Thunderstorm Wind in Chaves County, New Mexico

The ASOS at the Roswell Air Center measured a 64 mph wind gust on the leading edge of a line of severe thunderstorms.

Higher moisture moved into New Mexico between an upper low off the coast of southern California and an upper high over northern Mexico. This higher moisture combined with an upper level disturbance moving quickly east along the southern end of an upper low over the northern and central Rockies resulting in the development of showers and thunderstorms across northern and central New Mexico. Storms across south central New Mexico resulted in an estimated 60 mph wind gust in Magdelena and a peak wind gust of 62 mph at the Phillips Hull mesonet on the White Sands Missile Range. Thunderstorms coalesced into a squall line as they moved across eastern NM during the early to mid-evening hours. Peak wind gusts of 69 mph at Melrose Range and 64 mph at the Roswell Air Center and a West Texas Mesonet near Endee in eastern Quay County were measured along the leading edge of this squall line. This line of showers and thunderstorms moved east into West Texas shortly thereafter.