High-wind, Blowing Dust Travel Advisory Hits Valencia County Feb. 17 to 20

Sustained winds of 25–35 miles per hour and gusts up to 65 miles per hour drove a multi-day travel advisory across southern New Mexico that included Valencia County from Feb. 17–20, officials and local broadcasters reported. The National Weather Service forecast the strongest winds especially between noon and 8 p.m. each day, and agencies warned that blowing dust could rapidly cut visibility and create hazardous driving conditions in rural and open areas.

KOAT Action 7 News reproduced the National Weather Service forecast, saying, "The National Weather Service predicts sustained winds between 25 and 35 miles per hour, with gusts reaching up to 65 miles per hour, especially between noon and 8 p.m. each day." That timing defined the advisory’s daily peak-risk window for motorists and emergency responders across Valencia County and neighboring southern New Mexico communities.

State transportation officials and broadcasters urged drivers to limit travel during those peak wind periods. Drivers were told to avoid traveling during peak wind periods if possible and to check road conditions with the New Mexico Department of Transportation online or by calling 511 before heading out. NMDOT’s monitoring and 511 phone service were listed as the primary means for up-to-date road-status information during the advisory.

Local reporting summarized standard safety steps for motorists caught in a dust storm, as published in the advisory: "If caught in a dust storm, motorists are advised to pull completely off the roadway, turn off all vehicle lights, set the emergency brake, and remain inside ..." That guidance was circulated by KOAT as part of the broader travel-advisory messaging repeated across regional outlets during Feb. 17–20.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation, the National Weather Service advisories reflected by local broadcasters, and regional TV outlets including KOAT and KVIA all alerted travelers to the multi-day high-wind and blowing-dust event. KOAT’s coverage repeatedly emphasized that state leaders expected the worst impacts each afternoon and evening, noting the advisory was likely to "significantly impact the area between noon and 8 P.M."

With the advisory period now closed, Valencia County residents and anyone planning travel through southern New Mexico should review NMDOT road-status reports and National Weather Service advisories for any follow-up alerts or lingering hazards. The 65-mph gust figure and the daily noon-to-8 p.m. peak window remain the clearest measures of how disruptive the Feb. 17–20 event was for driving conditions across the region.