After a very quiet November 2021, December proved to be a much more active month with several storm systems impacting northern and central New Mexico. High winds were the most dominant feature over the area with numerous windy days observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 40 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.
After a very quiet November 2021, December proved to be a much more active month with several storm systems impacting northern and central New Mexico. High winds were the most dominant feature over the area with numerous windy days observed. The storm track became more favorable for New Mexico during the latter half of the month as a few storm systems did bring widespread heavy snow, particularly across the western and northern high terrain which helped to improve snowpack numbers. This did result in slightly improving drought conditions for these areas, however, for the eastern half of the state, drought conditions only worsened due to very little precipitation totals. Across the state, about 76 percent was in at least severe drought conditions with 21 percent categorized as extreme drought. Precipitation totals across much of central and eastern New Mexico were generally less than one half inch. High terrain areas across north central and western New Mexico fared better with precipitation totals ranging from about one to three 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 Nov 30, 10:09 PM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1009 PM MST Tue Nov 30 2021 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Sct high clouds in gradually weakening nw-nly flow aloft over nrn NM as well as over portions of srn NM due to a weak upper low located off Baja CA. Weak lee trough developing by 01/18Z. Gusty nrn drainage winds at KSAF to develop again aft 01/10Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION...207 PM MST Tue Nov 30 2021... .SYNOPSIS... Gusty north winds across eastern NM will taper off this evening. Low temperatures tonight will trend colder with clear skies. Wednesday and Thursday will be warmer again with near-record highs across much of northern and eastern NM. A couple more cold fronts will move into eastern NM Friday through Sunday with gusty winds. Temperatures will be cooler on Saturday and Sunday but still well above normal. There may be some changes toward a more winter-like pattern by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)... An unseasonably strong area of high pressure will continue nosing into NM from the northwest tonight and Wednesday, helping to keep temperatures well above average for late Nov/early Dec. Southerly flow out ahead of a couple of closed lows off the southern CA coast will result in scattered high clouds mainly south of U.S. Hwy 380/60 this evening into tonight otherwise a persistence forecast continues for central and western portions of the forecast area through Wednesday night. A backdoor cold front sliding south through eastern NM today will result in cooler overnight lows for the eastern plains tonight but lows are forecast to remain above to well above seasonal averages. 33 LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... An extensive H5 trough axis will drift north into NM Thursday as the upper low over the Baja finally gets the boot from an upstream upper low. The most noticeable change will be greater coverage of mid and high level clouds, particularly over southern and eastern NM. Temps will remain well above normal with slight west to southwest breezes across the region. Not much change is advertised for Friday as the first upper low shears eastward over NM. A weak back door cold front will enter the northeast plains will slightly cooler temps. By Saturday, flow aloft will increase and become more west-northwest as the initial upper wave ejects into the Great Plains and a larger upper trough moves into the northern Rockies. Westerly winds will increase over the higher terrain and eastern plains with continued above normal temps. A stronger back door cold front is shown racing southwest across eastern NM Saturday night and Sunday as surface high pressure builds down the Front Range. Temps remain above normal even with these next cold fronts. The extended forecast remains highly uncertain however, there is some hope for a wetter storm system Tuesday and/or Wednesday of next week. This pattern looks complex and involves several upper level features attempting to merge across the southwest CONUS. Think Snow! Guyer && .FIRE WEATHER... No critical fire weather conditions are forecast during the next seven days with the dry fall/early winter pattern of late continuing through the work week and into the weekend. Weather prediction models suggest an increase in wind is possible for much of the area early next week with the potential for a winter storm system Tuesday night into Wednesday. 33 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 146 AM MST Tue Nov 30 2021 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- 146 AM MST Tue Nov 30 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. However, weather can change very rapidly. Always use the latest forecasts, watches and warnings for planning purposes. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 24
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
40 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 improved in December with severe drought conditions across the area.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December and became more widespread throughout the county.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December and became more widespread throughout the county.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December with extreme drought conditions spreading to include most of Union County.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December with extreme drought conditions spreading across portions of northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 worsened in December with extreme drought conditions across the area.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions from November 2021 continued in December.
Severe drought conditions developed over Harding County in December 2021.
Severe drought conditions developed over eastern San Miguel County in December 2021.
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, December 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: 991423, 991424, 991425, 991427, 991428, 991429, 991430, 991431, 991432, 991433, 991434, 991435, 991436, 991437, 991438, 991439, 991440, 991441, 991442, 991443, 991444, 991445, 991446, 991447, 991448, 991449, 991450, 991451, 991452, 991453, 991454, 991455, 991456, 991457, 991458, 991459, 991460, 991461, 991462, 991463.