Breezy to locally windy conditions developed over the Jemez Mountains on the afternoon of October 3rd. Various observing stations around the area reported southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph during the early to mid afternoon hours.
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.
Breezy to locally windy conditions developed over the Jemez Mountains on the afternoon of October 3rd. Various observing stations around the area reported southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph during the early to mid afternoon hours. Bandelier National Monument park rangers reported a woman was killed from a falling tree around 230pm MDT. Rangers were not able to determine the exact cause leading to the falling tree but wind was suspected to be a factor.
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 Oct 3, 10:43 AM MST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1143 AM MDT MON OCT 3 2016 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Upper low ejecting into the central/northern Rockies while trough axis remains extending southward through NM before 04/12Z. Mt top winds to trend from southwest to nwly and slowly diminish somewhat aft 03/21Z-04/00Z although the exception may be along the central mt chain where they may increase again by 04/06Z. Sfc wnd gusts to around 45kt possible focused on the nrn mts and ne NM thru 04/00Z. Otherwise mostly isold showers/tstms possible until around 04/00Z with lcl mt obscurations before drier air pushes in from the west. && .PREV DISCUSSION...1100 AM MDT MON OCT 3 2016... .UPDATE... Expanded a mention of isolated t-storms farther north across the southeast plains for this afternoon where latest observational trends and high res model guidance suggests sharpening dew point gradient into the early afternoon. Should boundary layer winds remain a bit more backed than modeled, convective initiation and subsequent coverage may be a bit more robust than currently forecast. Otherwise, breezy/windy day on tap as belt of fast w-swly flow shifts eastward within base of a strong negatively tilted trough crossing the northern Rockies. Decided to include Clines Corners in Wind Advisory and wind speeds may briefly hit criterion at Gallup. Will hango onto Low pop -shra/-tsra across the north mainly for high terrain Locales but air mass drying will preclude much beyond that. Very dry air incoming and will need to look closely at potential freeze highlights for the San Juan Basin for tonight. KJ && .PREV DISCUSSION...330 AM MDT MON OCT 3 2016... .SYNOPSIS... An upper level low pressure system will eject northeastward from the Great Basin across the northern Rockies today steering stronger winds over New Mexico and triggering some mainly morning showers and thunderstorms. A cold front will also cross from the Pacific this afternoon and tonight. Drier air will overspread New Mexico Tuesday and Wednesday, when winds will weaken but remain gusty across northern and eastern areas. An upper level trough will cross the central and southern Rockies Thursday and Thursday night sending a gusty cold front south and southwestward through the state. It could trigger a few rain and snow showers in the region around Raton. Another upper low may approach New Mexico from the west this weekend with a chance for showers and thunderstorms. && .DISCUSSION... GFS is forecasting lifted indices to go a little negative across the Rio Grande Valley and NW mountains early this morning, so there will be a risk for a few lightning strikes as showers cross. Not really any lightning showing up in New Mexico or Arizona in recent radar loops. Drier air is progged to push eastward along the I-40 corridor by late morning relegating afternoon showers and storms mainly to the northern and south central mountains, as well as the southeast plains. Winds will strengthen quite a bit this afternoon as 700 mb speeds reach 25 to 35 kt across northern and western areas. Surface gusts should reach 50 mph across the northern mountains and northeast, where a wind advisory is in effect. Models show lower elevation speeds falling off by late afternoon, but strong gusts should persist in the mountains until sunset. A Pacific cold front crossing tonight could introduce enough cooler air for north central, northwest and west central pockets of the forecast area to have their first freeze of the season Tuesday morning and again early Wednesday morning. The stronger front out of the north Thursday should produce greater coverage of freezing temperatures in the same areas Friday morning, and also across much of the northeast. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... A dynamic weather pattern is setting up this week as an upper level trough shifts 2 distinct pieces of energy over the central Rockies. Scattered showers are moving quickly northeast over NM ahead of a potent dry slot approaching from the west. Spring-like winds will increase over the state as this dry slot shifts overhead. Very good to excellent humidity recoveries this morning will trend into the 20s and 30s by this afternoon. Marginal critical fire wx conditions are expected over the northeast plains and portions of west central NM. A cold front will race southeast through NM tonight and bring the first real taste of fall to the area through the remainder of the week. Overnight lows will trend 10 to 20F cooler with lots of 20s and 30s over the north and west. NW winds Tuesday will be strongest along the east slopes of the central mt chain. Max temps will trend 5 to 10F below normal. Min humidity values will support critical fire wx conditions over the eastern plains but strong cold advection and low haines will mitigate a fire growing pattern. Wednesday will be a transition day with lighter winds and near normal temps. Thursday will feature a return to stronger winds ahead of the next impulse of upper level energy and approaching cold front. A strong back door front will slide down the eastern plains Thursday night and trend temps back near to below normal. Surface high pressure behind the cold front Friday will generate poor to fair ventilation over much of the area through the weekend. Gap winds are possible in the RGV Friday morning but do not appear too strong just yet. Models differ on the details this weekend but there is potential for a weak upper ridge to develop with moisture returning north and west over the state. Guyer && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 6 PM MDT this evening for the following zones... NMZ510-513>515-523-527>532. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 544 AM MDT MON OCT 3 2016 NMZ501>540-041145- 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- 544 AM MDT MON OCT 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST NEAR 50 MPH DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS...NORTHEAST PLAINS AND EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE FIRST FREEZE OF THE SEASON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS THE FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS...NORTHEAST PLAINS...LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY AND POSSIBLY ALSO THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 44
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Woman killed by a falling tree at Bandelier National Monument.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, Jemez Mountains | 2016-10-03 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, October 2016
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: 656910.