Moderate to severe drought conditions across portions of western and northern New Mexico at the end of December 2019 continued in January 2020. While severe drought conditions improved over the northern mountains of New Mexico, abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions developed across east-central NM.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Moderate to severe drought conditions across portions of western and northern New Mexico at the end of December 2019 continued in January 2020. While severe drought conditions improved over the northern mountains of New Mexico, abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions developed across east-central NM. Moderate to severe drought conditions worsened to about 32 percent of the state of which 12 percent across northwestern and northeastern NM was deemed as severe drought. January 2020 saw an active pattern impact much of NM, and the northern mountains continued to build an above normal snowpack. However, only light to moderate precipitation amounts in lower elevations resulted in a month that was drier than normal. Precipitation amounts across western New Mexico during January ranged from one half inch to one inch. Central NM as well as the northwest corner of the state generally received half an inch of precipitation while areas across the northern high terrain received amounts near to above an inch. Eastern NM received the least amount of precipitation with amounts generally less than half an inch.
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 31, 10:18 PM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1018 PM MST Tue Dec 31 2019 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Upper low over Baja CA and associated clouds over NM slowly retreating to the south as nw flow aloft and associated short wave move into the central Rockies. Moderately strong nly drainage wind to redevelop at KSAF by 01/11Z. Deepening sfc low ne NM by 01/20Z will result in occasional wly wind gusts to around 40kt over the central mt chain along/north of Interstate 40 and ewd to the TX border. Mid clouds to increase over nw and north central NM by 02/03Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION...258 PM MST Tue Dec 31 2019... .SYNOPSIS... High temperatures continue to warm on New Year's Day, especially across eastern NM where brisk west winds develop. A storm system currently moving into the Pacific Northwest will drop into New Mexico Wednesday night. This system is quite moisture starved but will bring some light snow to portions of western and central NM Wednesday night and to east-central areas Thursday morning. The west-central mountains stand the best shot of a couple of inches of the white stuff. Cool to cold temperatures along with northwesterly breezes move in on Thursday with a warming trend expected to get underway Friday into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)... High clouds that have been plaguing the area over the past 24 hours are gradually thinning out as an upper-level low over the Baja penisula continues to move south. The last night of 2019 will be a quiet one for New Mexico with seasonably chilly lows. Northwest flow aloft will strengthen on Wednesday ahead of an approaching upper-level trough. 30 to 40 knot 700mb winds combined with a developing surface lee side trough will be responsible for gusty downsloping winds across the I-40 corridor from CQC to the TX border. This will cause high temperatures in the east to warm several degrees compared to today. Advisory level winds are possible, particularly near CQC, however, any advisory level winds are expected to be brief and limited in coverage. Will not issue a Wind Advisory at this time, but will leave it up to the night shift to reevaluate. The warming trend in the east will be briefly halted due to a backdoor cold front that will begin to move through the eastern plains late Wednesday night. The aforementioned upper-level trough will also begin to move across northern NM late Wednesday and will bring another round of gusty winds, colder temperatures, and snow through Thursday. Snow will favor northern and western NM, but any accumulation Wednesday night will likely be light as the bulk of the system won't move through until Thursday. LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... Upper-level trough shifts east-southeastward into eastern NM Thursday and both the GFS and ECMWF develop a convergence zone as the backdoor portion of the associated cold front moves in from the north. Expect a line of rain with snow showers to develop across east-central NM as a result. Snow levels will be near 5000 feet so brief impacts to travel are possible along I-40 from near Clines Corners to Santa Rosa and for the I-25 corridor from Glorieta Pass to near Wagon Mound. Weather prediction models agree that a strong ridge of high pressure builds along the West Coast Friday, resulting in dry northerly flow aloft for NM. The ridge is forecast to flatten as it translates eastward through the Intermountain West Friday night and Saturday thanks to an upper-level trough slides east through the Northern Rockies. This flattening results in a westerly flow aloft over NM with breezy to locally windy conditons developing east of the central Saturday afternoon into Saturday night. The above mentioned Northern Rockies trough sends a backdoor cold front into northeast and east-central NM Sunday morning, cooling temps 5 to 10 degrees. Elsewhere, temps don't change much from Saturday's readings. Model forecasts/solutions begin to diverge early next week with the ECWMF forecasting a much deeper trough moving through the Central and Southern Rockies Monday compared to the operational GFS. The 51 member ECMWF ensemble mean is closer to the operational GFS solution while the GEFS mean is closer to the operational ECMWF. What does it mean? A lot of uncertainty remains as to how amplified this feature will become as it translates eastward. Much of it will depend on how quickly MJO related convection transitions eastward from phase 4 to phase 5. If the operational ECWMF is any indication, it could become a significant storm system for north-central and northeast NM late- day Monday into Monday night. 15/33 && .FIRE WEATHER... Gusty, downsloping winds are expected in the east on Wednesday which will be responsible for temperatures warming to about 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Gusts of 30 to 40 mph are possible along the I- 40 corridor, but min RH in the area will remain around 20 percent. Localized critical fire weather conditions may be possible in east central NM on Wednesday, but concerns will be brief due to a storm system making its way across northern NM late Wednesday and Thursday. This will bring another round of below normal temperatures as well as light precipitation to the area. Ventilation rates will also trend up with this system, but once it exits by late Thursday, warmer temperatures and poor ventilation rates will return for the weekend. 15 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 221 AM MST Tue Dec 31 2019 NMZ201>241-011200- Northwest Plateau-Chuska Mountains-Far Northwest Highlands- Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains- West Central Highlands-Southwest Mountains- San Francisco River Valley-Tusas Mountains Including Chama- Jemez Mountains-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley- Espanola Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area- Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area- Lower Rio Grande Valley-Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood- Estancia Valley-Central Highlands-South Central Highlands- Upper Tularosa Valley-South Central Mountains- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass- 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- San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands- 221 AM MST Tue Dec 31 2019 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...Wednesday through Monday Strong west winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph will be possible Wednesday afternoon along the I-40 corridor from Clines Corners to the Texas border. A fast moving winter weather system will bring a sharp drop in temperatures with light snow accumulations through the state Wednesday night through Thursday. Expect light snow accumulations with sudden drops in visibility from snow showers and cold breezy northwest winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 24
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 improved to moderate drought in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
Severe drought conditions from December 2019 continued in January 2020.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2020
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: 867552, 867553, 867554, 867555, 867556, 867557, 867558, 867559, 867560, 867561, 867562.