A cold front associated with the last in a series of upper level troughs, sent a blast of blustery conditions down the eastern plains of New Mexico. Hardest hit was the Clayton area, where high winds and light snow continued for several hours.
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.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
A cold front associated with the last in a series of upper level troughs, sent a blast of blustery conditions down the eastern plains of New Mexico. Hardest hit was the Clayton area, where high winds and light snow continued for several hours.
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 17, 3:32 AM MST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 332 AM MST WED NOV 17 2010 .DISCUSSION...LAST IN A SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS DIVING SEWD IN THE NWLY FLOW WAS BRUSHING NC/NE NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS MORNING. ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW HAS SHIFTED INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SC/SE NEW MEXICO AT THIS EARLY HOUR. ELEVATED SURFACE WINDS/MIXING IN WAKE OF THIS INITIAL PACIFIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS KEPT EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES NOTICEABLY WARMER COMPARED TO 24 HOURS AGO. HOWEVER...A SECONDARY OR BACKDOOR SURGE OF COLDER AIR MOVING SOUTH ALONG COLORADO/S FRONT RANGE WILL OVERSPREAD NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE MORNING AND RESULT IN NOTICEABLE COOLING IN THE NEAR TERM FOR EASTERN AREAS. WE/VE HOISTED A WIND ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE MORNING...ANTICIPATING A RELATIVELY BRIEF BOUT OF ADVISORY LEVEL NORTHERLY WINDS IN RESPONSE TO STRONG PRESSURE RISES IN WAKE OF THE BACKDOOR COLD FRONT. WHILE THE FOOTPRINT OF ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS WILL BE RELATIVELY SMALL...FAVORING THE FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS...WE WERE A LITTLE MORE GENEROUS AND INCLUDED MUCH OF THE NORTHEAST IN THE ADVISORY GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE POST FRONTAL ISALLOBARIC GRADIENT. WINDS WILL QUICKLY AND RATHER ABRUPTLY DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE MID-MORNING HOURS IF NOT A LITTLE BEFORE. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL BE NOTICEABLY COOLER AS COMPARED TO TUESDAY ACROSS THE EAST...WITH SLIGHT COOLING IN THE WEST. ASIDE FROM THE MORNING WIND...WILL INCLUDE A MENTION OF FLURRIES WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS THE FAR NORTHEAST FOR THE EARLY AM HOURS BUT OTHERWISE POPS TO REMAIN NIL. FOR THE AFTERNOON...BREEZY CONDITIONS LINGERING ACROSS THE FAR EAST BUT OVERALL WINDS WILL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE PAST TWO DAYS ESPECIALLY THE MOUNTAINS AND WEST AS GRADIENTS RELAX. THE NWLY FLOW PATTERN THAT HAS DOMINATED THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS WILL FINALLY GIVE WAY TO AN UNEVENTFUL ZONAL FLOW REGIME BY THURSDAY. UNDER CLEAR SKIES...LIGHT WINDS...AND DRY AIR MASS...LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE SEVERAL DEGREES COLDER THAN THIS MORNING AND WELL BELOW AVERAGE AT MOST LOCALES. AFTER A CHILLY START...BIG WARM UP ON THURSDAY ONCE EARLY MORNING INVERSIONS DISSIPATE. ALTHOUGH STILL MILD FOR THE SEASON...NORTHERN VALLEYS MAY ACTUALLY END UP A LITTLE COOLER THAN NEIGHBORING MID SLOPE AREAS ON THU. OVERALL HIGHS AS MUCH AS 20 DEGREES WARMER IN THE NORTHEAST AND GENERALLY 5 TO 10 DEGREES WARMER REMAINDER. UPPER FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY BACK TO SWLY BY WEEK/S END...WITH DRY/MILD WEATHER TO PERSIST AREA WIDE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. WEAK LEE SIDE TROUGHING SHOULD RESULT IN SOME MODERATE BREEZES IN THE EAST THURSDAY PM...BUT BETTER DEVELOPED LEE TROUGH FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS SWLY FLOW ALOFT STRENGTHENS DOWNSTREAM OF A BROAD UPPER TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST. DAYTIME TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL AND SFC WINDS WILL INCREASE EACH DAY DURING THIS PERIOD. SHORTWAVES EJECTING OUT OF AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH MAY BRING SOME PRECIP TO NC/NW ZONES LATE IN THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY IF THE MAIN JET AXIS POSITIONS ITSELF A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH OF THE FOUR CORNERS AS THE LATEST ECMWF SUGGESTS. OTHERWISE WE HAVE CONTINUED FORECAST TRENDS OF MORE WIND AND MORE CLOUDS FOR LATE PDS WITH LOW CHC POPS ACROSS MAINLY NC/NW ZONES. KJ && .AVIATION... STRONG NW WINDS WILL GUST NEAR 45KT E OF THE SANGRES TO THE TX BORDER TIL MID MORNING. AIRPORTS LIKELY AFFECTED INCLUDE RTN...LVS...CAO AND PERHAPS TCC. STRONGER GUSTS WILL GRADUALLY END FROM W TO E ...BUT SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTY EXISTS ABOUT TIME OF ONSET OF WEAKER WINDS AT LVS/TCC. DIRECTIONS WILL SHIFT OUT OF N BY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE E AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL LINGER ALONG THE TX BORDER. WINDS WILL SHIFT OUT OF THE W AND SW BY THU AS ZONAL FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPS...BUT BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO THE PLAINS NEAR I-40. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... STRONG NW WINDS WILL CONTINUE TIL MID MORNING WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES EAST OF THE SANGRES TO THE TX AND OK BORDERS. A COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE PLAINS WILL SHIFT WIND DIRECTIONS OUT OF THE NORTH BY MID DAY AND WIND SPEEDS WILL WEAKEN ACROSS THE NORTHEAST BY MID DAY AS A SPEED MAXIMUM IN THE POLAR JET ALOFT EXISTS EASTWARD INTO TX. DURING THE AFTERNOON SOME NORTHERLY BREEZES WILL PERSIST ALONG THE TX BORDER...BUT SPEEDS WILL BE NOTABLY WEAKER THAN THIS MORNING. IN CONTRAST...WINDS IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN AREAS WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT TODAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES COMPARED TO YESTERDAY AND POOR VENTILATIONS. HUMIDITIES WILL DROP ACROSS THE WEST COMPARED TO YESTERDAY AND MAY REACH AROUND 15 PERCENT IN THE SOUTHWESTERN VALLEYS. ZONAL FLOW WILL DEVELOP OVER NM THURSDAY AND FRIDAY ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO RISE ABOVE NORMAL AREAWIDE. ALTHOUGH WINDS ALOFT WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKER THAN THIS MORNING...THE LATEST MODEL RUNS DO INDICATE THEY WILL REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH FOR WEST WINDS TO BECOME BREEZY ACROSS THE EAST DURING BOTH AFTERNOONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR. HUMIDITIES WILL ALSO DROP TO THE LOW TEENS ACROSS MUCH OF THE EAST BOTH DAYS AND AN HOUR OR TWO OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE TORRANCE AND GUADALUPE COUNTY LINE. DURING THE WEEKEND AHEAD AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AS THE POLAR JET STREAM MOVES OVER NM. FOR SATURDAY THIS WILL CAUSE NM WINDS TO SHIFT OUT OF THE SW AND STRENGTHEN BECOMING GUSTY IN MOST AREAS AND SLIGHTLY BREEZIER ACROSS THE EAST. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO CRATER WITH CRITICALLY LOW READINGS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. AN HOUR OR TWO OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY RETURN TO THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE AREAL COVERAGE OF THESE CONDITIONS BECOMING SLIGHTLY MORE WIDESPREAD. SUNDAY...WINDS ALOFT WILL STRENGTHEN OVER NM AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES FURTHER INLAND. MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD EXPERIENCE AT LEAST BREEZY SW FLOW SUNDAY...WHILE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELOP ACROSS THE EAST. A LARGE PART OF THE PLAINS STANDS A GOOD CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING SEVERAL HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...HUMIDITIES SHOULD RISE ABOVE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS IN THE WEST AND SOME RAIN AND HIGH TERRAIN SNOW SHOWERS MAY EVEN DEVELOP FROM THE CHUSKAS TO THE SAN JUANS. EARLY IN THE COMING WORK WEEK THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MAY BROADEN AND SEND A SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES. THIS WILL KEEP BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY AND THERE IS A CHANCE THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE EAST INTO MONDAY AS WELL. MEANWHILE...ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN... PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL INCREASE MONDAY AND PERHAPS INTO TUESDAY. 44 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 48 18 57 22 / 0 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 50 9 57 15 / 0 0 0 0 CUBA............................ 48 10 57 19 / 0 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 52 8 59 14 / 0 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 50 7 57 19 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 52 10 60 16 / 0 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 53 14 60 21 / 0 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 67 24 66 32 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 42 9 51 17 / 0 0 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 46 23 55 27 / 0 0 0 0 PECOS........................... 47 19 58 27 / 0 0 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 41 7 52 17 / 0 0 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 35 10 45 21 / 0 0 0 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 39 7 51 18 / 0 0 0 0 TAOS............................ 46 8 55 14 / 0 0 0 0 MORA............................ 45 13 58 24 / 0 0 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 54 17 60 22 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 47 20 56 27 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 50 20 57 25 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 51 29 56 29 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 53 27 57 31 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 55 24 59 28 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 55 25 58 28 / 0 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 57 20 61 25 / 0 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 55 25 58 27 / 0 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 59 28 62 31 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 49 25 55 28 / 0 0 0 0 TIJERAS......................... 53 27 54 26 / 0 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 51 21 58 25 / 0 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 48 22 56 28 / 0 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 54 26 59 28 / 0 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 58 28 62 28 / 0 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 51 23 57 32 / 0 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 41 14 58 28 / 0 0 0 0 RATON........................... 46 13 63 23 / 0 0 0 0 SPRINGER........................ 47 16 63 26 / 0 0 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 47 19 61 30 / 0 0 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 45 22 64 35 / 0 0 0 0 ROY............................. 46 20 61 28 / 0 0 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 54 22 65 30 / 0 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 56 23 67 34 / 0 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 54 23 66 33 / 0 0 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 52 24 62 32 / 0 0 0 0 PORTALES........................ 53 23 63 29 / 0 0 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 58 24 65 30 / 0 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 63 25 65 28 / 0 0 0 0 PICACHO......................... 63 25 68 27 / 0 0 0 0 ELK............................. 59 29 64 30 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ527>532-534. && 41/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 546 AM MST TUE NOV 16 2010 NMZ501>540-171300- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 546 AM MST TUE NOV 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO FROM 1000 AM TO 500 PM MST. THIS INCLUDES THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS...GUADALUPE AND QUAY COUNTIES AND EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY. MAJOR HIGHWAYS IMPACTED INCLUDE THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM CLINES CORNERS TO TUCUMCARI AND INTERSTATE 25 FROM NEAR SAN JOSE TO WATROUS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD BE MET FOR PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 40
3 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The observer estimated wind gusts around 55 mph. An east bound semi truck was blown off the road, onto its side, by the strong winds 1.5 miles west of Capulin on U.S. Highway 64.
In addition to wind gusts over 58 mph, the Clayton ASOS measured 41 mph sustained winds for at least an hour behind a strong back door cold front.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, November 2010
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: 261381, 260931, 260933, 260932.