A shortwave trough moved quickly across the central Rockies during the day of March 22nd with some stronger mid and upper-level winds across northern New Mexico at the base of this trough. Deep daytime mixing allowed some of the winds to mix down to the surface across the northeast and central highlands with a brief high wind gust of 59 mph observed at KRTN.
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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 shortwave trough moved quickly across the central Rockies during the day of March 22nd with some stronger mid and upper-level winds across northern New Mexico at the base of this trough. Deep daytime mixing allowed some of the winds to mix down to the surface across the northeast and central highlands with a brief high wind gust of 59 mph observed at KRTN. Winds tapered off at around sunset as the shortwave trough exited east into the Great Plains.
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 22, 4:24 PM MST, 5 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 524 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 407 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 - The combination of gusty winds and low humidity will continue to create critical fire weather conditions across the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and much of eastern New Mexico through the early evening. If a fire starts, rapid fire spread is likely. - Generally above normal temperatures are expected next week with a slight chance of light rainfall across southeast areas and gusty and erratic winds across the high terrain late Wednesday and Thursday. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 146 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 Winds have strengthened today, particularly over the northern and central mountains and highlands where gusts of 40 to 55 mph have been common. Dry conditions and very low humidity have also been present, leading to a higher risk of rapid fire growth and spread, and this threat will continue through the early evening. Temperatures will cool 5 to 15 degrees on Sunday, especially in eastern New Mexico due to a weak cold front moving in late today and tonight. After that, a warmer than normal trend will get underway while mostly dry conditions prevail. Overall, wind speeds will trend lighter Monday through Wednesday with mostly light to moderately breezy conditions each afternoon, but wind speeds will increase late in the week. Low chances for light rain showers and a few thunderstorms will arrive Thursday into Friday, mainly in southern and eastern areas, as a weak weather disturbance crosses New Mexico. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 146 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 Mixing has begun in eastern NM where there are already several sites gusting over 40 mph as of Noon. 700 mb winds will continue to trend stronger through the afternoon in and around the northern mountains so winds will likely increase further between now and the late afternoon. A few gusts over High Wind Warning criteria (58 mph) cannot be ruled out, but winds will generally be below those levels so opted to leave the Wind Advisory as is. The lower atmosphere should decouple relatively quickly this evening, but 700mb winds will actually peak between 6PM and Midnight. Cross-sections suggest a few mountain waves may crash during the evening as a result, creating hazardous crosswinds on I-25 between Las Vegas and Raton. This risk will abruptly end after Midnight as the shortwave creating these winds exits off to the east. A baggy trough will sag into the desert southwest tomorrow, drawing a weak backdoor cold front (associated with the exiting shortwave) eastward. This combined with increased cloud cover due to abundant mid-level moisture will keep high temps Sunday below today's values, with the greatest discrepancy in the northeast where highs will be 10 to 15 degrees lower. A few sprinkles cannot be ruled out along the central mountain chain during the afternoon, with the most likely area in the south-central mountains and adjacent highlands where modest sfc convergence associated with the frontal boundary will help to focus showers. Unfortunately, wetting rainfall is not expected but at least instability will be low enough that we won't see any lightning. && .LONG TERM... (Monday through Friday) Issued at 146 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 A warmer than normal stretch will prevail Monday through Wednesday as a ridge of high pressure swells over the Rockies. Daytime highs in the 60's, 70's, and 80's will become more commonplace across northern and central New Mexico during this time frame. Wind speeds will also be notably lower overall as the polar jet gets deflected far to into Canada. A weak upper low will move inland from the Pacific Wednesday, crossing the Gulf of CA and into Sonora Wednesday night. This upper low feature will lose organization and definition into Thursday and Thursday night as it works across eastern NM and west TX. Significant boundary layer moisture advection will move up the lower Rio Grande valley and past the hill country and Big Bend area into the Permian Basin. Some modified moisture will seep into mainly southern and eastern tiers of NM which could fuel some high-based showers and thunderstorms as early as Wednesday evening, but more likely into Thursday afternoon. Dynamics with the crossing low/wave will be weak and reducing, but diurnal instability will lend itself to weak, but sufficient, lapse rates for bubbling cumulus and very mild convection. Lifting condensation levels will remain high, and forecast soundings suggest high DCAPE, lots of virga, and the potential for gusty downburst winds that would likely pose more impact than any benefits from rainfall Thursday. The wave will pass eastward into Friday, opening the door for the polar jet to sag southward again. This will steer additional perturbations toward the central and southern Rockies late Friday into Saturday with winds increasing (generally just breezy to windy with gusts of 25 to 35 mph being common). && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 407 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 Afternoon breezy to windy conditions continue this hour across New Mexico. Gusts are commonly reaching 15 to 25 kts with peak gusts of 35 to 45 kts focused over areas immediately east of the central mountain chain, like KLVS. KROW has not yet mixed out to see westerly winds, but will maintain that they will before the end of the day based on nearby observations showing westerly winds. Have also maintained the TEMPO for potential blowing dust when this occurs. Winds taper off past sunset b/w 01Z to 03Z, staying elevated longest immediately along and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. Have introduced a mention of LLWS at KLVS from 07Z when surface winds calm to 10Z when stronger winds just off the deck calm. Meanwhile, a weak backdoor cold front will bring a northerly wind shift to eastern NM terminals tonight, veering southerly through Sunday afternoon. Light afternoon breezes elsewhere Sunday afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 146 PM MDT Sat Mar 22 2025 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN NM THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING... Red Flag conditions are ongoing in eastern New Mexico as of Noon and humidities will only trend lower as the afternoon progresses. Westerly winds will also trend stronger, with the strongest wind gusts today approaching 55 mph along and just east of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Moisture increases tonight into tomorrow as a baggy trough sags into the desert southwest. That being said, RH recoveries tonight will still be Fair on most areas, including those under a Red Flag Warning today. Dense mid to high level clouds will prevail across most of the region tomorrow and there could even be a few sprinkles in and around the south-central mountains and southwest mountains during the afternoon hours. After a brief cooldown Sunday, temperatures will climb again Monday and Tuesday, rising well-above seasonal averages. There is high confidence that dry conditions will prevail through Tuesday, but precipitation chances get introduced into southern and eastern areas Wednesday and Thursday. Confidence in wetting precipitation remains low at this time, but there is moderate confidence in gust outflow winds associated with showers and even a few storms. After Thursday, winds will begin to increase as large- scale troughing develops over The Great Basin. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 36 64 34 72 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 26 59 27 69 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 31 59 29 68 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 27 63 22 73 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 33 59 31 69 / 10 10 0 0 Grants.......................... 29 62 25 72 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 33 61 31 71 / 0 5 0 0 Magdalena....................... 40 63 38 72 / 0 5 0 0 Datil........................... 34 60 32 71 / 10 10 0 0 Reserve......................... 28 66 27 76 / 0 5 0 0 Glenwood........................ 30 69 31 80 / 0 5 0 0 Chama........................... 26 54 27 63 / 0 10 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 39 61 39 68 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 38 59 33 72 / 0 10 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 32 56 30 66 / 0 10 0 0 Red River....................... 28 47 28 58 / 0 10 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 27 53 23 62 / 0 10 0 0 Taos............................ 27 62 24 70 / 0 5 0 0 Mora............................ 34 60 32 69 / 0 5 0 0 Espanola........................ 34 66 34 75 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 39 61 36 70 / 0 5 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 35 65 34 73 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 46 64 43 74 / 0 5 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 43 68 42 76 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 42 69 39 78 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 42 68 39 78 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 41 70 35 78 / 0 5 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 41 69 38 77 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 40 69 35 78 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 42 69 36 78 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 41 70 34 78 / 0 5 0 0 Placitas........................ 43 65 41 75 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 42 68 40 76 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 45 70 42 79 / 0 5 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 40 59 39 69 / 0 5 0 0 Tijeras......................... 40 61 40 71 / 0 5 0 0 Edgewood........................ 37 62 37 71 / 0 10 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 34 63 26 74 / 0 10 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 35 60 33 69 / 0 10 0 0 Mountainair..................... 38 61 37 71 / 0 5 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 38 62 36 70 / 0 5 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 40 67 44 74 / 0 10 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 41 63 41 70 / 0 10 0 0 Capulin......................... 31 57 32 68 / 0 5 0 0 Raton........................... 31 62 30 74 / 0 5 0 0 Springer........................ 33 64 30 74 / 0 5 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 36 62 33 73 / 0 5 0 0 Clayton......................... 37 59 37 73 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 39 57 35 73 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 45 66 37 79 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 45 69 40 79 / 0 5 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 46 64 39 79 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 45 65 41 79 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 45 67 39 81 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 45 68 38 82 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 48 79 44 85 / 0 5 0 0 Picacho......................... 44 72 41 80 / 0 10 0 0 Elk............................. 42 71 42 77 / 0 5 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ104-123>126. Wind Advisory until 7 PM MDT this evening for NMZ215-223-228-229. && SHORT TERM...16 LONG TERM....52 AVIATION...24 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.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief wind gust of 59 mph was observed at Raton Crews Airport.
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: 1233967.