Mar. 14: According to weather experts, the state’s strong winds will calm down over the weekend, but snowstorms will return on Monday.
New Mexicans have been dealing with high winds this week, which is why the National Weather Service issued multiple wind advisories and dust storm warnings on Friday. The snow that is expected may be a welcome break.
Peak wind gusts of over 70 mph were recorded in many places in New Mexico on Friday. These included 75 mph gusts at Cannon Air Force Base, Roswell, and Clines Corners. Extreme weather alerts from the Public Service Company of New Mexico also warned customers that their power might go out.
Clay Anderson, a forecast for the Weather Service in Albuquerque, said, “Saturday might have a little bit better wind than today, but it’s still going to be cold and kind of unstable.”
Anderson says that by the weekend, temperatures will be about 10 degrees below usual, with a high in the mid-50s. Saturday morning, people in the Albuquerque city area might see snow, but most of it will be in the western and central mountains.
“Overall, not the best day, but there will be significant improvements on Sunday,” he said. “We won’t have a whole lot of wind to contend with in the afternoon hours.”
The weather will also change on Sunday, when the high will be in the mid-60s. On Monday, it might get to be in the mid-70s.
Anderson said the warmer weather will only last for a short time because there may be stronger winds before the next storm system hits on Tuesday, which will be straight over New Mexico.
“I would expect another round of strong winds and potentially some critical fire weather conditions and blowing dust next Tuesday,” he said.
The town of Wagon Mound in Mora County was told to leave because of a wildfire that burned 3,000 acres on Friday afternoon, helped by strong winds. There was a high wind warning for the town until 6 p.m., and wind gusts of about 60 mph were seen.
