An upper low moved across the Great Basin and Northern and Central Rockies on May 13th into May 14th with strong winds at the base of the low over New Mexico. Deep daytime mixing allowed strong winds at the base of the low to mix down to the surface mainly during the afternoon through mid-evening hours resulting in gusty winds across western New Mexico and areas along and east of the central…
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The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
An upper low moved across the Great Basin and Northern and Central Rockies on May 13th into May 14th with strong winds at the base of the low over New Mexico. Deep daytime mixing allowed strong winds at the base of the low to mix down to the surface mainly during the afternoon through mid-evening hours resulting in gusty winds across western New Mexico and areas along and east of the central mountain chain. A brief high wind gust of 62 mph was observed at the Las Vegas Municipal Airport and a brief 60 mph was observed at the Sevilleta RAWS during the afternoon hours on May 13th. High winds were observed across the south central mountains from the mid-morning to early afternoon hours on May 14th. The gusty winds resulted in blowing dust across southern Chaves County on May 14th during the afternoon and early evening hours resulting in the closure of State Highway 2 at Hagerman. West winds tapered off across the region around sunset.
Key Words: High Winds, Dust Storm.
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 May 13, 11:38 AM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1238 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 ...New UPDATE... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1235 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 - Higher flows will continue in rivers, creeks, arroyos, and low water crossings through this week, especially along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, due to melting snow. - Dry and increasingly windy conditions are forecast today into Wednesday. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph will be observed in many areas today with gusts of 45 to 60 mph focusing along the central mountains chain eastward on Wednesday. Parts of western and south central New Mexico will also see low humidity with an increased risk of rapid fire spread each day. && .UPDATE... Issued at 1235 PM MDT Tue May 13 2025 Recent MOS guidance has trended toward stronger winds today in the southern high terrain. The Wind Advisory has been expanded to the Southwest Mts and S Central Highlands (U.S. Highway 60 corridor). && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 246 AM MDT Tue May 13 2025 An upper level trough passing north of NM will steer converging speed maximums in the polar and subtropical jetstreams over NM today through Wednesday with strong winds areawide. Wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph will be common today, then 50-60 mph gusts are expected mainly along and east of the central mountain chain on Wednesday. With this forecast package we will expand Wind Advisory coverage to the Chuska Mountains, as well as the east central and southeast plains. Will also issue a High Wind Watch for the Clines Corners, Ruidoso, and Dunken areas on Wednesday, when the 700 mb flow looks to peak in the 50-70 KT range. Fire Danger is now high over the northwest plateau, adding that area to the list of places with fire weather concerns for today. High temperatures will generally climb a few to around 9 degrees above 1991-2020 averages today. Then, readings will fall a few to around 14 degrees with the passage of a Pacific cold front on Wednesday. Eastern high temperatures will still reach near to around 6 degrees above averages on Wednesday. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 246 AM MDT Tue May 13 2025 Overall, wind speeds will decrease quickly Wednesday evening, but the Pacific front may kick up a few briefly stronger gusts as it sweeps eastward overnight. Quasi-zonal flow will prevail aloft on Thursday with shortwave energy feeding over the central Rockies in slightly cyclonically curved flow, but conditions will remain dry. This will keep breezy to windy conditions going with a lee-side surface low quickly developing over northeast NM and southeast CO. Winds would be strongest near this feature in northeast NM late Thursday with gusts of 40 to 45 mph. Temperatures would run a few degrees cooler in central to eastern zones with most areas staying just below average for mid May. The flow flattens out zonally with no well-defined perturbations over NM on Friday. Wind speeds aloft would reduce slightly, and the lee-side surface low would also not be as deep. This would reduce winds at the surface with moderately breezy conditions prevailing, and temperatures would warm up a few degrees Friday afternoon. Into Saturday, the feature of interest will be a shortwave trough that will move off of the eastern Pacific, across the Gulf of CA, and over NM. An increased gradient aloft and a slightly deeper lee-side surface trough will induce stronger winds at the surface Saturday, but this looks to be a dry wave passage. Details on Sunday vary among global models, but a deep low would be overtaking the Great Basin and moving eastward with a potential sharp shortwave trough preceding it (according to the ECMWF). This will introduce scant shower activity into northwestern NM while strong winds aloft mix down to the surface. The upper low would wobble northeastward on Monday with windy conditions persisting, and any precipitation staying over northern zones, particularly the northwestern and north central areas of NM. The low would then exit into the northern plains with gradually lowering wind speeds from the west northwest on Tuesday. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1137 AM MDT Tue May 13 2025 An upper level trough approaching from the west will continue to spread strong southwest winds over NM today and tonight. Peak wind gusts of 35 to 45kt are expected between 1pm and 7pm. The highest gusts are most likely to the lee of the central mt chain from near KLVS to KCQC and KSRR, as well as near KGUP. Blowing dust may also impact the region however recent rainfall may limit the overall coverage. Source regions across southern NM will still likely spread lofted dust over southeast NM thru this evening. LLWS will develop overnight as winds aloft continue to strengthen while at least some decoupling occurs in the boundary layer. Widespread turb is also likely to impact the region with the strong winds. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 246 AM MDT Tue May 13 2025 Southwest winds will become strong today and Wednesday as an upper level trough passes north of NM steering very dry air over our state. The strongest winds are forecast Wednesday, when Clines Corners may gust around 60 mph. A Pacific cold front will cross on Wednesday, shifting the wind direction out of the west, then out of the northwest by evening. High temperatures will generally climb a few to 9 degrees above 30-year averages today, then fall as much as 13 degrees below average near the Four Corners on Wednesday while remaining around 3 degrees above average in Socorro and as much as 6 degrees above average on NM's eastern border. Nonetheless, lapse rates still look impressive on Wednesday afternoon with only a modest change in mixed layer depth from Tuesday to Wednesday. The fire danger forecast has increased to 'high' across the Northwest Plateau, so that area is now included in today's Red Flag Warning and Wednesday's Fire Weather Watch. Wednesday's fire weather headlines may expand, based on the updated ERC and Fire Danger guidance we receive today. Fire danger is currently forecast to be too low for fire weather highlights over the northern mountains and eastern plains. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 43 66 36 70 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 32 63 27 66 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 38 65 33 66 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 33 65 28 69 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 37 62 30 66 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 36 68 29 71 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 41 68 32 69 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 48 73 40 73 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 44 67 34 69 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 41 73 30 76 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 44 76 36 80 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 31 58 26 60 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 46 66 40 66 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 46 68 38 66 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 41 64 32 64 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 36 54 28 54 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 34 60 27 59 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 37 67 29 67 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 43 66 34 66 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 45 74 35 73 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 47 69 37 67 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 45 72 35 71 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 55 76 45 75 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 51 79 44 76 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 51 81 38 79 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 51 78 44 77 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 49 82 43 80 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 51 79 42 78 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 47 81 40 79 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 51 79 43 78 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 49 81 42 79 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 51 74 42 73 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 51 78 43 77 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 55 85 47 83 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 47 71 39 68 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 48 73 41 71 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 46 74 38 71 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 43 76 36 72 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 45 71 37 67 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 49 75 39 71 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 50 75 39 71 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 59 77 47 76 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 56 71 45 69 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 43 71 35 67 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 43 74 36 72 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 45 74 37 72 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 46 71 37 69 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 51 80 44 75 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 48 74 40 72 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 55 83 46 79 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 53 80 46 76 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 56 83 47 79 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 59 87 52 80 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 59 88 51 81 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 56 84 50 81 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 64 92 56 88 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 60 83 50 81 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 59 81 49 79 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for NMZ101-105-106- 109-124. Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for NMZ101-105-106-109-124. Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ202-205-208-223- 224-226-229-232>240. High Wind Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for NMZ223-226-240. && SHORT TERM...42 LONG TERM....52 AVIATION...42
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The Las Vegas Municipal Airport measured a brief high wind gust of 62 mph.
The Sevilleta RAWS measured a brief wind gust of 60 mph.
The AWOS at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph and peak sustained winds of 52 mph. Additionally, the mesonet station at Nogal measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
State Police reported blowing dust and areas with zero visibility on State Highway 2 between Chickasaw and Navajo as well as on the Roswell Relief Route between Sunset Avenue and Brasher Road. This stretch of State Highway 2 was closed during this time.
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, May 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: 1246120, 1244713, 1244714, 1244715.