As a persistent troughing pattern remained in place across the western United States, a strong polar jet oriented across New Mexico resulted in another day with strong winds across the area starting late on December 27th and continuing through December 28, 2021. Due to increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures, less vertical mixing of the atmosphere kept the strongest winds mainly confined…
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The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
As a persistent troughing pattern remained in place across the western United States, a strong polar jet oriented across New Mexico resulted in another day with strong winds across the area starting late on December 27th and continuing through December 28, 2021. Due to increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures, less vertical mixing of the atmosphere kept the strongest winds mainly confined to the high terrain and adjacent highlands. Wind speeds in excess of 58 mph were common in these areas with the strongest wind gust of 67 mph measured near Ruidoso. No damage reports were received with this round of high winds.
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 27, 4:46 PM MST, 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 446 PM MST Mon Dec 27 2021 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE Mid level cloud deck firmly in place across northern and central NM this afternoon. Clouds will persist tonight across western and central NM, with cigs lowering, while eastern NM will gradually clear out. MVFR cigs will be possible at KGUP and KFMN overnight into Tuesday morning. Snow showers will be likely across the northern mountains and perhaps around KGUP with snow struggling to reach the surface elsewhere. Areas of blowing snow, reduced visibility and mt obscurations are likely across portions of northern and western NM. Otherwise, main concern tonight will be increasing wind speeds. Gusts near 30kts will be common, except along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain where gusts btw 40 and 50kts will be possible. These winds will persist through Tuesday. 34 && .PREV DISCUSSION...315 PM MST Mon Dec 27 2021... .SYNOPSIS... An unsettled and progressively colder weather pattern will persist through Saturday, with bouts of strong winds focusing across central and eastern New Mexico and chances for snow focusing across western and north central portions of the state. Temperatures across the eastern plains will remain above normal this week, due mainly to warming from downslope winds. A more potent winter storm will impact the area Friday through Saturday, with snow levels dropping to valley floors and the potential for significant accumulations. This storm will be accompanied by a strong cold front as well, bringing temperatures down below normal for the weekend before warming back up closer to normal by Monday. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... A longwave trough and preceding embedded disturbances will create active weather once again for northern and central NM in the short term. Wave clouds are evident on visible satellite imagery this afternoon, lending to fast winds aloft over the Land of Enchantment. A potent polar jet stream will descend into NM this evening, bringing yet another round of brisk winds to the south central mts and adjacent highlands. Winds over the Sacramento Mts strengthen to 80kts at 700mb and given the likelihood for turbulent mixing, high winds are likely to plague the south central mountains again tonight. As such, did issue a High Wind Warning for the Ruidoso and Dunken areas. Meanwhile, orographic lift will help to make use of abundant subtropical moisture across the northern mts, where several inches to over a foot of accumulation will be possible through Tuesday night. Will issue a Winter Storm Advisory for the Chuska Mountains and northwest highlands and Winter Storm Warning for the Tusas, Jemez, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains for tonight through Wednesday morning. Snowfall accumulation intensifies across the west central plateau and west central mts Tuesday night, which includes the I-40 corridor, and highlights may be warranted in future updates. The accompanying Pacific front to this system will drop high temperatures on Tuesday several degrees below normal across the central mts and westward -- the exception being the RGV, where highs will hover near normal. Temperatures will remain above average across the eastern plains. LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)... Unsettled conditions continue Wednesday as the jet stream moves directly overhead, with orographically forced precipitation favoring the peaks and west slopes of the mountains and windy to very windy conditions forecast along/east of the central mountain chain. Winter weather impacts will be winding down Wednesday as wind impacts ramp- up and a wind advisory will likely be required for eastern areas. Otherwise, Wednesday will be colder, although the eastern plains will still reach up above normal due to stronger downslope winds. Windy conditions will return to the eastern plains Thursday due to a deepening lee side trough as a potent upper level trough dives southeast from the Pacific NW. 12Z medium range model solutions are in good agreement and have shown some run-to-run consistency with an impactful winter storm for Friday through Saturday. Pacific moisture will be a big player with this one as an upper level low offshore of southern CA advances east Thursday night through Friday and brings a well above normal PWAT atmosphere into the Desert Southwest and NM. The upper low is forecast to fill and open up, then race across NM Friday night as a shortwave trough in advance of the much colder northern stream trough. Widespread precipitation is forecast to break out Friday across central and western NM, with mountain snow and valley rain. However, snow levels will drop to valley floors Friday night and this system may bring the first accumulating snow of the season to a number of lower elevation locales including Albuquerque. The colder upstream trough is forecast to close off a low at near 540dam at 500mb Friday night then move over NM Saturday along with a strong cold front. Precipitation will come to an abrupt end late Saturday as the upper low ejects east into far west TX, with a very cold airmass settling in behind it. Some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter season are forecast Saturday night into Sunday morning and may even be colder that our current forecast with the potential for fresh snow on the ground. Expect a warming trend beginning Monday, with temperatures returning to near normal. 12/11 && .FIRE WEATHER... Persistent troughing pattern with daily precipitation chances over western and northern NM is expected over the next week. The east will remain mostly dry and while winds will be breezy to windy each day this week, RH values will remain above criteria for critical fire weather. Bouts of strong winds will continue, favoring the high terrain and central highlands. More widespread precipitation is expected Friday night through Saturday. 12 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 4 PM MST Tuesday for the following zones... NMZ215-223-229-239. Winter Storm Warning from 8 PM this evening to 11 AM MST Wednesday for the following zones... NMZ210-211-213-214. High Wind Warning until 8 AM MST Tuesday for the following zones... NMZ226-240. Wind Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for the following zones... NMZ226-240. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 11 AM MST Wednesday for the following zones... NMZ202-203. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An AWOS station near Ruidoso measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph.
An ASOS station near Las Vegas measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
An ASOS station near Raton measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
A RAWS station near Ruidoso measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
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: 991196, 991199, 991198, 991197.