A powerful jet stream that stretched across a vast portion of the eastern Pacific Ocean surged into the southwest United States and created periodic high winds for several days. The first round brought high winds to the area from the northern mountains across the adjacent east slopes and the high plains.
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 that stretched across a vast portion of the eastern Pacific Ocean surged into the southwest United States and created periodic high winds for several days. The first round brought high winds to the area from the northern mountains across the adjacent east slopes and the high plains. Sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts between 60 and 70 mph were common.
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 Jan 7, 10:37 PM MST, 3 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1037 PM MST Sat Jan 7 2017 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Some batches of lower clouds will attempt to take shape over the north central to northwestern sections of New Mexico around daybreak Sunday with some scattered MVFR ceilings and mountain obscurations possible. Winds aloft will also strengthen in the 10,000-20,000ft MSL layer, leading to some gusty ridge top and mountain peak winds through Sunday and even Monday. Some mountain wave activity and associated turbulence would be possible, mostly along and just east of the central mountain chain of New Mexico. Otherwise, dry conditions will prevail over the next 24 hours. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...332 PM MST Sat Jan 7 2017... .SYNOPSIS... Another chilly night is in store across the Land of Enchantment, though temperatures will be several degrees warmer than last nights readings. Sunday will generally be quiet, but Monday will bring snow and rain to north central and northwest New Mexico, and damaging winds across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Though not as strong as Monday, breezy to windy conditions will persist through mid week along and east of the central mountain chain. Another storm system may be in the offing late next week which will have the potential to bring more snow to the state. && .DISCUSSION... Quiet day overall, though temperatures have struggled between the snow cover and the incoming mid level clouds. These two things will also make minimum temperatures difficult tonight. Generally went below guidance once again. Overall though, it should be warmer than last night by several degrees in most locations. Sunday should be warmer as well, but models disagree by just how much. Generally sided with the cooler ECMWF for most areas. A weak upper wave remains on tap for Monday which will steer moist westerly flow into northwest NM. Orographic lift should help rack up more snow primarily across the San Juan Mountains, and to a lesser extent the Jemez and Sangres. Snow levels will remain AOA 8500ft during the day Monday, but should lower Monday night to 6500ft or so. Nonetheless, most of the accumulation will be above 8500 feet and a Winter Storm Watch will likely be needed for NMZ510. Meanwhile, lower elevation rains will be in store for the rest of NW NM. Of bigger concern on Monday will be the winds. Mountain top level winds start to pick up late Sunday night and continue to increase throughout the day Monday. Models are suggesting 700 mb winds of 80-100kts over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains by Monday afternoon. Thus, given the potential for long duration damaging winds, have issued a high wind watch for the Sangres for 06Z Mon-12Z Tue. The winds should slowly subside somewhat on Tuesday, though it will still be breezy to windy both Tuesday and Wednesday along and east of the central mountain chain. Additionally, strong westerly flow with bouts of moisture should allow for additional light accumulations through mid week across the northwest mountains as well. Still much disagreement on the late week system. Though both the GFS and the ECMWF continue to show a strong back door front into the plains on Friday, the upper level patterns remain quite different. The GFS continues to show a much weaker system moving across the state Friday into Saturday with little precipitation impacts. Meanwhile, the ECMWF shows a stronger, closed low diving down into AZ on Friday and across NM on Saturday. Much more moisture is associated with the stronger system on the ECMWF, which allows for widespread precipitation to develop Friday through mid day Saturday. The Canadian seems to be trending toward the ECMWF though zero GFS ensemble members show a system as strong as what the ECWMF has. Nonetheless, trended more toward the EC for now with cooler temperatures and increasing PoPs. However, if the ECMWF is correct, temperatures will need to be lowered significantly more Friday and Saturday. 34 && .FIRE WEATHER... Warming trend Sunday as periods of mid and high clouds continue to track over the region. Poor vent rates overall Sunday. Strengthening westerly winds Sunday night and Monday in conjuction with a disturbance passing through the central and southern Rockies will lead to increasing chances for northern higher terrain snow Monday and Monday night. Accumulations of snow will be likely above 8000 feet or snow Monday with snow levels lowering to around 6500 feet Monday night. Vent rates Monday will be poor over most of the central and east, while some areas of good rates will be found west. Highs Monday will be near to above seasonal average. More significant will be the potential for strong to damaging winds, starting after midnight Sunday night and continuing through Monday night over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Not sure whether or not to believe the 70kt or more forecast free air winds, can't remember ever seeing forecast winds that strong, but even if the models are overdoing the strength of the wind, it will still be strong with westerly wind gusts to around 60 mph. A brief cool down Tuesday but highs mostly near to above seasonal averages. Vent rates a jumble of mostly poor rates north, and fair to good south. Gusty northwest winds look to persist over the central highlands and eastern plains Tuesday, but start to diminish aloft. Strong westerly flow aloft with additional moisture will keep chances for high terrain precipitation going Wednesday into Thursday. Thereafter models at odds with the end of the work week system, it could be windy and colder but relatively dry, or there could be a substantial storm system. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Watch from Sunday evening through late Monday night for the following zones... NMZ512>515-527. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 449 AM MST SAT JAN 7 2017 NMZ501>540-081200- 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- 449 AM MST SAT JAN 7 2017 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COMBINATION OF BELOW ZERO TEMPERATURES WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS WILL PRODUCE BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL VALUES OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. WIND CHILL VALUES WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS AS TEMPERATURES RISE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN NEW MEXICO MONDAY AND TUESDAY...PRODUCING MOSTLY VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOWS OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF NEW MEXICO. A SECOND STORM SYSTEM MAY IMPACT THE STATE ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 54
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Peak wind gust of 66 mph from mountain wave near Ute Park.
Peak wind gust of 69 mph at Sandia Crest gift shop.
Peak wind gust to 81 mph at Kachina Peak.
Peak wind gusts ranged from 58 to 60 mph at Raton Crews Airport.
Peak wind gust of 61 mph at Las Vegas airport.
Peak wind gust of 66 mph at Angel Fire airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2017
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: 666560, 666561, 666559, 666562, 666564, 666563.