Alert archive / New Mexico / Snow Squall Warnings in 2021

Snow Squall Warning 5, NWS Albuquerque, NM

December 15, 20215 counties in New Mexico

NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this snow squall warning at Dec 15, 2021, 5:32 AM MST for 5 counties in New Mexico. It was in force for 28 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Dec 15, 2021, 5:32 AM MST (12:32 UTC)
Expired
Dec 15, 2021, 6:00 AM MST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Albuquerque, NM
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Los Alamos County, NM, Rio Arriba County, NM, Sandoval County, NM, Santa Fe County, NM, Taos County, NM

The radar

The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 152 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:33 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Dec 15, 6:00 AM MSTNON-TSTM WND DMGJemez Springs, NMHIGHWAY 4 CLOSED IN SANDOVAL COUNTY DUE TO FALLEN TREES AROUND JEMEZ SPRINGS AND VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE. A COUPLE PEOPLE WERE TRANSPORTED TO UNM HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), launched 12:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 159 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM at 12:00Z on 2021-12-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 9 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM at 12:00Z on 2021-12-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 401 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
9 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1356 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
89 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
401 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
663 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

803 
WWUS55 KABQ 151232
SQWABQ

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Snow Squall Warning
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
532 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

NMC028-039-043-049-055-151300-
/O.NEW.KABQ.SQ.W.0005.211215T1232Z-211215T1300Z/
Taos-Los Alamos-Rio Arriba-Sandoval-Santa Fe-
532 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a

* Snow Squall Warning for...
  Northwestern Taos County in north central New Mexico...
  Los Alamos County in north central New Mexico...
  Central Rio Arriba County in north central New Mexico...
  Northeastern Sandoval County in north central New Mexico...
  Northwestern Santa Fe County in north central New Mexico...

* Until 600 AM MST.

* At 530 AM MST, a powerful cold front continued to produce isolated 
  thunderstorms with heavy snow and blowing snow along a line 
  extending from near Chama to 9 miles northwest of Youngsville to 
  13 miles southeast of Torreon Navajo Mission, moving east at 50 
  mph.

  HAZARD...Extremely poor visibility in heavy snow and blowing snow. 
           Wind gusts greater than 50 mph.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

* This includes the following highways...
   Highway 285 between Mile Markers 337 and 343, between Mile Markers
  349 and 356, and between Mile Markers 375 and 408.
   Highway 550 between Mile Markers 37 and 42.
   Highway 64 between Mile Markers 160 and 226.

Locations impacted include...
Los Alamos, Chama, Tierra Amarilla, Jemez Springs, Canon Plaza,
Vallecitos, Tres Piedras, Youngsville, El Rito and Ensenada.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and turn on headlights! The visibility will suddenly drop
to near zero in whiteout conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 3652 10591 3581 10625 3563 10698 3628 10667
      3692 10661 3700 10642 3700 10587
TIME...MOT...LOC 1230Z 248DEG 55KT 3685 10663 3628 10668 3570 10696 

$$
1 follow-up statement
859 
WWUS55 KABQ 151249
SQWABQ

Snow Squall Warning
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
549 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

NMC028-039-043-049-055-151300-
/O.CON.KABQ.SQ.W.0005.000000T0000Z-211215T1300Z/
Taos-Los Alamos-Rio Arriba-Sandoval-Santa Fe-
549 AM MST Wed Dec 15 2021

...A SNOW SQUALL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM MST FOR
NORTHWESTERN TAOS...LOS ALAMOS...CENTRAL RIO ARRIBA...NORTHEASTERN
SANDOVAL AND NORTHWESTERN SANTA FE COUNTIES...

At 548 AM MST, a dangerous snow squall was located along a line
extending from near Chama to 8 miles north of Youngsville to 9 miles
west of Jemez Springs, moving east at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Extremely poor visibility in heavy snow.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

This includes the following highways...
 Highway 285 between Mile Markers 337 and 343, between Mile Markers
349 and 356, and between Mile Markers 375 and 408.
 Highway 550 between Mile Markers 37 and 42.
 Highway 64 between Mile Markers 160 and 226.

Locations impacted include...
Los Alamos, Chama, Tierra Amarilla, Jemez Springs, Canon Plaza,
Vallecitos, Tres Piedras, Youngsville, El Rito and Ensenada.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and turn on headlights! The visibility will suddenly drop
to near zero in whiteout conditions.

&&

LAT...LON 3652 10591 3581 10625 3563 10698 3628 10667
      3692 10661 3700 10642 3700 10587
TIME...MOT...LOC 1248Z 248DEG 55KT 3688 10652 3631 10657 3573 10685 

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Albuquerque, NM issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 15, 5:03 AM MSTSnow Squall WarningABQCibola, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Sandoval27 min
Dec 15, 6:03 AM MSTSnow Squall WarningABQLos Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe and 1 more27 min
Dec 15, 6:34 AM MSTSnow Squall WarningABQColfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos26 min
Dec 15, 6:35 AM MSTSnow Squall WarningABQColfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos25 min

Nearby

Snow Squall Warnings in New Mexico, 2021Every snow squall warning in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.