A strong storm system brought severe winds to New Mexico early on the 5th. As mid level wind speeds strengthened to 50 to 70 knots, a surface cold front barreled across the state from west to east.
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 strong storm system brought severe winds to New Mexico early on the 5th. As mid level wind speeds strengthened to 50 to 70 knots, a surface cold front barreled across the state from west to east. As the front crossed the central mountain chain and moved across the eastern plains, it's assumed that some mountain wave activity broke onto the surface which caused wind speeds to escalate into the damaging wind category. Though winds were strong behind the front to the Texas border, wind gusts were strongest just to the lee of the central mountain chain.
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 5, 2:38 AM MST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 338 AM MDT SAT NOV 5 2011 .DISCUSSION... LOTS TO DISCUSS...BUT DEADLINES REQUIRE THIS TO BE A BIT TRUNCATED. FIRST DOUBLE BARRELED...IN THE NEAR TO MID TERM PORTION OF FCST... STORM SYSTEM WITH SIGNIFICNT SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON. REGARDING FIRST SYSTEM COMING ACROSS TODAY...IT IS STILL PRODUCING A FAIR AMOUNT OF LIGHTNING IN E CENTRAL AND SE AZ. THOUGH LIKELY THERE MAY BE A FEW RUMBLES IN W QUARTER OR THIRD OF FCST AREA THIS MORNING...THE MAIN EMPHASIS WILL BE SOME HIGHER TERRAIN SNOWFALL AND THE FACTB THAT THERE WILL BE SOME MEASURABLE RAIN DOWN LOWER AS WELL. SO LEFT THUNDER OUT FOR NOW...ANY STORMS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY WEAK WITH FEW IF ANY LIGHTNING STRIKES...BUT SOME WIND GUSTS. WAS CONCERNED SOMEWHAT ABOUT START TIME FOR HIGH WIND WARNING AREA... BUT FIGURED CONCERN WAS MAINLY FOR HIGHEST PEAKS AT FIRST. OTHER CONCERN WAS FOR SNOW ADVISORY AREAS...BUT UPON CLOSER INSPECTION DECIDED TO STAY WITH INHERITED AFFECTED ZONES AND WILL MONITOR TEMP AND PCPN TREND REST OF THIS SHIFT AND TWEAK AS NEEDED. TIMING OF SIGNIFICANT PCPN END TIME AND HOW MUCH WILL BE LEFT TO FALL BY TIME TEMP GETS COLD ENOUGH TO ACCUMULATE SNOW WILL BE AMONG BIGGER FCST CHALLENGES THIS PACKAGE. THIS ESPECIALLY TRUE AT MID AND LOWER ELEVATIONS ACROSS NW HALF OF FCST AREA. STILL TRENDS AND LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE ARGUE MORE IN FAVOR OF WINTER WX ADVISORY COVERAGES BEING KEPT ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE...IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAT ACCUM ON ROADS...USUALLY THE BIGGER IMPACT ON PEOPLE...WILL BE MINIMAL MOST LOWER TERRAIN AREAS. HIGHER UP MOST HIGH TERRAIN LOCALES WILL HAVE TROUBLE EVEN REACHING ADVISORY THRESHOLDS EXCEPT PROBABLY THE SAN JUANS IN RIO ARRIBA COUNTY. AS FAR AS WINDS...WILL KEEP ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS AS IS FOR NOW...BUT OF COURSE WILL MONITOR THROUGH THE DAY FOR TWEAK POTENTIAL. STRONGEST WINDS STILL LOOK TO BE FROM SACRAMENTOS NORTH TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR AND FAR NE PLAINS. THAT WILL BEGIN TO COME DOWN A BIT AS AFTN PROGRESSES AND WIND MAX ALOFT SHIFTS FARTHER TO NE AND MIXING DIMINISHES SOME FARTHER BEHIND PACIFFIC FRONT. WINDS WILL BE MOST PRONE BLOW STRONGLY WITH THIS FRONT AND SOME DISTANCE BEHIND IT UNTIL CHILLIER AIRMASS DEEPENS AND MIXING DIMINISHES. NEXT SYSTEM STILL PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK FOR MON AND MON NIGHT. WHILE THIS ONE MAY WELL TRACK SOMEWHAT FARTHER S THAN TODAY/S...IT WILL STILL MOVE FAST ENOUGH AND BE MODERATE ENOUGH WITH MOISTURE LOAD TO KEEP MOST PCPN AMTS LIGHT TO MODERATE. TIME WILL TELL. 43 && .AVIATION... CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. SIGNIFICANT BAND OF PRECIPITATION HAS REACHED THE AZ BORDER AND WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD ALTHOUGH LESSEN IN INTENSITY AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. THUS...LOOK FOR WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BAND AND LOCALIZED TS AND CIGS BELOW 1000 FT. SOME VIS AFFECTS AS WELL. FMN...GUP AND TO A LESSER EXTENT SAF...ABQ AND LVS WILL BE IMPACTED. SYSTEM RAPIDLY PICKS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON PERIOD WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS FROM WEST TO EAST. ONE OF THE MODEL GUIDANCE/S IS INDICATED SOME IFR CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AT GUP LATE TONIGHT BUT SUSPECT THIS ACTIVITY WOULD BE LOCALIZED AND DEPENDS ON SNOWFALL COVERAGE AND ELEVATION DEPENDENT. MUCH IMPROVED CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY. WINDS WILL ALSO CREATE AN AVIATION HAZARD AS THEY PICK UP FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA. GUSTS TO 35 KT OR MORE WILL BE COMMONPLACE AND THIS IS INDICATED IN SOME TAFS. STILL HARD TO SAY WHETHER ABQ WILL SEE AWW WINDS BUT IF THEY WERE TO OCCUR...WOULD BE WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. 50 && .FIRE WEATHER... PERIOD OF WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL AREAS THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE DURING THE AFTERNOON AS THE SYSTEM PICKS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. EXCELLENT VENTILATION MOST AREAS DUE TO THE WIND COMPONENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM PASSAGE. FAIRLY STRONG WINDS WILL IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY WITH THE PACIFIC COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. HIGHER HUMIDITY TODAY SO NO ISSUES WITH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. MODELS CONTINUE TO AGREE THAT SUNDAY WOULD BE DRIER OUT AHEAD OF THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM. WINDS ALOFT APPEAR TO BE PRETTY STRONG BUT LAPSE RATES ARE MARGINAL SO A BIT MORE STABLE. THIS SHOULD TRANSLATE TO LIGHTER WINDS AT THE SURFACE. CONTINUED HIGHER HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED. VENTILATION WILL CERTAINLY LOWER COMPARED TO TODAY/S READINGS BUT MAX RATES STILL LOOK TO BE DECENT EXCEPT FOR WITHIN SOME RIO GRANDE VALLEY AREAS. NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM IS STILL ON TRACK TO IMPACT THE STATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. PRIMARILY AFFECTING WESTERN AND CENTRAL AREAS MONDAY AND PROGRESSION INTO NORTHEAST AREAS ON TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT RANGE COLD FRONT OR BACK DOOR. MAIN PACIFIC FRONT WILL CROSS OVER THE AREA ON MONDAY. WETTING PRECIPITATION IS ANOTHER LIKELY SCENARIO FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL AREAS AND PROBABLY FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AS WELL. MODELS ARE SHOWING A PRETTY PRONOUNCED DRYING TREND ON WEDNESDAY WITH AN INFLUX OF LOWER DEWPOINTS FROM THE WEST. HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE IS DEPICTED TO BUILD IN ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION AND SHOULD LAST INTO MOST OF THURSDAY. VENTILATION RATES SHOULD TAKE QUITE A HIT UNDER THIS SCENARIO WEDNESDAY. SOME IMPROVEMENT ON THURSDAY ALTHOUGH GRIDDED FORECAST STILL CARRYING POOR/S FOR A LARGE AREA ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF. GRADUAL WARMING DURING THIS PERIOD ALTHOUGH MAX HIGHS ARE STILL PROJECTED TO BE BELOW NORMAL. ANOTHER BREAK DOWN OF THE RIDGING IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND AS YET...ANOTHER PACIFIC SYSTEM IMPACTS THE STATE. THIS HAS POTENTIAL OF PROVIDING ANOTHER ROUND OF WETTING PRECIPITATION. THE ECMWF AND GFS REMAIN OUT OF PHASE WITH EACH OTHER DURING THIS TIME FRAME SO CONFIDENCE ISNT THE GREATEST AT THIS TIME. BUT BASED ON THE PAST FEW STORM SYSTEMS...HIGHER HUMIDITY AND CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION EXIST. VENTILATION SHOULD IMPROVE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 44 24 45 28 / 70 0 5 20 DULCE........................... 40 14 42 16 / 80 10 5 10 CUBA............................ 43 23 44 25 / 70 5 5 5 GALLUP.......................... 43 17 45 23 / 70 0 5 20 EL MORRO........................ 37 18 39 21 / 70 0 5 10 GRANTS.......................... 44 20 48 22 / 60 0 5 10 QUEMADO......................... 47 20 49 22 / 70 0 5 10 GLENWOOD........................ 52 29 55 31 / 50 0 5 5 CHAMA........................... 37 10 37 14 / 90 10 5 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 43 29 42 31 / 70 0 5 5 PECOS........................... 42 25 42 25 / 60 0 5 5 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 38 17 37 21 / 70 10 5 0 RED RIVER....................... 34 13 33 18 / 70 10 5 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 37 14 37 19 / 60 10 5 0 TAOS............................ 42 16 41 21 / 60 5 5 0 MORA............................ 41 22 45 25 / 40 5 5 0 ESPANOLA........................ 50 20 48 24 / 60 0 5 0 SANTA FE........................ 45 26 43 27 / 60 0 5 5 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 48 24 46 26 / 60 0 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 51 27 48 30 / 50 0 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 53 31 49 34 / 50 0 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 55 28 52 31 / 50 0 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 54 27 51 31 / 50 0 5 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 58 25 53 28 / 50 0 5 5 RIO RANCHO...................... 54 26 51 29 / 50 0 5 5 SOCORRO......................... 62 30 58 33 / 40 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 50 24 49 28 / 50 0 5 5 TIJERAS......................... 52 25 49 27 / 50 0 5 5 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 48 22 46 25 / 40 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 46 24 45 26 / 30 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 52 27 47 30 / 30 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 49 29 45 32 / 20 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 50 27 49 32 / 20 0 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 47 23 45 25 / 20 0 0 5 RATON........................... 52 22 52 23 / 20 0 5 0 SPRINGER........................ 52 20 52 22 / 20 0 5 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 47 25 49 25 / 20 0 5 5 CLAYTON......................... 60 29 55 31 / 5 0 0 0 ROY............................. 51 25 49 28 / 10 0 0 5 CONCHAS......................... 62 31 59 32 / 10 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 59 31 56 32 / 10 0 0 5 TUCUMCARI....................... 65 33 60 33 / 5 0 0 5 CLOVIS.......................... 64 34 57 38 / 5 0 0 5 PORTALES........................ 67 34 59 37 / 5 0 0 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 62 33 58 35 / 5 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 70 36 62 39 / 5 0 0 5 PICACHO......................... 58 30 56 34 / 10 0 0 0 ELK............................. 56 30 57 33 / 10 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MDT TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ505. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ506>508. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ513-516>518-522-525-531>538. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512-514-515-521-523-524-526>530-539-540. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-510. && 43/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 605 AM MDT SAT NOV 5 2011 NMZ501>540-061200- 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- 605 AM MDT SAT NOV 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS NEW MEXICO FROM THE WEST TODAY. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE IN THE WEST AND NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS ABOVE 7000 FEET BY MIDDAY OR EARLY AFTERNOON TODAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE FOUND IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS...WHERE 3 TO 6 INCHES MAY ACCUMULATE BY EARLY OR MID AFTERNOON. PLEASE REVIEW THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MORE INFORMATION. ALSO...STRONG TO EVEN LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO WITH THE STRONGEST SPEEDS GUSTING TO BETWEEN 55 AND 65 MPH MOST MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR FROM MID MORNING TO MID AFTERNOON ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS AND NORTHEAST PLAINS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN BY LATE AFTERNOON. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORIES FOR GREATER DETAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO FROM THE WEST. A FEW TO SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...THEN ALSO IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE NORTHEAST PLAINS MAY ALSO RECEIVE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. 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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
552 AM MDT SAT NOV 05 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0453 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 3 WNW GALLUP 35.54N 108.78W
11/05/2011 M45 MPH MCKINLEY NM ASOS
KGUP ASOS.
&&
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1101389
5013 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The KSRR AWOS reported wind gusts over 58 mph for a period of 3 hours. The peak wind gust was 77 mph which occurred at 755 am MST.
The KSRR AWOS reported sustained wind speeds over 40 mph for a period of 2 hours. The highest sustained wind speed was 55 mph which occurred at 735 am MST.
A 62 mph wind gust was reported 2 miles northwest of Edgewood.
A spotter in Stanley reported a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
Winds gusts over 58 mph for at least 24 minutes at the Clines Corners ASOS. The peak wind gust was 67 mph which occurred at 822 am MST.
As enhanced radar echoes moved over the KSKX AWOS, some mid level momentum was transported to the surface, resulting in an 82 mph wind gust. No damage was reported by airport personnel.
The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facilities Transwestern Pump Station 18 miles north-northeast of Encinoso recorded a 71 mph wind gust.
The Raton Crews Airport ASOS recorded a 61 mph wind gust.
The Las Vegas ASOS recorded intermittent wind gusts over 58 mph for over 2 hours. The peak wind gust was 66 mph which occurred at 1204 pm MST.
The Roswell ASOS recorded at 58 mph wind gust.
The Dunken RAWS site recorded a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
The Clayton ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
The Angel Fire AWOS recorded a peak wind gust of 58 mph after wind speeds at most other locales had diminished.
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, November 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: 346494, 346495, 346492, 346498, 346502, 346836, 346505, 346504, 346510, 346507, 346508, 346511, 346513.