High Wind in New Mexico, May 6, 2026

Name: High Wind in New Mexico, May 6, 2026
Start: 2026-05-06T18:20
End: 2026-05-06T19:08
Location: New Mexico

May 6, 2026 · NWS ABQ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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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Wind
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

An upper level disturbance moved southeast across the central and southern Rocky Mountains into the high plains on May 6th bringing rain and snow showers across north-central and northeast NM. A backdoor front associated with the system surged south across eastern NM during the evening hours resulting in gusty north winds across this part of the state. A ZiaMet station east of Fort Sumner observed high wind gusts up to 61 mph during this time. Winds tapered off overnight as the front pushed south of the state.

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 Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 6, 5:22 PM MST, 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 619 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026
A potent cold front moving south through the area this afternoon and evening will create showers and storms over northern New Mexico along with a brief period of strong wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph.
Valley rain and mountain snow will bring minor travel impacts with reduced visibility to the northern mountains through this evening.
A late season hard freeze tonight will pose a risk to newly budding plants and sensitive vegetation over northern valley areas and the northeast plains Thursday morning.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 5:22 PM MST, 58 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
622 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

...New UPDATE...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 619 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

- A potent cold front moving south through the area this afternoon
  and evening will create showers and storms over northern New
  Mexico along with a brief period of strong wind gusts of 45 to
  55 mph.

- Valley rain and mountain snow will bring minor travel impacts
  with reduced visibility to the northern mountains through this
  evening.

- A late season hard freeze tonight will pose a risk to newly
  budding plants and sensitive vegetation over northern valley
  areas and the northeast plains Thursday morning.

&&

.UPDATE...
Issued at 619 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

The Freeze Warning for tonight was expanded to include the
Estancia Basin and the Central Highlands. A hard freeze is likely
for much of this area and both locations are within a week or two
of the average last freeze date. Temperatures may drop as low as
24 degrees near Moriarty.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Thursday night)
Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

A potent shortwave trough is dropping south from the southern
Rockies into northern NM per the latest water vapor satellite
imagery. An area of precipitation with embedded shower and
isolated storms is expanding and moving southeast into northern NM
and will bring another round of snow to the northern mountains,
with a mix of rain/snow across the lower elevations of northeast
NM through this evening. Several inches of snow are likely across
the peaks of the northern mountains, especially in the Sangre De
Cristos. The shortwave trough will also push a cold front south
through the area late this afternoon and evening, resulting in
gusty north-northwest winds and brisk conditions. Cold air
advection and clearing overnight will result in a late season
freeze across portions of northern NM and areas that haven't
reached their average last freeze date (or are close) have been
included in a Freeze Warning through early Thursday morning. Areas
of fog are likely to develop across portions of eastern NM early
Thursday morning depending on the extent of precipitation later
today, but forecast confidence is too low to include a mention at
this time. Much lighter winds will prevail Thursday behind the
departing shortwave trough and a warming/drying trend will begin.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday through Tuesday)
Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

A weak Baja low will pass south of the area on Friday, with
pressure heights on the uptrend and the warming trend continuing
through Saturday. Daytime mixing of moderate northwest flow aloft
on Saturday will bring breezy to locally windy conditions by
afternoon. A strong backdoor cold front will push down the eastern
plains and highlands Saturday night and may create an easterly
gap/canyon wind into the Rio Grande and Upper Tularosa Valleys
early Sunday morning. Cooler conditions will prevail behind the
front on Sunday, which will bring sufficient moisture for a
limited round of afternoon/evening convection along the central
mountain chain and adjacent eastern highlands. Pressure heights
will trend up more Mon/Tue as a 590dam 500mb high develops over
AZ and shifts east over NM, bringing well above average
temperatures. Albuquerque will likely see high temperatures in the
low 90s next Mon/Tue, while Roswell soars to near 100 degrees.
The upper high will move east of the area by the middle of next
week, opening up the southern door for moisture and a potential
round of convection.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 536 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

Scattered showers will continue to favor areas north of I-40
through the evening, with precip. ending from west to east as a
Pacific cold front ushers in drier air from the west. Meanwhile,
north to northeast winds are present in eastern NM in the wake of
the backdoor portion of the cold front. Snow showers have been
observed at locations such as KRTN and a brief period of snow
cannot be ruled out at KLVS. Snow accumulations are unlikely on
runways given the warm temperatures.

The backdoor front will push south and west overnight, creating
gusty north winds at sites such as KROW. The front may squeeze
through the gaps of the central mtn chain around sunrise, but wind
gusts should remain below 20 knots. Patchy MVFR conditions will
likely develop in east-central NM overnight and in southeastern NM
around sunrise, but the probability was too low (~15%) to include
in the Roswell TAF.

Mostly clear skies with winds generally below 15 knots are
expected tomorrow afternoon.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

Critical fire weather conditions are not forecast through at least
the next seven days. A strong cold front will move south through
the area this afternoon and evening, bringing a northerly wind
shift and strong gusts. Good chances for wetting precipitation
will persist through the evening hours across northeast and east
central NM behind the cold front. Drying and warming is forecast
through Saturday, with temperatures rising above average areawide
by Friday. Breezy to locally wind conditions on Saturday afternoon
will bring elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions, but
ERC values are currently unsupportive of the rapid spread of
fire. A strong backdoor cold front will push down the eastern
plains Saturday night and bring and cooler conditions with an
increase in humidity through Sunday. A few wetting showers or
storms are possible Sunday afternoon/evening, mainly along the
east slopes of the central mountain chain and adjacent eastern
highlands. Continued warming is forecast early next week under the
influence of high pressure aloft, with temperatures trending well
above average.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Farmington......................  31  72  41  81 /   0   0   0   0
Dulce...........................  24  69  29  78 /   0   0   0   0
Cuba............................  27  67  36  75 /   0   0   0   0
Gallup..........................  25  70  31  79 /   0   0   0   0
El Morro........................  29  68  36  76 /   0   0   0   0
Grants..........................  26  72  34  79 /   0   0   0   0
Quemado.........................  32  69  38  76 /   0   0   0   0
Magdalena.......................  40  70  44  77 /   0   0   0   0
Datil...........................  34  68  40  74 /   0   0   0   0
Reserve.........................  33  75  35  83 /   0   0   0   0
Glenwood........................  37  79  39  87 /   0   0   0   0
Chama...........................  23  63  30  71 /  10   0   0   0
Los Alamos......................  35  67  43  74 /  10   0   0   5
Pecos...........................  28  68  37  75 /  30   0   0   0
Cerro/Questa....................  24  64  36  71 /  40   0   0   0
Red River.......................  21  54  31  61 /  50   0   0   0
Angel Fire......................  15  61  25  68 /  30   0   0   5
Taos............................  21  68  31  75 /  20   0   0   0
Mora............................  26  68  37  73 /  30   0   0   5
Espanola........................  31  73  40  81 /  10   0   0   0
Santa Fe........................  33  67  41  75 /  20   0   0   0
Santa Fe Airport................  31  70  38  79 /  10   0   0   0
Albuquerque Foothills...........  41  72  48  82 /  10   0   0   0
Albuquerque Heights.............  42  73  45  83 /  10   0   0   0
Albuquerque Valley..............  38  76  43  86 /   5   0   0   0
Albuquerque West Mesa...........  40  75  45  84 /   5   0   0   0
Belen...........................  36  75  40  85 /   0   0   0   0
Bernalillo......................  37  75  44  85 /   5   0   0   0
Bosque Farms....................  35  75  39  85 /   5   0   0   0
Corrales........................  38  76  44  85 /   5   0   0   0
Los Lunas.......................  36  75  40  85 /   5   0   0   0
Placitas........................  38  70  46  80 /  10   0   0   0
Rio Rancho......................  39  75  45  84 /   5   0   0   0
Socorro.........................  45  78  48  86 /   0   0   0   0
Sandia Park/Cedar Crest.........  35  67  43  76 /  20   0   0   0
Tijeras.........................  36  68  44  77 /  10   0   0   0
Edgewood........................  32  70  38  78 /  10   0   0   0
Moriarty/Estancia...............  25  72  30  80 /  10   0   0   0
Clines Corners..................  29  68  39  75 /  30   0   0   0
Mountainair.....................  33  69  40  78 /   5   0   0   0
Gran Quivira....................  33  69  41  77 /   5   0   0   0
Carrizozo.......................  42  73  48  80 /   0   0   0   0
Ruidoso.........................  36  68  45  73 /   0   0   0   0
Capulin.........................  22  62  35  68 /  20   0   0   0
Raton...........................  22  67  33  74 /  10   0   0   0
Springer........................  23  69  34  76 /  40   0   0   0
Las Vegas.......................  26  69  37  75 /  40   0   0   0
Clayton.........................  31  70  43  76 /  70   0   0   0
Roy.............................  28  68  39  76 /  60   0   0   0
Conchas.........................  34  77  44  84 /  60   0   0   0
Santa Rosa......................  33  75  42  81 /  20   0   0   0
Tucumcari.......................  34  77  48  85 /  50   0   0   0
Clovis..........................  36  77  47  87 /   5   0   0   0
Portales........................  37  78  47  88 /   5   0   0   0
Fort Sumner.....................  35  76  45  87 /   5   0   0   0
Roswell.........................  44  76  48  88 /   0   0   0   0
Picacho.........................  39  73  45  83 /   0   0   0   0
Elk.............................  37  74  42  81 /   0   0   0   5

&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Freeze Warning from 3 AM to 9 AM MDT Thursday for NMZ201-217-218.

Freeze Warning from 10 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT Thursday for
NMZ222-223-228>231.

&&

SHORT TERM...11
LONG TERM....11
AVIATION...16

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 4:46 PM MST, 1 hour 34 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
546 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

...UPDATED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REPORTS...

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     Snow             2 S Taos Ski Valley     36.57N 105.45W
05/06/2026  M5.8 Inch        Taos               NM   Public

            Storm Total Snowfall at TSV Shalako.

0400 PM     Snow             2 SSW Taos Ski Valley   36.57N 105.45W
05/06/2026  M5.2 Inch        Taos               NM   Public

            Storm Total Snowfall at TSV Top 7.

0400 PM     Snow             1 SW Taos Ski Valley    36.58N 105.46W
05/06/2026  E5.0 Inch        Taos               NM   Other Federal

            Storm Total Snowfall at Taos Powderhorn
            SNOTEL.

0400 PM     Snow             5 WNW Eagle Nest Lake S 36.54N 105.36W
05/06/2026  E2.0 Inch        Taos               NM   Other Federal

            Storm Total Snowfall at Taos Pueblo SNOTEL.

0500 PM     Snow             2 SW Agua Fria          36.41N 105.33W
05/06/2026  E1.0 Inch        Taos               NM   Other Federal

            Storm Total Snowfall at Palo SNOTEL.

&&

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, De Baca County

When: May 6, 6:20 PM MST to 7:08 PM MST
Where: De Baca County forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.342, -104.412 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Mexico in 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, May 2026

Sources

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: 1322611.