Dust Storm — Northern Dona Ana County, New Mexico

2025-03-18 · Northern Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Event narrative

Widespread blowing dust caused visibilities to drop to near zero across northern Dona Ana county. New Mexico 26 was closed and around 300 foot visibility was reported around the Upham exit on Interstate 25.

Wider weather episode

A strong upper low was moving across the Rockies with an associated cold front at the surface moving through the Borderland. Winds ahead and just behind the cold front brought gusts up to 101 mph. The strong winds created several areas of blowing dust which reduced visibilities to under a quarter mile at times, resulting in the closure of Interstate 10 and other major highways in the area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1246794. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.