New Mexico: The Windy Season

Dust up west of White Sands National Monument, Tularosa Basin, New Mexico

Until I moved to New Mexico, I knew nothing about the windy season.

It begins in March and runs into April, sometimes May. When mixed with dust (or in the case of the White Sands area, gypsum "sand"), it can make mountains disappear like magic, leave a film of grit on everything, and irritate one's eyes and nose. 


Dust storms on the highways are a serious matter, as they enclose vehicles in a fog of dust - no visibility. In this video of a family going through a dust storm in Deming, watch how quickly the dust surrounds them.

Indeed, many long-time New Mexicans consider the spring winds to be the worst time of year in New Mexico.

As I drove back to Alamogordo from Lordsburg, I saw the white wall of sand walking across the Tularosa Basin west of White Sands National Monument.

Dust up west of White Sands National Monument, Tularosa Basin, New Mexico

I saw a lot of white-out hullabaloo going on in the White Sands National Monument, so I turned in to check it out.

White Sands during wind storm, New Mexico

White Sands during wind storm, New Mexico

The windy season has begun.