The third exposure death of 2011 in the Gallup area occurred in a wind-swept field about 150 yards east of North Ninth Street on the 9th.
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.
The third exposure death of 2011 in the Gallup area occurred in a wind-swept field about 150 yards east of North Ninth Street on the 9th.
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 8, 9:42 PM MST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 942 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 .UPDATE... HAVE CANCELLED THE WINTER HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE ABQ METRO NORTH AND WEST. HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE WINTER STORM WARNING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST WITH A WIND CHILL ADVISORY. TEMPORARILY CLEARING SKIES ACROSS NE NM AND SW CO ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO DROP QUICKLY. HAVE LOWERED TEMPS A DEGREE OR TWO MORE ACROSS THE EAST...BUT IF SOME LOW CLOUDS CAN FORM...IT MAY PREVENT THESE AREAS FROM FALLING TOO MUCH FURTHER. HAVE KEPT WINTER STORM WARNING GOING ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR...DESPITE MUCH OF THE SNOWFALL ENDING ALREADY. BLOWING SNOW SHOULD CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS WITH THE GUSTY NORTH WINDS. THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...THE HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS CURRY AND NORTHERN ROOSEVELT COUNTY...BEFORE THE BAND PULLS EASTWARD INTO TEXAS. EAST CANYON WIND HAS STRUGGLED TO REALLY MAKE A PUSH INTO THE ABQ METRO AREA. AS SUCH...HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE STRENGTH OF THE CANYON WINDS OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO POPS...MAINLY TO LOWER ACROSS THE NORTH AND WEST. OTHERWISE...TWEAKS TO WX/SKY AS NECESSARY. NEW WSW ALREADY OUT...OTHER UPDATES OUT SHORTLY. 34 && .PREV DISCUSSION...310 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011... WINTER STORM IS COOPERATING FAIRLY WELL WITH FCST BUT...AS PREVIOUS SHIFT SUSPECTED...THE WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR FAR NW AND W CENTRAL NM...ZONES 501...502 AND 505 WILL BE CANCELLED AS OF 3 PM. SNOW BANDS HAVE LARGELY CLEARED THOSE AREAS. OTHER ZONES W OF CENTRAL MTN CHAIN IN WINTER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES WILL HAVE EXPIRATION TIMES SHAVED BACK TO 07Z...WHILE REMAINING HIGHLIGHTED ZONES WILL BE KEPT AT A 15Z EXPIRATION. LATTER MAY WELL BE OVER WITH BY 11Z OR 12Z...BUT WILL LEAVE THAT POTENTIAL TRIMMING FOR LATER SHIFT SO THAT TRENDS CAN BE CONSIDERED. BACK DOOR COLD FRONT THROUGH GAP BETWEEN SANGRES AND SANDIAS...ALL THE WAY TO THE JEMEZ RANGE AS OF MID AFTERNOON...BUT HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE SQUEEZING THROUGH PASSES/CANYONS OF SANDIAS AND MANZANOS AS STIFF W TO NW WIND AHEAD OF FRONT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING IT UP A BIT. ONE OF THE AREAS OF BIGGER CONCERN REGARDING SNOW ACCUM IS...AS IS OFTEN THE CASE...THE NOTORIOUSLY TOUGH TO CALL MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. WILL DOWNPLAY AMOUNTS THERE A BIT... WHILE EMPHASIZING GREATER AMOUNTS TO N...FOOTHILLS AND W MESA. STILL LOOKING FOR A FEW FRONTOGENETICALLY INDUCED BANDS TO DVLP ACROSS AND E OF ABQ METRO AREA TO HELP WITH ACCUM THOSE AREAS. IF MINIMAL OR NONEXISTENT...THEN AMTS WILL BE LOWER THAN INDICATED BY AT LEAST 1 TO 3 INCHES. DRY AND WARMER FOR THU AND FRI...WARMER STILL FOR WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY TO MID WEEK NEXT WEEK WITH PATTERN CHANGE TO MORE W TO SW FLOW ALOFT. IN FACT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY WEEKS DAYTIME HIGHS MAY REACH TO ABOVE NORMAL VALUES. 43 .AVIATION... MVFR AND IFR ASSOCIATED WITH SNOWFALL WILL IMPACT CENTRAL AND EASTERN AREAS THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND TRANSITION SOUTH AND EASTWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO A DOUBLE PUNCH FROM COLD FRONTS ORIGINATING FROM THE GREAT BASIN AND HIGH PLAINS. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AS THE BAND OF PRECIPITATION DIMINISHES MID EVENING TO EARLY MORNING ON WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE AT SOME LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY AT ABQ THROUGH THE NEXT FEW HOURS. MAINLY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF EAST CANYON WINDS FROM THE COLD AIR POOL IN THE EAST TO STRONGER WINDS ASSOCIATED THE APPROACHING FRONT AND SHOWERS TO THE WEST/NORTHWEST. MUCH BETTER AVIATION CONDITIONS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY WITH GENERALLY VFR RESULTS ALTHOUGH A FEW SNOW SHOWERS COULD BE FOUND ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL MTNS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 10Z. 50 .FIRE WEATHER... MAIN IMPACT AFTER TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO BE POORER VENTILATION AS THE LATEST MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW POOR MAX RATES WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. ONE CAVEAT TO THIS IS THAT THE LATEST MODELS SHOW A STRONGER NORTHWEST WIND FLOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THESE HIGHER VENT RATES WILL BE FOUND MAINLY ALONG A LINE FROM FARMINGTON TO CHUPADERA MESA/CIBOLA MOUNTAINAIR DISTRICT. THE POORER VENTILATION IS INITIALLY DUE TO POST COLD FRONTAL INVERSION EFFECTS BUT WILL GRADUALLY TRANSCEND TO UPPER RIDGING EFFECTS OVER THE STATE. AS FAR AS THE REST OF TODAY...BAND OF PRECIPITATION MAINLY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. RESULTS WILL BE A MIX OF WETTING AND MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. THE LEAST CHANCE FOR WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE SOCORRO BLM DISTRICT. COLD TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE OTHER WEATHER STORY AS SINGLE DIGIT NUMBERS HAVE FLOWED INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS. THESE COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL TRAVERSE WESTWARD ALTHOUGH THE MAIN COLD AIR MASS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE EAST. THUS...MAKING THIS EVENT DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THAT AFFECTED THE STATE A WEEK AGO. A FEW LIGHTER SNOW SHOWERS MAY REMAIN ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BUT OTHERWISE...DRIER BUT COOL CONDITIONS WILL OVERTAKE THE FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL GENERALLY TREND DOWN MOST AREAS BUT TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 TO 35 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WEATHER MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE STATE ON THURSDAY BUT THEY HAVE BEEFED UP THE STRENGTH OF THIS FLOW. THUS...HAVE INCREASED SURFACE WINDS SLIGHTLY ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE. THIS HAS ALSO BUMPED UP VENTILATION RESULTS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM...GENERALLY BETWEEN 5 TO 10 DEGREES COMPARED TO WEDNESDAY/S RESULTS. HIGH TEMPERATURES HOWEVER WILL REMAIN 15 TO 25 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE COOLEST MORNINGS WILL EQUALLY BE SHARED BY BOTH WED AND THUR. DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A STRONGER MID LEVEL DRY SLOT...HUMIDITY VALUES SHOULD CONTINUE TO FALL SOME BUT ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN WHERE THE DRY SLOT WOULD PROVIDE THE MOST PRONOUNCED AFFECTS. DEWPOINT FORECAST HOWEVER...WILL BE TRICKY...NOT ONLY THURSDAY BUT FRIDAY DUE TO MELTING AND SUBLIMATING SNOW. A DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE STATE ON FRIDAY. VENTILATION WILL REMAIN POOR ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA AND TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO WARM...AND BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO NORMAL. MODELS CONTINUE TO TREND TOWARDS AN UPPER RIDGING AFFECT OVER THE THE WEEKEND ALTHOUGH THEY ARE DEPICTING SOME SORT OF WEAK WAVE PASSAGE OR DISTURBANCE OVER THE STATE ON SUNDAY. TIMING OF THIS DISTURBANCE IS A LITTLE MORE IN QUESTION ALTHOUGH ALL OF THE MODELS SHOW DRY CONDITIONS. THIS IS NOT BUILT INTO THE VENTILATION FORECAST CURRENTLY BUT COULD HELP SOME AREAS...ESPECIALLY THE HIGHER RIDGES AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE DAY. LONG RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT TOWARDS SOME SORT OF PATTERN CHANGE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE FLOW APPEARS TO BE SLIGHT RIDGING OR A NEAR ZONAL PATTERN. THIS MEANS WARMER TEMPERATURES AND DRIER CONDITIONS WITH SOME LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGHING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS UPDATE... FARMINGTON...................... 12 30 4 33 / 0 5 5 0 DULCE........................... 4 26 4 30 / 5 5 5 5 CUBA............................ 6 25 3 30 / 5 5 5 5 GALLUP.......................... 0 31 -4 34 / 0 5 5 0 EL MORRO........................ -3 27 -6 30 / 5 5 5 0 GRANTS.......................... 5 29 -2 33 / 5 5 5 0 QUEMADO......................... 5 30 1 31 / 10 5 5 0 GLENWOOD........................ 18 48 9 48 / 5 5 5 0 CHAMA........................... -7 22 3 30 / 10 5 5 5 LOS ALAMOS...................... 2 26 5 31 / 10 5 5 5 PECOS........................... -4 23 3 32 / 10 5 5 5 CERRO/QUESTA.................... -14 22 -6 30 / 10 5 5 5 RED RIVER....................... -9 17 -1 27 / 10 5 5 5 ANGEL FIRE...................... -11 19 -6 27 / 10 5 5 5 TAOS............................ -9 24 -9 32 / 10 5 5 5 MORA............................ -5 22 -1 32 / 10 5 5 5 ESPANOLA........................ 3 30 2 36 / 5 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 0 24 4 31 / 10 5 5 5 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 3 26 2 33 / 10 5 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 12 31 9 37 / 5 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 13 32 12 38 / 5 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 15 33 7 40 / 5 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 15 32 10 38 / 5 5 5 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 14 34 5 40 / 5 5 5 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 14 32 7 38 / 5 5 5 0 SOCORRO......................... 18 36 16 44 / 20 5 5 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 4 28 5 34 / 10 5 5 5 TIJERAS......................... 5 29 4 34 / 10 5 5 5 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 0 25 -2 33 / 20 5 5 5 CLINES CORNERS.................. -3 23 2 32 / 20 5 5 5 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 6 27 10 35 / 40 5 5 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 13 32 4 41 / 30 5 5 0 RUIDOSO......................... 6 27 14 38 / 40 5 5 0 CAPULIN......................... -9 16 -1 29 / 5 5 5 5 RATON........................... -11 21 -6 33 / 5 5 5 5 SPRINGER........................ -10 22 -2 34 / 5 5 5 0 LAS VEGAS....................... -7 20 -3 33 / 10 5 5 5 CLAYTON......................... -6 19 4 34 / 5 5 5 0 ROY............................. -5 19 4 32 / 10 5 5 0 CONCHAS......................... 1 24 9 36 / 20 5 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 2 24 7 36 / 40 5 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... -1 21 1 34 / 60 5 5 0 CLOVIS.......................... 2 21 5 35 / 100 5 5 0 PORTALES........................ 4 24 8 37 / 80 5 5 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 5 26 10 37 / 70 5 5 0 ROSWELL......................... 12 28 11 47 / 40 5 5 0 PICACHO......................... 12 29 11 46 / 40 5 5 0 ELK............................. 11 29 7 45 / 40 5 5 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ524-526-535>537-539. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ522-523-533-534. WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ515-527-528-530-531. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 604 AM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 NMZ501>540-091300- 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- 604 AM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BRINGING MODERATE TO SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. THE HIGHEST IMPACT WILL BE FELT ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS. INTERSTATE 25 FROM GLORIETTA PASS TO RATON AND INTERSTATE 40 FROM TIJERAS PASS TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE WILL BE HARDEST HIT. SNOW AND STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY CAUSE VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL COME TO AN END DURING WEDNESDAY MORNING FOLLOWED BY IMPROVING CONDITIONS. THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED... HOWEVER...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. 17
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A 69 year-old man from Fort Defiance was found in a wind swept field about 150 years east of North Ninth Street in Gallup. The low temperature in Gallup that morning was only 9 degrees.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, West Central Plateau | 2011-02-09 | 69 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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: 276819.