail · 1 event
- High Wind in Montana, February 27, 202555 kt wind · 1 event
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: 1233415.