After the precipitation ended, at least significantly so, on the 1st, brutally cold temperatures and strong winds impacted eastern New Mexico. Wind chill values of -25 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit were reported across much of northeast and east central New Mexico during the overnight.
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.
After the precipitation ended, at least significantly so, on the 1st, brutally cold temperatures and strong winds impacted eastern New Mexico. Wind chill values of -25 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit were reported across much of northeast and east central New Mexico during the overnight. Actual low temperatures ranged from 0 to 15 below zero in these areas.
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 Feb 1, 3:21 PM MST, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 321 PM MST TUE FEB 1 2011 .DISCUSSION... ...EXTREME COLD AND SNOW CONTINUES TO POUND PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NM... OUR BLUSTERY ARCTIC GUEST HAS ARRIVED AND IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE FOR THE NEXT 36 TO 48 HOURS. AT 22Z THE ARCTIC FRONT WAS STRETCHING FROM SE SAN JUAN COUNTY TO WEST OF GRANTS AND CATRON COUNTY. MEANWHILE THE LARGE SCALE SECONDARY UPR LEVEL LOW IS SLIDING SLOWLY SSE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. LOW LEVEL EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL INTENSIFY TONIGHT BENEATH INCREASING UPR LEVEL DIVERGENCE OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM. MAJOR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE FALLEN IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN ACROSS THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN AND THE SURROUNDING EAST SLOPES. LOCALES SUCH AS SANTA FE AND LOS ALAMOS WILL BEGIN SEEING THE ACTION BY THIS EVENING. THE GREATEST IMPACT WILL HOWEVER BE FURTHER SOUTH FROM THE I40 CORRIDOR ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MTS SOUTHWARD INTO SOCORRO COUNTY. MADE ONLY MINOR TWEAKS TO RAISE POPS TO 100 PCT IN THESE AREAS AND ADJUSTED QPF/SNOW TOTALS TO REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS. LOOK TO ABQWSWABQ FOR MORE SPECIFIC FORECAST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THE LATEST REPORTED SNOW IS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED ON THE WEATHER.GOV/ABQ WEBPAGE ALONG WITH SPECIAL WEATHER BRIEFING INFO. BOTTOM LINE THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WILL BE LIFT-THREATENING RECORD EXTREME COLD NOT SEEN IN DECADES...WITH THE SNOWFALL COMPLICATING MATTERS. TEMPS WILL BE 25 TO 45 DEGREES BLW NORMAL THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WITH THE HEART OF THE COLDEST WX IN STORE THURSDAY MORNING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 BELOW ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN VALLEYS TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS BELOW ZERO ELSEWHERE. TEMPS WILL MODERATE RESPECTABLY BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE 20S AND 30S. THE CURRENT STORM WILL EXIT WELL TO THE SOUTH AS NORTHERLY FLOW SETS UP ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY. DAYTIME TEMPS WILL MODERATE NICELY HOWEVER MORNING LOWS WILL REMAIN VERY COLD. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS ON TAP FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH ANOTHER BLAST OF COLD AIR AND SNOW...PARTICULARLY FOR NORTHEAST NM. GUYER && .AVIATION... SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMPACTS TO AVIATION DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. RECORD BREAKING ARCTIC AIR MASS HAS REACHED THE CENTRAL VALLEYS TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS WEST BEYOND THE DIVIDE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. EAST WINDS GUSTING AOA 35 KTS AFFECTING KABQ AND KSAF...STRONGEST BETWEEN 00Z AND 09Z. ADDITIONALLY...SNOW TO EXPAND IN COVERAGE ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL NM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BECOMING STEADIER AND HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT WITH PREDOMINATELY LIFR/VLIFR CONDITIONS. IN THE MEANTIME...WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR WITH AREAS OF VLIFR CONDITIONS TO PERSIST FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WESTWARD TO THE NM/AZ BORDER THROUGH AT LEAST 12Z WED. ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...CIGS/VSBYS LARGELY MFVR WITH LIFR CONDITIONS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 10Z. CHJ && .FIRE WEATHER... A RECORDING BREAKING ARCTIC AIR MASS HAS SPILLED INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEYS TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...OOZING INTO FAR EASTERN ARIZONA BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. EASTERLY GAP WINDS RESULTING FROM A STRONG EAST TO WEST PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PERSIST AND WILL BECOME ENHANCED AGAIN THIS EVENING THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. MEANWHILE THE SECOND AND MORE POTENT WAVE OF ENERGY DROPS SOUTH TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS TONIGHT AND ALONG THE AZ/NM BORDER WEDNESDAY. THE SNOW WILL BECOME STEADIER AND HEAVY AT TIMES ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO TONIGHT. THE FOCUS FOR THE HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL SET UP OVER THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND UPPER GILA REGION TO INCLUDE THE ZUNI AND MAGDALENA MOUNTAINS...EXTENDING EASTWARD ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS. CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING IN AN EXTENDED AND MAJOR SNOWFALL EVENT FOR AREAS ALONG AND 50 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE STRETCHING FROM ZUNI TO FENCE LAKE TO QUEMADO TO BELEN TO CORONA TO RUIDOSO AND DUNKEN. HEAVY SNOW ALWAYS OCCURS IN SMALL SCALE BANDS AND THE ABOVE MENTIONED AREAS ARE GOING TO BE IN A PRIME LOCATION FOR HEAVY BANDS OF SNOW TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. IT IS LIKELY THAT ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 FEET WILL OCCUR. FARTHER NORTH...HEAVY SNOWS WILL ALSO OCCUR BUT AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 18 INCHES WILL BE MORE LOCALIZED AND CONFINED TO THE HIGH EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS...SANDIA AND MANZANO MOUNTAINS AND PERHAPS THE EAST SLOPES OF THE JEMEZ/LOS ALAMOS AREA. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE 25 TO 50 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGE...WITH THE COLDEST READINGS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY WITH SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS FOR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES. BRUTALLY COLD BUT IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES EXPERIENCED IN DECADES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY FROM 5 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. QUIETER WEATHER STILL EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...ALBEIT MUCH COOLER THAN AVERAGE WITH LARGELY POOR VENTILATION ACROSS THE BOARD. DURING THIS PERIOD AN UNSEASONABLY COOL NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL OVER THE AREA AND WE CANNOT RULE OUT OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS FOR MAINLY THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. A NORTHWEST FLOW WILL EXTEND INTO THE WEEKEND WITH COOL AND SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED WEATHER EXPECTED...MAINLY SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. OVERALL WE DO NOT SEE ANY MAJOR STORMS ON THE HORIZON AFTER THURSDAY...BUT THE PATTERN WILL FAVOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SNOW. CHJ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 3 17 -4 26 / 70 20 10 0 DULCE........................... -6 18 -20 18 / 90 40 10 0 CUBA............................ -2 18 -15 21 / 100 40 10 0 GALLUP.......................... -2 15 -17 26 / 90 30 5 0 EL MORRO........................ -6 10 -24 20 / 100 50 5 5 GRANTS.......................... -4 11 -17 24 / 100 50 10 0 QUEMADO......................... -3 11 -16 24 / 100 50 5 5 GLENWOOD........................ 16 26 4 28 / 60 40 10 0 CHAMA........................... -13 10 -25 20 / 80 50 10 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... -6 12 -10 23 / 90 50 10 0 PECOS........................... -13 8 -17 22 / 80 40 5 5 CERRO/QUESTA.................... -16 8 -25 22 / 50 50 10 10 RED RIVER....................... -22 2 -28 15 / 70 50 10 20 ANGEL FIRE...................... -23 3 -28 19 / 70 50 10 10 TAOS............................ -10 9 -19 24 / 50 40 10 5 MORA............................ -12 6 -13 24 / 70 40 5 5 ESPANOLA........................ -4 16 -12 26 / 70 40 5 0 SANTA FE........................ -7 10 -9 22 / 80 50 5 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ -5 12 -12 24 / 80 50 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... -2 11 -1 22 / 70 50 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 1 14 -5 24 / 70 50 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. -1 16 -9 25 / 80 50 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... -1 15 -4 25 / 80 50 5 0 LOS LUNAS....................... -1 17 -9 25 / 80 50 5 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 0 13 -4 24 / 80 50 5 0 SOCORRO......................... 8 16 -6 25 / 100 60 5 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... -8 8 -12 20 / 100 60 5 0 TIJERAS......................... -4 10 -10 22 / 100 60 5 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... -8 9 -20 20 / 90 50 5 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. -11 1 -18 19 / 90 60 5 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... -5 10 -15 21 / 100 70 5 5 CARRIZOZO....................... 1 15 -10 23 / 100 70 10 5 RUIDOSO......................... -8 10 -3 16 / 100 80 20 10 CAPULIN......................... -16 0 -19 22 / 50 30 5 10 RATON........................... -12 7 -15 28 / 40 30 5 10 SPRINGER........................ -14 5 -16 26 / 40 30 5 5 LAS VEGAS....................... -16 2 -18 25 / 60 40 5 0 CLAYTON......................... -10 9 -1 34 / 30 30 5 0 ROY............................. -9 6 -5 24 / 40 30 5 0 CONCHAS......................... -3 10 -10 24 / 40 30 5 0 SANTA ROSA...................... -4 10 -10 24 / 60 40 5 0 TUCUMCARI....................... -3 11 -10 27 / 40 30 5 0 CLOVIS.......................... -2 9 -4 25 / 70 30 5 0 PORTALES........................ -1 11 -3 26 / 60 30 5 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 0 12 -5 25 / 60 30 5 0 ROSWELL......................... 4 18 0 25 / 60 30 5 5 PICACHO......................... 0 14 -5 23 / 80 60 20 10 ELK............................. -3 10 -8 21 / 100 60 20 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-504-506>508-510>534-539-540. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ501-502-505-509-535>538. && GUYER/40
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MST TUE FEB 1 2011 NMZ501>540-021300- 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- 600 AM MST TUE FEB 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE MAJOR WINTER STORM EVENT WILL CONTINUE TODAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE SECOND UPPER LEVEL LOW APPROACHES LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT THEN MOVES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AFTER A MODERATE LULL IN SNOWFALL COVERAGE THROUGH THE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON TODAY...SNOW WILL INCREASE AGAIN ACROSS MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...ESPECIALLY FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN ON WEST. THE GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS ARE MOST LIKELY FROM THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. IN ADDITION... THE ARCTIC COLD WILL MAKE FURTHER INROADS ACROSS THE WEST HALF OF NEW MEXICO...BUT WINDS NOT QUITE AS STRONG NOR TEMPERATURES QUITE AS COLD AS COMPARED TO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO...WHERE NIGHTTIME LOWS OF 5 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO LIKELY IN THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AND 10 TO 25 BELOW IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS AND NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS. STRONG NORTH AND NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS TODAY INTO THIS EVENING WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED EARLIER THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE WINTER STORM EVENT WILL BEGIN TO WIND DOWN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DURING THIS PERIOD THE GREATER SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE MAINLY CONFINED TO THE GILA REGION ON EAST INTO THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER IN MOST AREAS...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE 20 TO AROUND 40 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL NORMS WEDNESDAY...FINALLY MODERATING THEREAFTER. MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED EARLIER THIS MORNING. 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 THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 43
9 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Low temperatures around -14F combined with northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 40 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures around -8F at Raton combined with northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 40 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures around -8F at Clayton combined with northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 40 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures around -5F at Mills Canyon combined with northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures around -5F combined with northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures between -5 and -10F combined with northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures between 0 and -5F combined with northerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures between 0 and -5F combined with northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
Low temperatures between 0 and -5F combined with northerly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts resulted in early morning wind chill values from 25 to 35 degrees below zero.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2011
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: 271063, 271064, 271065, 271066, 271067, 271068, 271069, 271070, 271071.