A fast moving, negatively tilted trough moved from the Great Basin into New Mexico during the overnight hours of March 13-14. Ahead of the trough and associated cold front, winds picked up dust over the Lordsburg Playa and El Paso.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
A fast moving, negatively tilted trough moved from the Great Basin into New Mexico during the overnight hours of March 13-14. Ahead of the trough and associated cold front, winds picked up dust over the Lordsburg Playa and El Paso. As the cold front moved through overnight, winds gusted to 95 mph at San Augustin Pass with several other 70+ mph wind gusts noted.
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 Mar 13, 2:23 PM MST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
323 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025
...New DISCUSSION, FIRE WEATHER...
- Series of Pacific storms will bring strong winds and a chance
of showers to the area tonight through Saturday.
- Blowing dust/poor visibility will once again be the biggest
impact on both this evening and into Friday afternoon.
- Mountain snow and lowland rainfall tonight into Friday, with a
chance for light snow in the lowlands Friday morning.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 259 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025
A highly amplified pattern is en route to the Borderland from the
Pacific in the short term. Unsettled weather will take hold
overnight, with strong winds and increasing chances for precip,
especially across the high terrain. An incredibly robust 300 mb
jet will slide into the region early in the evening, draping its
135 kt jet max across southern NM and far west TX. Winds at 700mb
strengthen to around 65 kts for nearly the entire CWA by midnight.
Meanwhile, a perpendicular sfc gradient will help to enhance
turbulent flow, allowing for these strong winds to mix down to the
sfc throughout the night. This will translate to significant
gusts between 60 and 75 mph across much of the eastern portion of
the CWA but even before that, sustained winds are near or above
very windy to damaging criteria. Given that sustained speeds alone
are likely to exceed 40 mph, did decide to upgrade eastern
portions of the CWA that were in the Wind Advisory to a High Wind
Warning.
Less certainty exists in the realm of precipitation overnight, as
the system tracks across the CWA. A jet streak will dip down across
southwestern NM around midnight, bringing enhanced dynamics to the
southwest mts. Accompanying moisture will outrun the colder air,
leading to a higher likelihood of a rain dominated event for most
areas. Nonetheless, signal does exist for accumulating snowfall
across the Black/Gila earlier in the night and as such, did
maintain the previously issued Winter Weather Advisory. As the
system pushes eastward, the Sacs come into play. Once again, the
better dynamics and moisture will race ahead of the colder air but
up to 3 inches of snowfall is favored across the terrain above
7500', and did hoist a Winter Weather Advisory for the area as
well. Very cold temperatures will accompany this frontal passage
across the Sacs, with wind chills falling near -10F Friday
morning.
The system ejects quickly into the Great Plains by mid Friday
morning, allowing the H5 pressure gradient to slowly relax. Winds
will steadily decrease throughout the day alongside markedly colder
temperatures. A shortwave will dive down out of the Great Basin
on Saturday but will likely only bring isolated showers/snow and
breezy conditions. Quiet conditions will prevail on Sunday and
Monday before another system sets its sights on the Borderland
Tuesday. Strong winds look to be on the horizon once again, this
time with less hope of precip.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1134 AM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025
Complex weather setup heading into this TAF cycle as an amplified
trough pushes ewd from the Pacific. Swly winds will strengthen
during the aftn leading to BLDU, particularly in and around KDMN
and KLRU. Winds will continue to increase through the evening and
overnight period, with gusts up to 50 kts near terminals. LLWS
will be present around the high terrain and near KDMN btwn 14/05Z
and 14/08Z. As the system moves into NM, isold to sct shwrs will
follow, favoring wrn and centrl areas. Direct hits to terminals
will result in brief reductions to MVFR cigs/vsbys, with more lcl
IFR conditions. Winds will peak btwn 14/08Z and 04/12Z,
diminishing aft sunrise.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 259 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025
...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM FOR THE RIO GRANDE
VALLEY AND EASTWARD...
Critical fire weather conditions will prevail through the remainder
of the day today ahead of an incoming system. Gusty winds will
strengthen through the evening hours, peaking overnight as a frontal
passage makes its way across the Borderland. An influx of moisture
with the system will help to keep critical fire weather conditions
at bay through the the weekend, though near-critical conditions will
exist across portions of far west Texas. Another system will advance
into the area on Tuesday, bringing strong winds in conjunction with
very low humidity. Widespread critical fire weather conditions are
expected, with extreme conditions across the Rio Grande Valley and
eastward. Much drier air will fall in behind the system on
Wednesday, but lighter winds will help to keep fire conditions only
elevated.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 41 58 39 59 / 60 0 30 50
Sierra Blanca 37 55 35 55 / 30 10 10 40
Las Cruces 32 52 32 57 / 80 0 20 40
Alamogordo 30 55 30 56 / 90 10 20 30
Cloudcroft 15 32 17 33 / 90 20 40 40
Truth or Consequences 35 55 32 58 / 80 0 20 30
Silver City 24 40 27 43 / 100 10 60 70
Deming 32 52 32 55 / 90 0 40 50
Lordsburg 28 49 31 53 / 100 10 60 70
West El Paso Metro 41 55 39 57 / 60 0 30 50
Dell City 38 58 35 59 / 40 10 10 30
Fort Hancock 41 62 38 61 / 30 10 20 40
Loma Linda 33 49 34 51 / 60 10 30 50
Fabens 40 59 37 60 / 50 10 20 40
Santa Teresa 36 54 36 56 / 70 0 30 50
White Sands HQ 38 54 37 57 / 80 10 30 40
Jornada Range 32 53 31 58 / 80 10 20 30
Hatch 33 55 33 59 / 90 0 20 40
Columbus 36 55 36 58 / 80 0 30 50
Orogrande 35 53 34 56 / 70 10 20 40
Mayhill 22 44 24 45 / 80 10 20 30
Mescalero 19 42 21 43 / 90 10 30 40
Timberon 17 41 20 43 / 80 10 30 40
Winston 18 45 22 48 / 90 0 30 40
Hillsboro 28 50 29 54 / 90 10 30 40
Spaceport 30 56 27 58 / 80 10 20 30
Lake Roberts 20 39 24 43 / 100 20 60 70
Hurley 25 44 27 47 / 100 10 50 60
Cliff 22 47 27 51 / 100 20 60 70
Mule Creek 24 41 28 45 / 100 20 70 70
Faywood 27 45 29 48 / 100 10 40 60
Animas 30 53 32 57 / 90 10 50 60
Hachita 30 52 31 55 / 80 10 40 50
Antelope Wells 31 54 34 57 / 80 10 40 60
Cloverdale 29 48 34 51 / 90 10 50 70
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Friday for Rio
Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County-Western El
Paso County.
Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth
Highlands/Hueco Mountains-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El
Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern
Hudspeth County-Salt Basin-Southern Hudspeth Highlands-
Western El Paso County.
Red Flag Warning until 7 PM MDT this evening for Texas Fire
Weather Zone 055 El Paso County- Texas Fire Weather Zone
056 Hudspeth County.
High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Friday for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth
Highlands/Hueco Mountains-Salt Basin-Southern Hudspeth
Highlands.
NM...Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Friday for
Lowlands of the Bootheel-Northern Dona Ana County-Sierra
County Lakes-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-
Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley-Southern Gila Region
Highlands/Black Range-Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River
Valley-Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-Uplands of the
Bootheel.
Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT
Friday for Central Grant County/Silver City Area-Southern
Gila Region Highlands/Black Range.
Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for East
Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo-East Slopes Sacramento
Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Lowlands of the Bootheel-Northern
Dona Ana County-Otero Mesa-Sacramento Mountains Above 7500
Feet-Southeast Tularosa Basin-Southern Dona Ana
County/Mesilla Valley-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres
Valley-Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Southwest
Desert/Mimbres Basin-Uplands of the Bootheel-West Central
Tularosa Basin/White Sands-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains
Below 7500 Feet.
Red Flag Warning until 7 PM MDT this evening for South Central
Lowlands and Southern Rio Grande Valley/BLM/GLZ.
High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Friday for
East Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo-East Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Eastern Black Range
Foothills-Otero Mesa-Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet-
Southeast Tularosa Basin-West Central Tularosa Basin/White
Sands-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.
Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM MDT Friday
for Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet.
&&
FORECASTER...99The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
NMDOT cameras and visibility sensors on Interstate 10 near mile marker 15 reported less than a half mile visibility.
The ASOS at the Truth or Consequences Airport reported a peak gust of 62 mph.
A peak gust of 63 mph was recorded at the LC-33 Mesonet site. Other gusts across the zone included 59 mph at the Dripping Springs RAWS and 58 mph at the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Mesonet site.
The Hachita Valley Mesonet site recorded a peak gust of 60 mph.
A peak gust of 95 mph was recorded at San Augustin Pass. Other gusts across the zone included 87 mph at Salinas Peak, 72 mph at the EMRE station on the White Sands Missile Range(WSMR), 71 mph at C-Station on WSMR, 68 mph at the WSMR Museum and 63 mph at the Main Post. There was also damage to the WSMR Headquarters residential area where a large tree was uprooted. A boat was also thrown into an RV.
The CDRRC Camp Location Mesonet site recorded a peak gust of 63 mph.
A peak gust of 70 mph was recorded in High Rolls and the Mescalero RAWS recorded a gust of 68 mph. In addition to the wind gusts, a tree was downed near the tunnel on Highway 82 west of High Rolls.
The Holloman Air Force Base AWOS recorded a peak gust of 59 mph.
Visibilities down to approximately 1200 feet were reported 2 miles north of Mesilla in West Las Cruces.
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, March 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: 1245923, 1245941, 1245932, 1245935, 1245928, 1245930, 1245936, 1245937, 1245947.