New Mexico, 2002

Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 2002

December 1 to 31, 2002 · NWS ABQ · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Dry conditions dominated much of the month across northern and central New Mexico with extended periods between any wetting precipitation. Heavier snows were limited generally to higher elevation locations above 8500 feet.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
22

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

Dry conditions dominated much of the month across northern and central New Mexico with extended periods between any wetting precipitation. Heavier snows were limited generally to higher elevation locations above 8500 feet. Most of the measureable moisture that was recorded in the valley areas or away from the mountain ridges was reported early in the month and then again around Christmas. Albuquerque measured 0.36 inch precipitation for the month which was only 0.13 inch below normal, however all this moisture was recorded on December 3rd with only trace amounts on several days during the remainder of the month.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 8:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 8:50 PM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
850 PM MST sat NOV 30 2002

MINOR TEMP ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. ADDED SOME THUNDER FOR
THE FAR WRN ZONES AS WELL. BEEFED UP WINDS A BIT IN THE NE ZONES FOR
SUNDAY. ONLY OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE TO LOWER TEMPS IN THE NE
FOR TUE AND MOST OF THE E FOR WED AS NEXT COLD SURGE SLIDES DOWN THE
ERN PLAINS. 40

.ABQ...NONE.

CHJ
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 6:00 AM MST, 18 hours before
NMZ001>021-026-011230-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
600 AM MST SAT NOV 30 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...

SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN AREAS TODAY...MAINLY ALONG AND
WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE.  ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS CATRON...WESTERN CIBOLA AND SOUTHWEST MCKINLEY
COUNTIES WHERE INSTABILITY WILL BE THE GREATEST. BY TONIGHT...
SHOWERS OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BE CONCENTRATED OVER NORTHCENTRAL AND
NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO. ONE TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE NEAR
AND ABOVE 7500 FEET.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVING INLAND NORTH OF SAN DIEGO THIS MORNING
WILL DRIFT NORTHEASTWARD AND WEAKEN AS IT NEARS THE FOUR CORNERS
REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTHCENTRAL NEW MEXICO DURING THE DAY
SUNDAY...BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY.

TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

Event by event

22 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Curry

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Curry forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, De Baca

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
De Baca forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Harding

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Quay

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Quay forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Roosevelt

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5324976, 5324977, 5324978, 5324979, 5324980, 5324981, 5325097, 5325098, 5325099, 5325100, 5325101, 5325102, 5325103, 5325104, 5325105, 5325106, 5325107, 5325108, 5325109, 5325110, 5325111, 5325112.