Strong winds aloft in response to the approach of an upper level system coupled with a tight surface pressure gradient led to windy conditions near Ruidoso and Las Vegas. Winds speeds ramped up by mid morning and continued through much of the afternoon.
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.
Strong winds aloft in response to the approach of an upper level system coupled with a tight surface pressure gradient led to windy conditions near Ruidoso and Las Vegas. Winds speeds ramped up by mid morning and continued through much of the afternoon.
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 28, 3:40 AM MST, 6 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 340 AM MST SUN NOV 28 2010 .DISCUSSION...AZTEC WIND PROFILER IS OUT OF SERVICE...SO SAMPLING OF THE INCREASING MID LEVEL WINDS IS LIMITED NOW. HOWEVER...WINDS ALOFT ARE LIKELY INCREASING TO 50 KT OR BETTER IN TH 700-500 MB LAYER EARLY THIS MORNING AS THE PACIFIC TROUGH APPROACHES THE ROCKIES. STILL EXPECTING RIDGETOPS AND DOWNWIND AREAS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS...THE SIERRA BLANCA...AND THE CAPITAN MOUNTAINS TO SEE STRONG WIND SPEEDS BY SUNRISE THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL SPREAD INTO MORE OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN THROUGH THE DAYTIME AND INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TO THE EAST AS MIXING PULLS DOWN STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. TRIED TO MAKE WIND HIGHLIGHTS AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS POSSIBLE...BUT IT IS A BIT MESSY. CONTINUED WITH HIGH WIND WARNING IN THE SACS OF LINCOLN COUNTY AND ALSO ADDED THE GUADALUPES OF SW CHAVES COUNTY. ADVISORIES WILL HOLD FOR SW MOUNTAINS AND ALMOST ALL AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WITH LATER START TIMES IN THE PLAINS. HAVE ALSO DECIDED TO ISSUE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO ACCOUNT FOR SNOW. THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF THE STATE STILL LOOKS TO SEE SHOWERS ENTER THE REGION BY LATE THIS MORNING WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE NW AND FAR NW HIGHLANDS AND ALSO 2 TO 6 INCHES IN THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ ZONES. COLD AIR WILL BE OVERTAKING THE NORTHWEST TODAY...LIMITING DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES AND ALLOWING SNOW RATIOS TO INCREASE. LIGHT SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SAN JUAN COUNTY...MCKINLEY COUNTY...AND IN THE CHUSKAS...BUT LIMITED MOISTURE SHOULD KEEP THINGS BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. WHILE THE BULK OF PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BE BANDED WITH ASSOCIATED FRONTOGENESIS...PRECIPITATION IS STILL EXPECTED TO BUILD IN BEHIND THE INITIAL SURGE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN ZONES...INCLUDING AREAS NEAR THE UPPER RIO GRANDE AND SANGRES. HAVE HELD OFF ON ADVISORY ISSUANCE FOR THESE AREAS...BUT FUTURE SHIFTS MAY INCLUDE THESE ONCE WIND HIGHLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED THIS EVENING. SOME EXTENSION TO THE WIND STATEMENTS MAY BE NEEDED IN THE SACRAMENTOS/GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING AS IT LOOKS LIKE STRONG MID LEVEL FLOW WILL NOT FULLY LET UP UNTIL EARLY MONDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION WOULD BE WINDING DOWN IN THE WESTERN ZONES ON MONDAY...BUT HAVE INCREASED POPS SOME IN CENTRAL TO EASTERN AREAS...MAINLY ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRES...THE RATON RIDGE...AND INTO THE NW AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. THE REMAINING MASS OF THE COLD AIR WILL PLUNGE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY ALONG WITH ANOTHER SHOT OF FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING. AGAIN QPF AMOUNTS STILL LOOK TO REMAIN ON THE LIGHTER SIDE DUE TO LACKING MOISTURE...BUT A COUPLE TO A FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATION COULD POTENTIALLY JUSTIFY ANOTHER SEGMENT FOR THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. DAYTIME HIGHS WOULD ALSO BE 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. SHOWERS WILL FADE AWAY AND DISSIPATE MONDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER VERY COLD NIGHT IS EXPECTED...AND LATEST GUIDANCE HAS KNOCKED DOWN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FORECAST DOWN OF FEW MORE DEGREES. HEDGED CLOSER TO THESE NEW NUMBERS AS IT LOOKS TO BE CAPTURING THE STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION. THE COLD AIR WILL CERTAINLY LEAVE A DENT IN TEMPERATURES FOR THE DAYTIME HIGHS ON TUESDAY AS NORTHWEST FLOW STAYS BRISK AND RELUCTANT TO WEAKEN. THE FLOW WOULD TURN MORE ZONAL BY WEDNESDAY AND THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK...WHICH SHOULD ALLOW A SLOW WARMING TREND TO ENSUE WITH DRY AND OCCASIONALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS. MODELS ARE NOW INDICATING THAT FLOW WILL TURN SOUTHWESTERLY BY THE WEEKEND AND WILL GIVE WAY TO ANOTHER PACIFIC TROUGH INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK...BUT THIS NEW SOLUTION LACKS CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER RUNS. 52 && .AVIATION...UPR TROUGH TO BRING SNOW TO MUCH OF NRN/CNTRL NM TODAY THRU MON. ACCUMS WILL FAVOR NRN MTNS THRU TONIGHT...THEN CNTRL MTN CHN/ADJ HIGH PLAINS MON/MON NT. A COLD FRONT WILL ALSO SHIFT WINDS AS CROSSES FM NW TO SE TODAY/NT. CHC FOR FLIGHT CAT RESTRICTIONS TO INCRS AT FMN/GUP LATE THIS MORNING...THEN LIKELY THIS AFTN/NT BEFORE GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT MON MORNING. COLD FRONT TO HIT ABQ/SAF JUST BEFORE SUNSET W/ SHSNRA...BECMG SN SAF DURG EVE W/ MVFR CONDS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. STRONG SW WINDS WILL DVLP ERN TAFS TODAY...LVS FIRST THEN TCC THIS AFTN. MAYBE NOT SO BAD AT ROW. THEN CHC FOR SHSN/MVFR CONDS LVS TONIGHT...MORE PROBABLE MON ESPECIALLY MON AFTN. LIGHT SN ACCUM POSSIBLE BY MON EVE AT LVS. IFR CONDS IN LOW CLDS AND PATCHY FOG LIKELY W/NW VALLEYS TONIGHT AS SYSTEM SLOWLY SHIFTS E. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 22Z. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER...TODAY THRU TUE...A FAIRLY DEEP UPPER TROUGH WILL CROSS NM WITH WIND...SNOW AND ALSO SOME DAYTIME RAIN SHOWERS ON THE EC AND SE PLAINS. STRONGEST SW WINDS WILL FAVOR THE AREA ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WHERE GUSTS FM 50 TO 55 MPH ARE LIKELY TODAY. THE SW MOUNTAINS AND SOCORRO COUNTY WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE STRONG WINDS GUSTING 45-50 MPH. A RED FLAG WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE NRN/CNTRL MTNS EASTWARD TO THE TX/OK BORDERS BELOW SIGNIFICANT SNOW PACK. ALSO UPGRADED FIRE WEATHER WATCH TO A RED FLAG WARNING IN SOCORRO COUNTY...BUT SHOULD ONLY TOUCH CRITICAL CONDITIONS BRIEFLY FARTHER NORTH IN NMZ106 AROUND PEAK HEATING. WINDS WILL DECREASE SHORTLY AFT SUNSET AND HUMIDITIES WILL CLIMB EASING THESE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DIVE SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE STATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BRING PRECIP IN TWO WAVES. THE FIRST WILL FAVOR THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND NW PLATEAU TODAY AND TONIGHT IN W/SW FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH. THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL CROSS MONDAY AND MORE SHORTWAVES WILL DROP SSE THRU NM IN ITS WAKE SHIFTING THE FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...NE AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE NE AND EC PLAINS MON AND MON NIGHT. THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS SHOULD GET THE MOST SNOW...FROM A FEW INCHES TO AROUND A HALF FOOT. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND ACROSS THE NE HIGHLANDS MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE BEST CHANCE FOR WETTING PRECIP ON THE PLAINS WILL FAVOR EC AND NE AREAS...WHERE A MIX OF DAYTIME RAIN AND MAINLY OVERNIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED. PLAINS SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT. HIGHS MON AND TUE WILL VARY FROM 5 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...THEN READINGS WILL REBOUND STRONGLY WED. HIGHS WED AFTERNOON SHOULD BE AROUND NORMAL IN MOST LOCATIONS...EXCEPT FOR ACROSS THE NW PLATEAU AND RIO GRANDE VALLEY WHERE A STRONG TEMPERATURE INVERSION WILL HOLD HIGHS UP TO 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. VENTILATION MAY NOT BE SO BAD MONDAY AS NW WINDS REMAIN BREEZY TO A LITTLE WINDY. HOWEVER...WIND SPEEDS SHOULD DECREASE ENOUGH TUESDAY FOR POOR VENTILATION ALONG AND WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. W AND SW WINDS WILL BE GUSTY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TUESDAY...AND MAY EVEN BECOME BREEZY TO WINDY IN THE VICINITY OF THE TORRANCE AND GUADALUPE COUNTY LINE. THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK...NW FLOW ALOFT WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT MORE ZONAL. A MINOR PERTURBATION OR TWO MAY CROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...AND A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT MAY DROP INTO THE NE PLAINS LATE WED AND WED NIGHT...BRIEFLY MODIFYING THE WARMING TREND IN THAT AREA FOR THURSDAY. HOWEVER...MOST LOCATIONS WILL EXPERIENCE HIGH TEMPS NEAR NORMAL TO AS MUCH AS 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WED THROUGH SAT. THE PERTURBATIONS COULD CAUSE PERIODS OF INCREASED CLOUD COVER...BUT NM WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN DRY. GUSTY W OR SW WINDS TYPICALLY RETURN EACH AFTERNOON TO THE LEE OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN IN THIS PATTERN. 44 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 38 22 35 8 / 30 40 10 5 DULCE........................... 37 12 34 -1 / 50 50 20 10 CUBA............................ 40 13 32 3 / 30 50 20 10 GALLUP.......................... 36 15 30 0 / 40 30 10 5 EL MORRO........................ 37 13 28 3 / 30 30 20 5 GRANTS.......................... 39 19 31 6 / 20 30 20 5 QUEMADO......................... 44 15 32 5 / 20 30 10 5 GLENWOOD........................ 53 24 43 15 / 20 30 5 0 CHAMA........................... 33 9 32 -1 / 60 60 30 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 40 15 31 13 / 20 30 20 10 PECOS........................... 42 18 30 13 / 20 30 20 20 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 35 10 31 0 / 20 30 20 20 RED RIVER....................... 33 7 26 -2 / 20 40 30 20 ANGEL FIRE...................... 36 8 29 0 / 10 40 40 20 TAOS............................ 38 11 34 2 / 20 30 20 10 MORA............................ 39 14 28 6 / 10 20 40 30 ESPANOLA........................ 46 19 40 10 / 20 20 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 42 18 36 10 / 20 30 10 10 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 44 18 38 13 / 20 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 46 23 37 16 / 10 10 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 48 26 39 18 / 10 10 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 50 20 41 11 / 10 10 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 49 22 39 13 / 10 10 5 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 54 21 42 14 / 0 10 5 5 RIO RANCHO...................... 48 23 40 16 / 10 10 5 5 SOCORRO......................... 58 26 43 20 / 5 5 5 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 44 17 34 6 / 10 10 10 10 TIJERAS......................... 47 21 36 12 / 10 10 10 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 49 19 37 10 / 5 5 20 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 48 18 33 10 / 5 5 40 20 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 51 25 39 16 / 5 0 20 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 51 26 41 17 / 0 5 10 5 RUIDOSO......................... 49 25 37 14 / 0 10 10 5 CAPULIN......................... 51 14 29 6 / 0 20 40 10 RATON........................... 52 16 34 8 / 0 10 40 20 SPRINGER........................ 51 17 37 9 / 5 5 30 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 47 18 33 8 / 5 5 40 30 CLAYTON......................... 60 23 37 15 / 0 5 30 5 ROY............................. 54 19 35 14 / 0 5 30 10 CONCHAS......................... 61 26 38 18 / 0 5 30 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 61 26 39 16 / 0 5 30 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 65 25 39 17 / 0 0 30 10 CLOVIS.......................... 61 25 43 18 / 0 0 20 10 PORTALES........................ 62 24 43 17 / 0 0 20 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 63 26 43 17 / 0 0 30 20 ROSWELL......................... 68 29 52 23 / 0 0 10 10 PICACHO......................... 62 28 44 20 / 0 5 10 10 ELK............................. 61 25 41 14 / 0 5 10 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103-104-106>108. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ508-513>515-521>524-527>529-539. WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ530>537. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-504-510-511. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ526-540. && 52/44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 553 AM MST SUN NOV 28 2010 NMZ501>540-291300- 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- 553 AM MST SUN NOV 28 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF NEW MEXICO LATE THIS MORNING AND THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST ALONG AND DOWNWIND OF THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS WHERE GUSTS TO 55 AND 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL ALSO EXIST IN MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE...LEADING TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. SNOW WILL ALSO SPREAD INTO THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF NEW MEXICO TODAY WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED IN THE NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS AND THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ MOUNTAINS. PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT...AND WILL SPREAD INTO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND NEARBY HIGHLANDS OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE PEAKS AND EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND NEARBY HIGHLANDS MONDAY AND INTO MONDAY EVENING WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND ANY HIGH WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT 1.888.386.7637 OR VIA THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 52
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusts over 50 knots were recorded at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport near Ruidoso intermittently for over 2 hours. The highest wind gusts was 63 mph at 1035 am.
Sustained winds over 35 knots were recorded at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport near Ruidoso between 1015 and 1115 am. The highest sustained wind was 48 mph.
The Las Vegas ASOS peaked at 58 mph.
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: 262695, 262696, 262697.