2022 Annual Weather Highlights Fire Weather

Fire Weather

2022 New Mexico Fire Weather Overview
An in-depth examination of the 2022 fire weather season can be reviewed on the "2022 Record Fire Weather Season Interactive ArcGIS Story Map". 2022 brought the most devastating wildfire season in New Mexico history. Over a decade of drought, modest snowpack, above normal temperatures, and declining forest health set the stage for yet another bad wildfire season for New Mexico. High winds and very low humidity led to several days of extreme fire weather conditions. The first wildfires erupted in the Rio Grande Valley near Belen and San Antonio in early April when several structures burned. The Hermit's Peak Fire spread out of control on April 6th and merged with the nearby Calf Canyon Fire later in April. The conflagration grew to an immense 341,735 acres, dwarfing the previous state record by over 50,000 acres held by the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy complex. The McBride and Nogal Canyon fires started on April 12th and destroyed more than 200 homes near Ruidoso. The Cook's Peak Fire erupted on April 17th and grew to nearly 60,000 acres. The Cerro Pelado Fire began on April 22nd and was relatively small in comparison to other state fires at 15,000 acres. Finally, the Black Fire was discovered on May 6th in the Gila Wilderness and surged to an impressive 325,136 acres through early June. A brief "Summary of the 2022 Fire Weather Season" details some of these more significant fires to impact New Mexico. (Return to the main page)