A potent cold front moved south and east through eastern New Mexico and into the Albuquerque area late on April 16 and into the early morning hours of April 17, 2021. As the front was channeled through the gaps of the central mountain chain, it resulted in high winds in the Albuquerque foothills area with wind gusts of 55 to 60 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A potent cold front moved south and east through eastern New Mexico and into the Albuquerque area late on April 16 and into the early morning hours of April 17, 2021. As the front was channeled through the gaps of the central mountain chain, it resulted in high winds in the Albuquerque foothills area with wind gusts of 55 to 60 mph. The cold temperatures behind the front helped to set the stage for a late season winter storm as a system tracked across northern New Mexico on the 17th. Snow totals were typically light and confined to the northern mountains which received totals ranging from 2 to 7 inches.
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 Apr 16, 5:09 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 609 PM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE Upper low and associated trough over Utah will sag over the Four Corners region by 18/00Z. Meanwhile, a strong cold front up against the east slopes of the central mountains is beginning to spill into the RGV. Front has moved through KSAF and will reach KABQ around 01Z. East wind at KABQ to strengthen through 17/06Z with gusts to 50kt possible for a few hours, producing BLDU with MVFR vsbys. Lcl MVFR to IFR cigs with mountain obscurations will increase in coverage overnight into Saturday morning with snow developing over the central mountains and their east slopes. TS possible Saturday pm over the west. && .PREV DISCUSSION...241 PM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021... .SYNOPSIS... An active pattern continues through the next week thanks to a couple different storm systems. A strong cold front will continue to progress through central New Mexico this evening which will likely result in strong to damaging east canyon winds in the Albuquerque area through early Saturday morning. Chances for rain, mountain snow, and even a few thunderstorms increase the weekend across western and central portions of the state. Another strong cold front moves through the area Monday night which will likely result in another strong east canyon wind for Albuquerque. Precipitation chances continue mid to late next week as another storm system begins to approach. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)... A cold front has been making steady progress through the eastern plains today with some spotty scattered to broken low clouds mainly over far northeast NM as well as north to northeast wind gusts to around 40 mph. The wind has become southeast at Taos and east at Clines Corners, leading to a concern the front and stronger winds will move into the Rio Grande Valley a few hours prior to when the model guidance indicates it will occur. Despite this, the timing of the High Wind Warning still seems good. The MAV and MET guidance for the Sunport still have a spread of about 14 knots at midnight, and the forecast slants to the stronger wind speeds. Guidance still indicates some light snow developing along the Sangre de Cristo mountains later tonight and then shifting into the Tusas towards Saturday morning. Forecast QPF increased but snow accumulations over a 36 hour period of a foot or so above 8500 feet are still on track so going to pass on a Winter Weather Advisory at this point. We will be issuing an SPS to highlight the cooler than normal temperatures, potential for high mountain snow accumulations and isolated thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Lows Saturday night will be near to about 10 degrees colder than normal, but we're not yet late enough in the season to trigger any freeze highlights. LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... By Sunday morning, the upper-level closed low will be centered over northern AZ, and southerly to southwest flow ahead of it will continue to stream moisture into the area. Combined with lift ahead of this system, precipitation will increase in coverage across western and central NM. Surface winds look to maintain an easterly component through mid-day Sunday which may aid in precipitation development along the east slopes. 700mb temperatures will remain cool at about -4C to -6C which will keep snow levels at around 6500 to 7000 feet and gradually rising to 7500 feet by mid-afternoon. Finally, there are meager amounts of instability associated with this system with MLCAPE at around 250-500 J/kg. All of this will support rain and mountain snow throughout the afternoon with a few, non- severe thunderstorms possible as well. By late Sunday evening, the closed low moves southward into southern AZ, shifting the focus for precipitation across southern NM. The low continues to track southward into northern Mexico, weakening into an open wave as it does so. Precipitation chances will lessen as the wave weakens, but will continue to focus over southern NM Monday before the wave finally ejects into the TX Panhandle by that afternoon. As that wave leaves the area, another longwave trough moving over the central Rockies will send a potent backdoor cold front through eastern NM late Monday. Moisture behind this front will allow for increasing precipitation chances across the northern Sangres, northeast highlands, and northeast plains through Tuesday. 700mb temperatures are very cold behind this front at about -7C to -10C which will lead to a sharp drop in temperatures Monday night and into Tuesday morning, and snow levels will support snow for most. This front pushes through the central mountain chain early Tuesday which will likely lead to another strong east canyon wind for the ABQ metro. Temperatures will remain cooler across the east Tuesday in the wake of the front, but there is some wide model discrepancy in how much temperatures can rebound. Left Tuesday's highs more in line with NBM's guidance, but there is certainly some room for the highs to change depending on how much sky cover hangs around and how much snow may fall. The unsettled pattern continues late next week as yet another trough moves inland and deepens into a closed low over the Great Basin area. Still a lot of uncertainty this far out in how that will affect our area, but the good news is that precipitation chances look to continue Thursday and Friday. 15 && .FIRE WEATHER... Critical fire weather conditions will take a breather this weekend as unsettled and cooler than normal weather dominate. An upper low and trough will slide from the Great Basin southeast over New Mexico this weekend. A cold front will push into the RGV through gaps in the central mountain chain tonight. Valley rain and snow and higher terrain snow showers as well as isolated thunderstorms are possible through Sunday with several inches of snow above 8500 feet. Another strong front will impact the eastern plains Monday and Monday night, and again toward the end of the work week, allowing higher humidities to slosh in and out. Light amounts of precipitation are possible for northeast New Mexico Monday into Tuesday. A drier and warmer pattern will affect western New Mexico early to mid next week, and critical conditions may return to areas along and west of the Continental Divide by next Wednesday. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 9 PM this evening to 6 AM MDT Saturday for the following zones... NMZ219. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 437 AM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021 NMZ201>241-171100- 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- 437 AM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A strong cold front will descend into the state today bringing an increased chance of showers, mountain snow, and thunderstorms to northern New Mexico. Strong east canyon winds between 40 to 50 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are expected across the Middle Rio Grande and Upper Tularosa valleys late Friday night into Saturday morning as the cold front surges west. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Chances for rain showers, high terrain snow, and isolated thunderstorms will be possible on Saturday and Sunday. Another cold front will approach New Mexico Monday night into Tuesday, the impacts of which will be mostly localized to the northern mountains, adjacent highlands, and northeastern plains. The potential for an additional round of unsettled weather returns on Thursday with rain showers and mountain snow favoring the northern mountains and thunderstorms possible across the eastern plains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report high wind gusts and rain and snow amounts through the National Weather Service Albuquerque web site at weather.gov/abq or by calling 1.888.386.7637. You can also submit storm reports and photos on our Facebook page or via Twitter using the hashtag nmwx. 12
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 255 PM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021 NMZ201>241-171200- 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- 255 PM MDT Fri Apr 16 2021 ...UNSETTLED AND COOLER THAN NORMAL WEATHER ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS WEEKEND... A slow moving upper low over the Great Basin will slide southeastward over New Mexico this weekend. In the meantime, a strong cold front will blast into central New Mexico tonight, with easterly gap winds gusting to between 40 and 60 mph later this evening. A High Wind Warning remains in effect for the Middle Rio Grande Valley from 9 PM this evening through 6 AM Saturday morning. Winds will be strongest from Placitas southward along the east side of Albuquerque to Meadow Lake and Abo Canyon. Light snow is expected to develop along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains later tonight in the wake of the cold front. Valley rain and snow and mountain snow showers will be possible through Sunday, with several inches of snow accumulating above elevations above 8500 feet over the northern mountains. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible Saturday and Sunday afternoons over the north and west. High temperatures Saturday and Sunday will range from about 5 to 25 degrees cooler than normal. Lows will vary from near to about 10 degrees colder than average. The upper low will exit the state by early Monday morning. However another front may bring some light precipitation to northeast New Mexico. Take action now to secure any loose and lightweight outdoor objects such as patio furniture. Continue to protect any exposed pipes and tender vegetation. Anyone planning outdoor activities in the northern mountains this weekend should be prepared to encounter wintry conditions. Stay alert to the latest forecasts using your favorite media outlets.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A weather station near the foothills of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph on the evening of April 16th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2021
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: 946447.