An unseasonably and record deep upper trough for mid-March moved through the intermountain West late on March 13th closing off into a deep upper low on March 14th. Strong south to southwest winds ahead of the trough resulted in blowing dust across southern Chaves County resulting in the closure of NM Highway 2 at Hagerman.
Every event with a place to put it; 32 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.
An unseasonably and record deep upper trough for mid-March moved through the intermountain West late on March 13th closing off into a deep upper low on March 14th. Strong south to southwest winds ahead of the trough resulted in blowing dust across southern Chaves County resulting in the closure of NM Highway 2 at Hagerman. The Pacific front moved through the state during the overnight hours of March 13th into March 14th. Subsidence behind the Pacific front combined with strong mid and upper-level winds at the base of this trough, a strong pressure gradient south and west of the newly formed upper low and 975 mb surface low across the central Great Plains resulted in widespread high wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph across central New Mexico from the early morning to around midday and across eastern New Mexico during the morning through mid afternoon hours. These wind gusts behind the Pacific front resulted in wind damage across several zones in eastern New Mexico along with widespread blowing dust across the Lower Rio Grande Valley and eastern New Mexico. Strong and dangerous westerly crosswinds even closed down I-25 from Las Vegas to Raton during the late morning to mid afternoon hours. Winds and blowing dust subsided during the late afternoon and early evening hours as the strong storm system and associated higher mid and upper-level winds, exited east of the state.
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 Mar 13, 2:45 PM MST, 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 345 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 ...New SYNOPSIS, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 250 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 - A potentially historical, multi-hazard spring storm system will continue to impact the region through Saturday. Hazards include widespread strong to damaging wind gusts, high to locally extreme fire danger and blowing dust in the east, and minor to moderate winter impacts that will favor the western and northern mountains. One or more snow squalls may bring brief periods of major impacts due to rapidly deteriorating road and visibility conditions tonight. - A second, less powerful system on Saturday will bring another round of minor winter impacts and windy conditions. Blowing snow and blowing dust will once again create hazardous driving conditions for motorists. - Winds ramp up Monday, then widespread strong to damaging winds will return on Tuesday. Blowing dust and critical fire weather conditions are expected each afternoon. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 250 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 High impact weather is expected over the next 24 to 30 hours. Strong winds today will only increase in intensity overnight and into Friday. Widespread gusts between 50 and 80 mph are expected through sunset Friday. These damaging winds may cause structural damage, downed power lines and will create treacherous conditions for high profile vehicles. Blowing dust will also reduce visibility across southern and eastern New Mexico. High to locally extreme critical fire weather conditions are also expected across the eastern plains. Last but not least, there is moderate to high potential for a snow squall along a cold front late tonight across western and portions of central New Mexico which could rapidly deteriorate road and visibility conditions. Quieter, but still windy and wintry conditions expected on Saturday. Tuesday looks to be another day with high winds, critical fire weather conditions and widespread blowing dust. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday night) Issued at 250 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 ...AN EXTREME MULTI-HAZARD EARLY SPRING STORM EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... A potent upper level trough is moving into the western U.S. this afternoon with 500 mb heights as low as 538 dam over the Great Basin of northern Nevada. An atmospheric river is being observed across western Utah and Arizona ahead of the trough axis and on the leading edge of the Pacific front. Meanwhile, over southern and western NM, southwest winds are already gusty due to 40 to 50 kt 700 mb winds already mixing down to the surface. A wind gust of 59 mph has already been observed at KSRR as of 1455 LT and this is just a precursor of what is to come tonight into tomorrow. Let's first talk about the winter weather side of this system. The atmospheric river and strong band of rain and snow on the leading edge of the Pacific front will move into western NM this evening at around 8 to 9 PM. 700 mb temperatures will plummet quickly behind the front to as low as -12 deg C come sunrise Friday, so rain will quickly transition to snow resulting in a flash freeze. The HRRR snow squall parameter is showing high probabilities in western NM late tonight into early tomorrow morning, so snow squall warnings will likely need to be issued for this band along and behind the Pacific front. The snow squall will hold together as it moves into the northern mountains just before sunrise, due to upslope flow, resulting in brief higher snowfall rates there before drier westerly flow allows it to weaken and taper off mid to late Friday morning. The snow squall will likely dissipate across the middle and lower RGV early Friday morning due to downslope westerly flow but could get 1 to 3 inches across the peaks of the Sandia, Manzano and Sacramento Mountains through mid Friday morning. Snow will mostly taper off across the northern mountains by midday Friday. Expect accumulations of around 5 to 10 inches across the peaks of the southwest and north central mountains with generally around an inch elsewhere across western and north central NM through late Friday morning. Now onto the more impactful part of this storm: the wind. The upper trough will close off into a 535 dam 500 mb low as it moves over northern NM early Friday morning. 700 mb winds will increase to 50 to 60 kts across central and southern NM come 12Z Friday. These mid level winds will easily mix down to the surface due to subsidence behind the Pacific front. Therefore, expect southwest winds to back to a westerly direction and increase sharply behind the Pacific frontal passage. Blowing snow is very likely across western and north central NM. With the 500 mb low near the minimum values for mid March, the presence of a 975 to 980 mb surface low over eastern CO, and a very strong low to upper level gradient over the state south of the low, very high to damaging west winds are expected along and east of the central mountain chain Friday morning through late Friday afternoon. MOS Guidance from the NAM and GFS is showing sustained winds of 45 to 50 kts (50 to 60 mph) across the I-40 corridor of east central NM just south of the upper low circulation mid Friday morning through early Friday afternoon as the mid level 60 to 70 kt speed max moves overhead. Wind gusts of up to 80 mph will be possible across much of eastern NM. Additionally, with very low min RH values critical to locally extreme fire weather conditions are expected. For the RGV, there could be a little lull in winds mid Friday morning before daytime mixing brings stronger winds aloft down. Gusts of 45 to 55 mph are expected across central NM west of the central mountain chain, but a few rogue gusts of 60 to 65 mph cannot be ruled out through the early afternoon. Winds gradually taper off across the region Friday evening as mid and upper level winds weaken. It will take the longest across the east slopes of the central mountain chain and adjacent highlands. A trailing disturbance moves into the Four Corners area Friday night into Saturday morning brining another round of light snow showers to western and north central NM. Accumulations with this round should be minimal. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 250 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 A secondary disturbance will slide across the state on Saturday. This will bring another round of light precipitation to much of the state. H7 temperatures will be quite cold, especially to start the state, in the -7 to -10C range, but do warm to -4 to -6C by late in the afternoon. Thus, most of the precipitation will fall as snow, though lower elevations may change over to rain late in the day. Accumulations will be minimal, however. Even mountain areas will struggle to get much more than an inch or two of the white stuff. However, winds will be gusty yet again, though nothing compared to Friday. Northwest wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph will be common with locally higher gusts in northwest flow favored locales across western and central NM. Areas of limited visibility will be possible, particularly around Roswell, in blowing dust. A weak boundary across northeast and east central NM should temper wind speeds there. This system should slide out of NM Saturday night, with precipitation lingering the longest over the Northern Mountains. Broad, but weak, ridging is in store for Sunday, but a few breezes will still develop along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain as a lee side trough gradually deepens. Temperatures will warm up 10 to 15 degrees on average from Saturday's readings. The ridge will slide eastward on Monday, resulting in stiff southwest flow over NM. Widespread breezy to windy conditions will develop with moderate mixing Monday afternoon. Temperatures will also rise 10 to 15 degrees from Sunday's readings. In fact, all areas will be 5 to 15 degrees above normal sending RH values plummeting. Winds aloft will only continue to increase through Tuesday as the next upper level trough approaches and crosses the area. Another potent cold front will race from west to east, but most of the moisture will stay north of the NM/CO border. A few showers are expected across the northern mountains, but amounts look to be light once again. Rather, wind gusts may top 60 mph once again along and behind the front, especially across eastern NM. Blowing dust will again be a concern as well as widespread critical fire weather conditions. There are some timing and strength inconsistencies between models, but confidence is already moderate to high that this will be another high wind event. That said, it does not look to be as strong as Friday's event. Cooler conditions expected areawide on Wednesday with breezy to locally windy conditions under northwest flow aloft. Most areas will be 5 to 15 degrees below normal. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1209 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 Southwest winds will quickly increasing in many locations this afternoon. Gusts of up to 40 KT across the south central mountains, east slopes of the central mountain chain, and the northeast plains, including KLVS. Wind speeds will probably weaken temporarily for many, outside of the southern high terrain early this evening, before strengthening further late evening into Friday morning as a strong Pacific cold front surges through the state. Some patchy blowing dust is expected today in dust- prone locations. A snow squall along the Pacific front will likely produce a few hours of IFR conditions and mountain obscurations across western and north central NM before conditions gradually improve back to VFR come mid Friday morning. Elsewhere, very strong west and northwest wind gusts of 45-65 kts are expected along and east of the Continental Divide a majority of Friday once the Pacific front moves through late tonight/early Friday morning. Eastern areas will be favored for widespread blowing dust. This will result in MVFR and IFR conditions due to poor visibility and low ceilings. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 250 PM MDT Thu Mar 13 2025 ...CRITICAL TO LOCALLY EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS EASTERN AREAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON... Southwest winds will continue to strengthen across central and eastern areas for the rest of this afternoon and evening. This combined with minimum relative humidity values below 20 percent will result in rapid fire spread across this part of the state. A strong Pacific cold front will enter and move across the state tonight through tomorrow morning. A few to several inches of snow accumulation mainly over the western and northern mountains behind the front tonight. Additionally, very strong west and northwest wind gusts of 45 to 80 mph will exist for most locations across central and eastern areas late tonight through Friday afternoon before trending weaker Friday evening. Temperatures will fall to below average values on Friday. However, these high winds combined with minimum relative humidity values in the low to mid teens and very dry fine fuels will result in rapid and explosive fire growth across northeast and east central areas Friday afternoon. Northwest winds will remain gusty Saturday, though not as strong as Friday. Thankfully, cool temperatures and higher humidities than Friday will prevent critical fire weather conditions from developing. After lighter winds and milder temperatures Sunday and Monday, another high wind event looks increasingly likely for Tuesday. These high winds combined with minimum relative humidity values in the upper single digits to low teens will again result in critical fire weather conditions for zones along and east of I-25. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 32 46 28 48 / 90 30 30 30 Dulce........................... 22 39 16 43 / 100 60 30 50 Cuba............................ 24 39 21 42 / 90 40 50 50 Gallup.......................... 25 39 19 44 / 100 10 50 40 El Morro........................ 24 37 22 39 / 100 20 50 60 Grants.......................... 26 41 22 45 / 90 5 30 40 Quemado......................... 24 40 23 42 / 100 10 60 60 Magdalena....................... 28 45 26 46 / 80 0 20 30 Datil........................... 25 40 23 41 / 90 0 30 40 Reserve......................... 23 41 20 50 / 100 10 70 60 Glenwood........................ 27 43 27 50 / 100 20 70 70 Chama........................... 20 35 13 40 / 100 60 20 50 Los Alamos...................... 27 42 24 42 / 90 40 20 30 Pecos........................... 25 43 21 43 / 90 20 10 30 Cerro/Questa.................... 25 38 17 39 / 80 40 5 40 Red River....................... 19 30 12 30 / 80 40 5 40 Angel Fire...................... 22 35 14 35 / 80 40 5 50 Taos............................ 25 41 17 43 / 80 30 5 30 Mora............................ 24 41 18 42 / 70 20 5 40 Espanola........................ 31 49 25 50 / 90 30 20 20 Santa Fe........................ 26 44 23 43 / 90 40 20 30 Santa Fe Airport................ 28 47 24 47 / 90 30 20 30 Albuquerque Foothills........... 33 47 30 50 / 70 10 20 30 Albuquerque Heights............. 34 49 31 52 / 60 5 10 20 Albuquerque Valley.............. 35 51 31 53 / 60 5 5 20 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 34 49 30 52 / 70 10 10 20 Belen........................... 34 53 30 55 / 40 5 10 20 Bernalillo...................... 34 50 30 54 / 80 10 20 20 Bosque Farms.................... 34 52 30 54 / 50 5 10 20 Corrales........................ 34 49 30 53 / 70 10 10 20 Los Lunas....................... 35 52 30 54 / 50 5 10 20 Placitas........................ 32 47 28 49 / 80 10 20 20 Rio Rancho...................... 34 49 30 53 / 70 10 10 20 Socorro......................... 37 54 32 56 / 70 0 10 30 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 28 42 24 45 / 90 10 20 30 Tijeras......................... 30 45 26 46 / 90 10 20 30 Edgewood........................ 28 46 24 48 / 90 5 10 20 Moriarty/Estancia............... 27 47 22 49 / 90 5 10 20 Clines Corners.................. 24 42 22 44 / 70 5 5 20 Mountainair..................... 27 45 23 47 / 80 0 10 20 Gran Quivira.................... 28 46 23 46 / 90 0 5 20 Carrizozo....................... 32 49 28 48 / 80 5 10 30 Ruidoso......................... 27 40 25 43 / 80 5 20 30 Capulin......................... 30 52 20 45 / 0 10 0 20 Raton........................... 31 54 22 47 / 5 10 0 20 Springer........................ 33 55 24 48 / 10 0 0 20 Las Vegas....................... 28 47 21 46 / 50 5 0 20 Clayton......................... 38 60 29 51 / 0 10 5 10 Roy............................. 34 55 27 48 / 0 0 5 20 Conchas......................... 39 62 31 54 / 0 0 5 20 Santa Rosa...................... 36 55 31 51 / 10 0 0 20 Tucumcari....................... 39 63 32 54 / 0 0 10 20 Clovis.......................... 36 59 32 55 / 0 0 5 20 Portales........................ 37 60 33 55 / 0 0 0 20 Fort Sumner..................... 37 59 32 57 / 10 0 0 20 Roswell......................... 42 66 34 63 / 10 0 0 20 Picacho......................... 34 55 31 54 / 50 0 5 20 Elk............................. 31 49 28 53 / 60 5 10 30 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM MDT Friday for NMZ203-211-218. Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ104-106- 123>126. Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Friday for NMZ104-126. High Wind Warning from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ212-215-221>225-229-232>239. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 6 AM MDT Friday for NMZ202-205>208. Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ207-211-218. High Wind Warning from midnight tonight to noon MDT Friday for NMZ220-241. Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ219. Winter Storm Warning from 9 PM this evening to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ210-213-214. High Wind Warning from 6 AM to noon MDT Friday for NMZ208. High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ226-240. High Wind Warning from 6 AM to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ227-228- 230-231. && SHORT TERM...71 LONG TERM....34 AVIATION...71 Please note: The SYNOPSIS section will be terminated on or about Friday, April 4.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 high wind, 5 dust storm, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
State Road 2 was closed from mile marker 17 to mile marker 18 due to zero visibility from blowing dust.
The Albuquerque Airport ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph. A truck with camper trailer was also flipped over along I-25 near Los Lunas, reported by the Isleta Pueblo Fire Department.
The La Bajada Hill NM DOT weather station measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
The Mine White Sands Missile Range mesonet station measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Santa Fe CWOP station measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Little Burro White Sands Missile Range station measured a peak wind gust of 68 mph.
The Oscura Range Camp White Sands Missile Range station measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
Peak gusts surpassing instrumentation's limit of 67 mph were observed at the mesonet stations southeast of Vaughn, Newkirk, Puerto de Luna, and Thompson Cattle Ranch. Peak gusts surpassing 60 mph were measured across the zone. The public reported a large steel restaurant sign was blown down in Santa Rosa.
NM State Police reported two tractor trailers being flipped over at milepost 391 and 393 along I-25 from high wind gusts. I-25 was subsequently closed from milepost 347 to the CO border after these accidents. There are no reports of injuries or fatalities.
The Esperanza Sol y Paz public weather station measured a peak gust 82 mph, as well as a high sustained wind of 68 mph. The Las Vegas Airport ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph. Strong crosswinds resulted in the closure of I-25 from Las Vegas northward to the CO border. Time estimated based on timing for the adjacent Far Northeast Highlands zone.
The Nogal mesonet station measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph.
The Dunken RAWS measured a peak wind gust of 65 mph.
The Clines Corners ASOS station measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph, and a high sustained wind speed of 41 mph.
The Roswell Airport ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 75 mph. Peak wind gusts of 58 and 63 mph were measured in Dexter and Hagerman respectively.
The Harbor Court public weather station near Conchas Lake measured a peak gust of 69 mph.
Peak gusts surpassing instrumentation's limit of 67 mph was observed at the mesonet stations at Logan and Tucumcari. Emergency management reported lots of debris in the community, including numerous power poles down and roof damage.
The Amistad mesonet station measured a peak gust that surpassed the instrumentation's peak gust limit of 67 mph. The Clayton ASOS also measured a peak gust of 66 mph.
The KNMROCIA22 wundermap public weather station measured a peak gust of 77 mph, as well as a high sustained wind speed of 57 mph. A trained spotter reported downed trees and power outages.
The Clovis Airport AWOS measured a peak gust of 74 mph. Peak gusts of 60 to 66 mph were measured elsewhere nearby Clovis. NM 467 at mile marker 16 was closed due to a CMV flipped on its side from high winds. High wind gusts also peeled off the roof of a local church in Clovis.
The Magdalena Observatory measured a peak wind gust of 70 mph.
The Sandia Airpark public weather station measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph.
The Three Pine Ranch public weather station measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
Peak wind gusts surpassed the limit of 67 mph for the East Fort Sumner mesonet station. The mesonet station south of Fort Sumner also measured a peak wind gust of 63 mph.
The Roswell Relief Route from Sunset Avenue to Brasher Road, U.S. 285 from mile marker 105 to mile marker 110, and State Road 2 from mile marker 17, Hagerman to mile marker 21, 1 mile north of Greenfield due to near zero visibility from blowing dust. Visibility at the Roswell Air Center dropped blow a quarter of a mile due to blowing dust.
The Melrose Gunnery Range AWOS measured a peak gust of 70 mph. High wind gusts caused damage to multiple sheds and outbuildings, blew off a roof to a barn at the intersection of South Roosevelt Road Q and South Roosevelt Road 8, and snapped utility poles at NM Highway 236 and South Roosevelt Road X.
The Los Alamos Airport measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Hartley Ranch public weather station measured a peak gust of 60 mph.
Heavy blowing dust resulted in near zero visibility on I-25 from milepost 166 to milepost 167 north of Socorro.
Multiple vehicle accidents reported by Curry County Sheriff's Department due to zero visibility from blowing dust along U.S. Highway 70 between Clovis and Portales.
Dust storm reducing visibility to less than one quarter of a mile along New Mexico State Highway 236.
High winds and elevated fire weather conditions resulted in a downed utility line on private land in Mora County east of I-25 and south of Wagon Mound that resulted in a fast moving wildfire. Discovered at 12:05pm local time, the Mogote Hill fire quickly raced east-southeastward across grasslands growing to 21,300 acres by March 15th. The wildfire prompted evacuations from two homes along a NM 271. Precipitation and lesser winds allowed crews to gain control and put out the fire by March 15th.
The Roswell Portable 2 measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
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: 1233957, 1233476, 1233475, 1233477, 1233473, 1233481, 1233482, 1233489, 1233484, 1233485, 1233483, 1233509, 1233480, 1233507, 1233488, 1233490, 1233486, 1233474, 1233497, 1233471, 1233478, 1233479, 1233506, 1233958, 1233505, 1233472, 1233487, 1233959, 1233963, 1233965, 1235066, 1233508.