As a potent storm system began organizing to the west of New Mexico, a disturbance ahead of it raced across northern New Mexico overnight on December 8, 2021 and into the early morning hours of December 9th. As this disturbance tracked through the area, upper-level winds strengthened to near 60 to 70 knots in response.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
As a potent storm system began organizing to the west of New Mexico, a disturbance ahead of it raced across northern New Mexico overnight on December 8, 2021 and into the early morning hours of December 9th. As this disturbance tracked through the area, upper-level winds strengthened to near 60 to 70 knots in response. Combined with a stable layer at the mountain tops, this set up a mountain wave event with high winds along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and its east slopes as well as along the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common through the overnight hours with the highest wind gust of 69 mph recorded at Clines Corners.
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 8, 5:05 PM MST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 505 PM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE Weather conditions will start to deteriorate and turn unsettled over the next 24 to 30 hours. Aviation hazards tonight will be focused on increasing winds aloft that will buffet mountain peaks (namely the Sangre de Cristos), create mountain wave activity and eventually produce low level wind shear to the lee (east) of the mountains. Breezy to windy conditions are expected into the daytime Thursday with gusts generally topping out at 25 to 40 kt. Some high elevation snow will begin over the Tusas mountains near the Colorado border, and a mix of valley rain and high mountain snow will expand over more of northwestern New Mexico Thursday night. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...315 PM MST Wed Dec 8 2021... .SYNOPSIS... Strong winds will impact the Sangre de Cristo Mountains tonight with gusts up to 65 mph possible, while gusts to around 50 mph will extend southward to the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and the Clines Corners area. Rain and snow will develop over northwest New Mexico by Thursday afternoon while breezy to windy conditions will be common. Winds intensify again Thursday night along the central mountain chain eastward while rain and snow becomes more widespread over the west and north. The greater snow accumulations are expected over the Tusas and Chuska mountains above 8000 feet. Showers taper off by midday Friday but winds become very strong with gusts of 55 to 65 mph and blowing dust likely from the central mountain chain across eastern NM. Localized critical fire weather conditions are also possible Friday afternoon over northeast New Mexico. Temperatures Saturday morning will be in the single digits and teens with some below zero readings over northern New Mexico. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)... An active period remains on tap for the next few days. A weak upper low moved across northern AZ and is weakening into an open trough. This trough will slide across northern NM late this afternoon and overnight. While this is helping to generate cloud cover across most of the state this afternoon, only light precipitation is expected across the northern mountains. An inch or two of snow will be possible across the high peaks of the Tusas Mtns tonight, but the main story will be increasing wind speeds. 700 mb (near mountain top) wind speeds increase to between 60 and 70kts over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with the trough passage, with slightly lower winds speeds farther south. Mountain wave activity is likely thanks to a stable layer near mountain top level. With this in mind, have upgraded the High Wind Watch to a High Wind Warning, and included the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and Central Highlands in a Wind Advisory. Though cloud cover is expected to lessen overnight except across the north, the elevated wind speeds will keep low temperatures well above normal area wide. Strong zonal flow aloft will continue on Thursday behind the trough passage, and in advance of the next storm system. Strong mixing for December combined with a deepening lee side trough will keep breezy to windy conditions going area wide on Thursday, though wind speeds will largely be sub-advisory. Strong downsloping will yield yet another day of well above normal temperatures for eastern NM. A northern stream trough will approach the area from the west- northwest Thursday night. This quick moving system will bring precipitation to northern and western NM, with snow likely above 7500 feet. The highest amounts are expected across the Tusas Mountains where 8 to 16 inches of snowfall is possible through Friday morning above 8000 feet. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for this area, though it's likely that later shifts will need to issue Winter Weather Advisories for the remainder of the northern mountains, including the Chuska Mountains. Wind speeds will again stay elevated, if not increase, Thursday night thanks to a continued deepening lee side surface low and the trough passage overhead. Strongest winds will be along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain, and it is likely that additional wind highlights will be needed. The much colder air looks to lag behind the precipitation, so low temperatures Thursday night will remain above normal. But, the bottom looks to drop out Friday night. 34 LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... Models advertising the storm system will be moving through the state quickly as an open wave, and showers will be tapering off rapidly by late Friday morning. Strong to possibly damaging winds will be the main feature from the central mountain chain eastward by midday Friday if they're not already in progress. Areas of reduced visibilities in blowing dust over the eastern plains will be a concern where recent LIS graphics indicate pathetically dry conditions. Colder air, more typical of mid to late December, will invade the state from the northwest and north Friday. This colder and much drier airmass will lead to low temperatures early Saturday morning that range from about 5 to nearly 20 degrees below normal. Below zero readings are possible for some of the northern mountain communities with single digits and teens widespread over much of the forecast area south of I-40 as winds diminish. Saturday will be a transition day with cool and breezy but dry conditions. Lows Saturday night are not expected to be as cold, and a warming trend will continue Sunday when highs rebound to about 5 to nearly 20 degrees above normal. Winds also increase with breezy to windy conditions over the east central. Dry and warmer than normal weather expected Monday, then another storm system approaches. This system appears primarily a west slope event with colder air arriving after the showers depart. It also doesn't offer any hope of significant precipitation for the east. && .FIRE WEATHER... Elevated fire weather conditions will persist through the remainder of the afternoon across east central and northeast New Mexico where a deepening lee side surface low has resulting in increased westerly wind speeds. Strong to damaging wind speeds are expected overnight across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and to a lesser extent, over the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and nearby highlands. Wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph are likely. Winds will relax Thursday morning, but breezy to windy conditions will resume in the afternoon. Winds will increase further Thursday night through Friday. Wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph will be likely across much of eastern NM by Friday afternoon. Critical fire weather conditions will be possible in this area, but humidity values will be borderline. Less wind is in store for the weekend into early next week, but breezy to locally windy conditions remain possible across east central NM. As for precipitation, one or two inches of snow is possible tonight across the high peaks of the Tusas, but snow and low elevation rainfall will be possible Thursday afternoon through mid day Friday. Several inches of snowfall is possible above 8000 feet across the northern, and to a lesser extent, the western mountains. 34 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 5 AM MST Thursday for the following zones... NMZ221-223. High Wind Warning until 5 AM MST Thursday for the following zones... NMZ212>215. Winter Storm Watch from Thursday morning through Friday morning for the following zones... NMZ210. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATE National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 330 PM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 NMZ201>241-091100- 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- 330 PM MST Wed Dec 8 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight Strong west winds will develop over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains tonight with gusts of 55 to 65 mph possible. Strong winds will also extend southward to the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and Clines Corners area tonight where gusts to around 50 mph are likely. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday The first significant storm system of the season will move through the region Thursday night and Friday with strong winds, rain, snow, and significantly colder temperatures. Snowfall accumulations in excess of 10" are possible in the high terrain around Chama with light snowfall elsewhere across northern and western NM. Strong to potentially damaging wind gusts of 55 to 70 mph are also possible along the central mountain chain into the high plains of eastern NM Thursday night and Friday. Areas of blowing dust over the eastern plains Friday afternoon will reduce visibilities resulting in hazardous travel. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Contact the National Weather Service at 1.888.386.7637 to report winds gusts in excess of 50 mph or to report wind damage.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An AWOS station in Angel Fire recorded several hours of high winds of at least 58 mph. The peak wind recorded in Angel Fire was 60 mph.
A public weather station near Rociada measured a peak wind gust of 61 mph.
A public weather station near South San Ysidro measured about an hour of sustained winds in excess of 40 mph. The peak sustained wind measured was 43 mph.
An ASOS station in Clines Corners measured a peak wind gust of 69 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: 988407, 988408, 988409, 988410.