Texas, 2025Dust Storm and High Wind in Texas, April 1, 2025
April 1, 2025 · NWS EPZ · 2 events in 1 county or zone
A broad upper level trough was moving through the Western United States with a 100+ knot jet moving near the International Border. This combined with a strong surface low in southeast Colorado brought wind gusts to 67 mph to the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
A broad upper level trough was moving through the Western United States with a 100+ knot jet moving near the International Border. This combined with a strong surface low in southeast Colorado brought wind gusts to 67 mph to the area. Some areas of El Paso also experienced Dust Storms.
What forecasters said that day
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 Apr 1, 10:09 AM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 940 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
- Very windy conditions across the area this afternoon will create blowing dust in the lowlands and critical fire danger
- Tomorrow will be breezy with blowing dust and critical fire danger
- Light lowland rain and modest mountain snow chances Friday and Saturday
Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 10:09 AM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
1109 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 940 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
- Very windy conditions across the area this afternoon will
create blowing dust in the lowlands and critical fire danger
- Tomorrow will be breezy with blowing dust and critical fire
danger
- Light lowland rain and modest mountain snow chances Friday and
Saturday
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 216 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
A large upper trough will continue to dig over the Great Basin
today. A strong jet of 120-130KT will induce lee troughing over
eastern CO/western KS this afternoon bringing us strong winds
across the area. Wind speeds will be 30-40MPH with gusts to
55-60MPH. Blowing dust in the desert lowlands is almost guaranteed
and will probably cause issues for motorists this afternoon and
evening. A secondary lobe of energy from the parent low will
influence the area tomorrow bringing breezy conditions and more
blowing dust. Wind speeds don't look to reach wind advisory
criteria but will be around 20-30MPH with gusts to 40-45MPH. The
upper trough continues to dig over the western CONUS shifting flow
southwesterly overhead on Thursday. Light breezes and mostly dry
conditions can be expected. The trough transitions into a cutoff
low by late in the work week and continues to dig further south
before moving eastward over the Borderland. Looks like the area
can expect possible lowland rain and mountain snow showers
starting Friday and ending Sunday. Right now it looks like the
Sacramento Mtns could get a decent snow out of this system.
Current storm total snow forecast of 3-6" expected in the
Sacramentos with 1-3" in the Black Range. Current NBM
probabilities show the average snow totals being 4-5", low end
probability (10th percentile) is 1", with the high end
probabilities being around 11". Will be something to monitor in
the coming days as we continue to get newer model data.
&&
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 940 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
Winds will be on the increase through the afternoon with west to
southwest winds around 25-35G45-50KTS with higher speeds on
eastern slopes including KELP. Blowing dust will again be a
concern through sunset with areas of reduced visibilities under
1SM and KELP has a moderate chance of getting down to around 1/4SM
between 21Z-01Z. Winds will gradually decrease after 03Z but will
start to pick up again towards 18Z. Skies generally FEW-BKN250
through the afternoon then some clearing before a band of FEW-
SCT100-120 SCT-BKN120-150 moves in towards 12Z.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 216 AM MDT Tue Apr 1 2025
Critical fire danger today and tomorrow. A very windy day is
expected today across the area with a west southwest wind
30-40MPH with gusts to 60 MPH coupled with critical min RHs of
10-15% across the lowlands. Breezy west winds of 20-30 MPH with
gusts to 45MPH expected tomorrow with continued dry conditions and
critical RHs across the lowlands. A fire weather watch has been
issued Wednesday for all zones excluding the mountain zones.
Thursday and throughout the weekend will feature light afternoon
breezes each day but critical min RHs will continue to be seen
Thursday and Friday leading to elevated fire danger those two
days. Lowland rain and mountain snow showers look to arrive Friday
lasting through Saturday and ending on Sunday which will increase
min RHs above critical thresholds this weekend.
Ventilation rates will be excellent today and tomorrow becoming
very good to excellent Friday and throughout the weekend.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso 83 48 71 43 / 0 0 0 0
Sierra Blanca 79 45 71 41 / 0 0 0 0
Las Cruces 76 38 65 32 / 0 0 0 0
Alamogordo 76 40 64 34 / 10 10 10 0
Cloudcroft 53 26 40 22 / 0 0 10 0
Truth or Consequences 74 39 63 33 / 0 0 10 0
Silver City 64 34 54 27 / 0 0 10 0
Deming 78 38 66 32 / 0 0 0 0
Lordsburg 73 35 62 29 / 0 0 10 0
West El Paso Metro 80 48 68 43 / 0 0 0 0
Dell City 81 43 71 39 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Hancock 86 47 77 43 / 0 0 0 0
Loma Linda 74 42 63 39 / 0 0 0 0
Fabens 84 47 73 42 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Teresa 79 43 66 38 / 0 0 0 0
White Sands HQ 78 46 66 42 / 0 0 10 0
Jornada Range 76 40 64 33 / 0 0 10 0
Hatch 77 40 66 34 / 0 0 10 0
Columbus 80 43 68 37 / 0 0 0 0
Orogrande 77 41 65 36 / 10 0 10 0
Mayhill 66 33 53 29 / 0 0 10 0
Mescalero 64 30 51 26 / 0 0 10 0
Timberon 63 28 51 24 / 0 10 10 0
Winston 64 25 53 20 / 0 0 10 0
Hillsboro 71 36 61 30 / 0 0 10 0
Spaceport 74 36 63 29 / 0 0 10 0
Lake Roberts 64 30 53 24 / 0 0 10 0
Hurley 69 31 58 24 / 0 0 10 0
Cliff 71 30 61 25 / 0 0 10 0
Mule Creek 64 32 55 26 / 0 0 10 10
Faywood 69 35 58 29 / 0 0 10 0
Animas 76 37 64 31 / 0 0 0 0
Hachita 76 37 63 30 / 0 0 10 0
Antelope Wells 76 42 63 32 / 10 0 10 0
Cloverdale 71 39 57 31 / 10 0 10 0
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Texas Fire
Weather Zone 055 El Paso County- Texas Fire Weather Zone
056 Hudspeth County.
Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for 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.
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.
High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for
Eastern/Central El Paso County-Northern Hudspeth
Highlands/Hueco Mountains.
Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday
evening for Texas Fire Weather Zone 055 El Paso County-
Texas Fire Weather Zone 056 Hudspeth County.
NM...High Wind Warning until midnight MDT tonight for East Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Sacramento Mountains
Above 7500 Feet-Southern Gila Region Highlands/Black Range-
West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands-West Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.
Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT 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 until 9 PM MDT this evening for Southwest
Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Upper Gila River Valley.
Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for East
Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo-Lowlands of the Bootheel-
Northern Dona Ana County-Otero Mesa-Southeast Tularosa
Basin-Southern Dona Ana County/Mesilla Valley-Southwest
Desert/Lower Gila River Valley-Southwest Desert/Mimbres
Basin-West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands-West Slopes
Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.
High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Central Grant
County/Silver City Area-East Central Tularosa
Basin/Alamogordo-Eastern Black Range Foothills-Lowlands of
the Bootheel-Northern Dona Ana County-Otero Mesa-Sierra
County Lakes-Southeast Tularosa Basin-Southern Dona Ana
County/Mesilla Valley-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres
Valley-Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin-Uplands of the
Bootheel.
Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday
evening for South Central Lowlands and Southern Rio Grande
Valley/BLM/GLZ- Southwest Deserts and Lowlands/Las Cruces
BLM/GLZ.
&&
FORECASTER...26-GrzywaczHigh Wind, Eastern/Central El Paso County
- When
- April 1, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern/Central El Paso County forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 31.769, -106.235 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Biggs Field AWOS recorded a peak gust of 67 mph. The El Paso Airport recorded a gust up to 60 mph. A media report said a tree fell on a vehicle, a rock wall was knocked over and an air conditioning unit was destroyed. This all occurred near the intersection of Galena Drive and Moonlight Avenue.
Dust Storm, Eastern/Central El Paso County
- When
- April 1, 5:00 PM MST to 5:45 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern/Central El Paso County forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 31.769, -106.235 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The El Paso Airport reported a quarter mile visibility.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in South Dakota, April 1 to 3, 20252 deaths · 1 injured · 11 events
- Tornado and Hail in Missouri, April 1 to 2, 2025$100,000 · EF2 · 12 events
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, April 1, 2025$100,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, April 1 to 2, 2025$30,000 · 1.5 in hail · 19 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 1 to 2, 20252.5 in hail · 40 events
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 202530 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Minnesota, April 1 to 3, 202530 events
- Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 202528 events
- Strong Wind in Puerto Rico, April 1 to 2, 2025$32,000 · 3 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, April 1, 202527 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, April 1 to 2, 20251.5 in hail · 24 events
- Dust Storm and High Wind in New Mexico, April 1, 202567 kt wind · 23 events
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: 1250616, 1250625.