A powerful jet stream moved eastward across New Mexico and combined with deepening surface low pressure to create high winds from the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia Mountains eastward onto nearby east slopes. The area from the Taos Ski Valley to Ute Park was the hardest hit with winds between 60 mph and 68 mph.
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 powerful jet stream moved eastward across New Mexico and combined with deepening surface low pressure to create high winds from the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia Mountains eastward onto nearby east slopes. The area from the Taos Ski Valley to Ute Park was the hardest hit with winds between 60 mph and 68 mph. No damage was reported with this event. Windy conditions also moved out onto the plains during the afternoon hours however peak speeds were generally below 50 mph. Some light snow also accompanied the strong winds in the high terrain.
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 Dec 21, 10:26 PM MST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1026 PM MST MON DEC 21 2015 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE CLOUD DECKS LOWERING FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. -SN WILL EDGE SOUTH INTO KFMN THRU 15Z WITH -RA/SN FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. MVFR CIGS/VSBYS LIKELY ALL DAY WITH MAIN IMPACT WINDOW EXPECTED BTWN 21Z AND 00Z. PRECIP WILL SPREAD SE INTO LARGE PORTIONS OF NORTHERN NM THRU 21Z WITH IMPACTS MAINLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40. WINDS WILL BE A BIG PLAYER AS WELL TUESDAY WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT LIKELY FROM KRTN SOUTH TO KLVS EAST TO KTCC. ELSEWHERE NUISANCE GUSTS NEAR 25 KT ARE EXPECTED. MODELS ARE HINTING AT BANDS OF SNOWFALL AFT 00Z SO IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO PIN DOWN WHERE THEY MAY DEVELOP. GUYER && .PREV DISCUSSION...357 PM MST MON DEC 21 2015... .SYNOPSIS... AN ACTIVE WEAK OF WEATHER IS IN STORE FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. A VERY STRONG JET STREAM WILL NOSE INTO THE STATE FROM THE NORTHWEST AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS FOR WIDESPREAD HIGH ELEVATION SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN TO MUCH OF OF THE AREA WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TUESDAY THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE. FAR WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN AREAS OF THE STATE STAND THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING A WHITE CHRISTMAS. THE POTENTIAL FOR A MAJOR WINTER STORM REMAINS FOR THE WEEKEND AS A DEEP UPPER LOW AND COLD FRONT COULD COMBINE TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE. && .DISCUSSION... HIGH CLOUDS AND INCREASING WINDS ALOFT LIKELY TO KEEP OVERNIGHT TEMPS FROM FALLING MUCH. STRONG NORTHWEST JET SHOWING UP NICELY ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS JET IS STILL ON TRACK TO NOSE INTO THE SW U.S. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOW FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF WEST-CENTRAL AND NWRN NM. ADDED WEST-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TO THE WINTER STORM WATCH WITH GFS...ECMWF AND CANADIAN MODELS ALL HITTING THIS AREA RATHER HARD TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TRAVEL ALONG I-40 NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED LATE-DAY TUESDAY THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THE SANGRES AND SANDIAS/MANZANOS AND POSSIBLY ELSEWHERE BUT WILL LET MIDNIGHT SHIFT HAVE ONE LAST LOOK AT 00Z RUNS TO SEE IF THE MODELS SHIFT HIGHER QPF AMOUNTS FARTHER EAST AND/OR SEWD. JET PIVOTS COUNTERCLOCKWISE SOMEWHAT WEDNESDAY BUT OVERALL RESULT IS SIMILAR AS ANOTHER 140KT JET STREAK MOVES ACROSS NRN NM. JET TRANSITIONS TO WLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTION. MODELS BREAK OUT PRECIP ACROSS MUCH OF WRN AND CENTRAL NM THURSDAY AS MID LEVEL UPGLIDE KICKS IN WITH WAA. MOIST FLOW ALOFT BACKS THURSDAY NIGHT AND CHRISTMAS DAY...SETTING UP A NICE MID-LEVEL COLD FRONT NEAR A LINE FROM NEAR AMALIA/COSTILLA SW TO LOS ALAMOS...GRANTS AND LUNA. AREAS NW OF THIS LINE THE MOSTLY LIKELY AREAS TO EXPERIENCE A WHITE CHRISTMAS (WITH SNOW FALLING). 12Z & 18Z GFS...ECMWF AND CANADIAN MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE WEEKEND. DEEP CLOSED UPPER LOW FORECAST TO DROP INTO WRN AZ LATE FRIDAY NIGHT/SAT MORNING. MODELS CONTINUE TO DEEPEN/STRENGTHEN THE LOW OVER AZ SATURDAY MORNING. MEANWHILE...A VERY STRONG BACKDOOR FRONT RACES SWWD THROUGH THE ERN PLAINS. UPPER DYNAMICS FROM THE LOW COMBINE WITH STRONG FRONTOGENESIS AS WELL AS UPGLIDE TO GENERATE QUITE THE SNOW MAKER FOR NEARLY ALL AREAS. ECMWF AND CANADIAN MODELS ARE FARTHER SOUTH WITH THE CENTRAL OF THE UPPER LOW BUT ARE DEEP ENOUGH TO GENERATE SIMILAR PRECIP/SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE FARTHER NORTH GFS SOLUTION. ERN TROPICAL PACIFIC CONVECTION SUPPORTIVE OF THE UPPER LOW TRACK...NOT DIGGING IT TOO FAR SOUTH BUT AS WITH THE 1997-98 EL NINO...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE LOW CENTER TO DIG FARTHER SOUTH. 33 && .FIRE WEATHER... NO REAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OTHER THAN INCREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR THE UPCOMING FEW DAYS AS WELL AS BEEFED UP WIND SPEEDS OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN AND AREAS TO THE EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTNS NEXT 2 DAYS. ANOTHER STRONG JET STREAM/STREAK WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND CREATE UNSETTLED WEATHER THROUGH THURSDAY. PRECIPITATION IS MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN HIGHLANDS...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW. SOME LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL GET A MIX OF RAIN/SNOW. WETTING PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN FACING THE WEST/NORTHWEST. EASTERN AREAS WILL BE MUCH DRIER AND EXPERIENCE DOWNSLOPE CONDITIONS. AS A RESULT...TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. THE STRONGEST DOWNSLOPE SIGNATURE IN TERMS OF LOWERING RH/DEWPOINTS WILL BE FOUND TO THE LEE OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS LATE TONIGHT AND AGAIN TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS. OTHER AREAS ALONG THE CENTRAL MTNS MAY EXPERIENCE THESE DOWNSLOPE/LOW RH CONDITIONS FOR A PERIOD. GUSTY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED PRETTY MUCH AREAWIDE BOTH TUES/WED AFTERNOONS. CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED ALTHOUGH LOCALIZED LOW RH/STRONG WIND POSSIBLE TO THE LEE OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MTNS DURING THE NEXT 24 HRS. A DEEP PACIFIC LOW WILL TAKE AIM ON THE AREA CHRISTMAS DAY AND LAST INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CREATING WIDESPREAD WETTING PRECIPITATION. THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONTAL INFLUENCE LOOKS TO BE MORE PROMISING AS WELL. CONFIDENCE IS CERTAINLY RISING ALTHOUGH THE DETAILS ARE STILL LARGELY IN QUESTION...INCLUDING PATH AND TIMING. THE SYSTEM COULD PROVIDE IMPACTS AS LATE AS EARLY NEXT WEEK. EITHER WAY...RH WOULD INCREASE AND TEMPERATURES WOULD DECREASE. VENTILATION WILL VARY DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THE JET STREAM IMPACT WILL RAISE VALUES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WITH PEAK VALUES ON WEDNESDAY. HIGHER VALUES ARE PROJECTED FOR FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND AT THIS TIME. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ513-515-527. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ502>504-510-511. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ506. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 435 AM MST MON DEC 21 2015 NMZ501>540-221300- 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 CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/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- 435 AM MST MON DEC 21 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. IN ADDITION... STRONG AND GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER ALL OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A VIGOROUS WINTER STORM COULD IMPACT NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO STARTING CHRISTMAS DAY AND PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Kachina Peak station reported peak wind of 68 mph around 300 am.
Observer near Ute Park at Pine Ridge Store reported several gusts to 60 mph through the overnight period.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2015
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: 605326, 605327.