High Wind Warning Issued for Eastern New Mexico and Mountain Regions; Gusts Up to 70 MPH Expected

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a High Wind Warning for several regions across New Mexico. The alert was issued on February 16 and is classified under the NWS alert type code HWW.

Affected Areas

The warning impacts a significant portion of the state, including:

• Mountain and Highland Regions: East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Central Highlands, South Central Mountains, Northeast Highlands, and Far Northeast Highlands.
• Specific Passes and Mesas: Glorieta Mesa (including Glorieta Pass), Johnson and Bartlett Mesas (including Raton Pass).
• Counties and Plains: Union County, Harding County, Eastern San Miguel County, Guadalupe County, Quay County, Curry County, Roosevelt County, De Baca County, Chaves County Plains, Eastern Lincoln County, and Southwest Chaves County.

What You Should Do

Residents in the warning area should take immediate action to secure trash cans, lawn furniture, and any other loose or lightweight outdoor objects that could be displaced by high winds.

Motorists should prepare for extremely hazardous driving conditions. Those operating high-profile vehicles are specifically advised to consider delaying travel until conditions improve.

Expected Conditions

• Wind Speed: Sustained southwest to west winds of 35 to 45 mph.
• Wind Gusts: Peak gusts are expected to reach up to 70 mph.
• Hazards: Damaging winds may blow down trees and power lines, potentially leading to power outages.
• Visibility: Due to dry antecedent conditions, patchy blowing dust may develop across the eastern plains, which could reduce visibility to below one mile.

Timeline

The High Wind Warning is effective from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM MST on Tuesday, February 17.