An upper trough extended southwest through the Four Corners into the Baja region with a 140 knot jet moving just south of the New Mexico border. This trough combined with a deep surface low over southeastern Colorado brought wind gusts up to 90 mph to the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
An upper trough extended southwest through the Four Corners into the Baja region with a 140 knot jet moving just south of the New Mexico border. This trough combined with a deep surface low over southeastern Colorado brought wind gusts up to 90 mph to the region.
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 3, 4:40 AM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
440 AM MST Mon Mar 3 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 230 AM MST Mon Mar 3 2025
- Very windy with blowing dust this afternoon. High Wind
Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect for all of south-
central New Mexico and far west Texas. Low visibility due to
dust and strong winds will make travel hazardous. Strong
winds will remain in place through Tuesday.
- Extremely Critical fire danger today due to dry conditions
and strong winds. Red Flag Warnings are in effect area wide.
- More strong winds on the way Thursday and Friday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 230 AM MST Mon Mar 3 2025
...TODAY...
Main headline will be a high wind and extreme fire danger today,
typical of a Spring-time wind event in the borderland. Very
progressive flow pattern currently in place. Strong upper low
currently over Utah will progress eastward across the central
Rockies today. 500-mb jet stream vort max of 115 knots rounding
the base of this system will induce rapid lee cyclogenesis over
eastern Colorado this afternoon, resulting in a 987-mb surface
low and strong surface pressure gradient extending south across
all the New Mexico and west Texas.
This will be one of the stronger wind events we've seen so
far this season. Sustained speeds of 30-40 mph can be expected
between 12PM and 7PM today, with peak gusts in the 55-65 mph
range mid-afternoon. Areas at greatest risk for wind damage will
lie along east slopes of area mountains, including WSMR, NE El
Paso, Central El Paso, and the Sacramento Mountains. High Wind
Warnings are in effect for those locations and a few others, with
Wind Advisories elsewhere. Blowing dust is likely to be widespread
and potentially life-threatening through the Texas I-10 corridor
and nearby highways. Expect Dust Headlines later this morning, and
we will be monitoring conditions throughout the afternoon to
upgrade this warnings if need be. This is also a setup for
Extremely Critical fire danger, thus Red Flag Warnings in effect
area wide, with the focus being on Lincoln National Forest and
areas along and east of US-54.
...TONIGHT...
Winds expected to remain gusty all night tonight, with gusts to
30-40mph more consistent along east slopes. It will also be a bit
cooler behind this system, with lows in the lower 30s for the Rio
Grande Valley and falling below freezing west of the Continental
Divide.
...TUESDAY...
Windy season rolls on into Tuesday with strong WNW flow behind
the system. More patchy blowing dust is possible, but likely less
dense and widespread than Monday. WNW wind trajectories aren't the
most conducive for dust. Expect more Wind Advisories Tuesday
afternoon, especially east of El Paso. Temperatures will be cool,
with lowland highs in the lower 60s.
...WEDNESDAY...
Ridging flow aloft will give us a very brief reprieve from the
wind on Wednesday. Temperatures will be near seasonal normals and
it looks like a nice day under sunny skies. Don't put those flags
and umbrellas back up quite yet, though!
...THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...
Next system approaches the area Thursday/Friday. This will bring
yet another round of windy conditions and blowing dust. Impacts
will be similar to Monday/Tuesday, but there area some low-end
PoPs and isolated rain showers possible across western New Mexico.
...NEXT WEEKEND...
Next weekend looks nice for the most part. Both global models
show a progressive upper ridge in place, indicative of lighter
winds, dry weather, and warmer temperatures. More winds on the way
next week as March is shaping up to be a consistently windy one.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 430 AM MST Mon Mar 3 2025
Very strong winds with blowing dust across S NM and W TX today.
Surface winds 240-270 at sustained 25 to 35 knots and peak gusts
of 50 knots between 19-00Z this afternoon. Blowing dust from
20-00Z this afternoon, with areas of 1-2 mile visibility along
the International Border. KELP will be the highest risk for IFR
visibility today. Skies SKC-FEW200. Winds will remain gusty all
night, generally 20G30KT into Tuesday.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 230 AM MST Mon Mar 3 2025
Extreme fire danger expected this afternoon, as conditions become
much drier in conjunction with strong west flow. Red Flag
Warnings are in effect area wide. West winds increasing today
with peak gusts 55 to 65 mph in the afternoon. Min RH 10-20% with
rapid fire spread possible. Record high ERCs are in place across
Gila and Lincoln National Forests, with a dryness component more
similar to peak fire season than early March. Wildfire risk is
very much present on Monday and again on Tuesday though winds will
be a bit lighter.
Brief reprieve from the high winds on Wednesday, with lighter
south flow leading to Good smoke ventilation. Strong winds resume
next Thursday and Friday with additional Red Flags likely Thursday
afternoon. Light rain showers late this week may provide some
temporary relief from fire risk, especially across western New
Mexico.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 73 40 65 39 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 73 32 60 32 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 66 33 63 32 / 0 0 0 0
Alamogordo 67 28 65 32 / 0 10 0 0
Cloudcroft 45 17 41 24 / 10 10 0 0
Truth or Consequences 60 37 65 34 / 0 0 0 0
Silver City 49 27 54 30 / 10 10 0 0
Deming 63 32 62 30 / 0 0 0 0
Lordsburg 58 26 61 27 / 0 0 0 0
West El Paso Metro 72 40 64 41 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 76 35 65 31 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 80 36 66 33 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 67 32 57 35 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 77 37 66 35 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 70 37 62 35 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 68 38 66 40 / 0 0 0 0
Jornada Range 64 31 66 30 / 0 0 0 0
Hatch 65 34 69 30 / 0 0 0 0
Columbus 68 37 64 35 / 0 0 0 0
Orogrande 68 33 64 33 / 0 0 0 0
Mayhill 58 24 53 27 / 0 0 0 0
Mescalero 55 21 52 25 / 10 10 0 0
Timberon 55 18 51 24 / 0 0 0 0
Winston 50 22 57 21 / 0 0 0 0
Hillsboro 57 30 64 32 / 0 0 0 0
Spaceport 61 27 66 28 / 0 0 0 0
Lake Roberts 49 24 56 27 / 10 10 0 0
Hurley 54 26 56 27 / 0 0 0 0
Cliff 56 22 63 22 / 10 10 0 0
Mule Creek 49 26 58 27 / 20 20 0 0
Faywood 53 29 57 31 / 0 0 0 0
Animas 61 29 63 28 / 0 0 0 0
Hachita 62 29 61 28 / 0 0 0 0
Antelope Wells 64 31 63 31 / 0 0 0 0
Cloverdale 56 28 57 33 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this
evening for Texas Fire Weather Zone 055 El Paso County-
Texas Fire Weather Zone 056 Hudspeth County.
High Wind Warning from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Western El Paso County.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening for
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.
NM...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this
evening for Capitan and Sacramento Mountains/Lincoln NF/LNZ-
South Central Lowlands and Southern Rio Grande
Valley/BLM/GLZ- Southwest Deserts and Lowlands/Las Cruces
BLM/GLZ- Southwest Mountains/Gila NF/Apache NF/GLZ.
Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this evening
for Central Grant County/Silver City Area-Lowlands of the
Bootheel-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley-Southern
Gila Region Highlands/Black Range-Southwest Desert/Lower
Gila River Valley-Uplands of the Bootheel-Upper Gila River
Valley.
High Wind Warning from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening for
East Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Eastern
Black Range Foothills-Northern Dona Ana County-Sacramento
Mountains Above 7500 Feet-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla
Valley-West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands-West Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 8 PM MST this evening for East
Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo-Otero Mesa-Sierra County
Lakes-Southeast Tularosa Basin-Southwest Desert/Mimbres
Basin.
&&
FORECASTER...30-DennhardtThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak gust of 59 mph was recorded at High Rolls.
A peak gust of 90 mph was recorded at Salinas Peak on the White Sands Missile Range. Other peak gusts included 74 mph at San Augustin Pass, 64 mph at the Brillo West, 63 mph at the White Sands Missile Range Main Post and 62 mph at the Jallen Hawk 40 site also on the White Sands Missile Range.
The Truth or Consequences golf course recorded a peak gust of 59 mph.
A peak gust of 61 mph was recorded at the Lincoln Portable Number 2 RAWS north of Mayhill.
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: 1245857, 1245854, 1245858, 1245856.