Drought conditions across northern and central New Mexico remained largely unchanged during the month of February 2021. A very active storm track throughout the month saw several storm systems impact much of the state.
Every event with a place to put it; 41 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.
Drought conditions across northern and central New Mexico remained largely unchanged during the month of February 2021. A very active storm track throughout the month saw several storm systems impact much of the state. Despite this, snowpack levels across the state remained poor with snow water equivalent values below normal across all basins. Extreme to exceptional drought remained the same at about 82 percent of the state with about 54 percent deemed exceptional drought. The high terrain areas of northern and western New Mexico saw the highest precipitation amounts with totals of about 1 to 2 inches. However, lower elevations across central and eastern New Mexico received less with amounts generally around half an inch to three quarters of an inch of precipitation.
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 Jan 31, 9:58 PM MST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 958 PM MST Sun Jan 31 2021 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Dirty ridge over NM. Surface lee trough developing by 12Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 PM MST Sun Jan 31 2021... .SYNOPSIS... Thin, high clouds will begin increasing overnight, resulting in slightly warmer low temperatures compared to last night. The high clouds will thicken during the day Monday, making it feel similar to today despite highs being several degrees warmer. Warmer to much warmer temperatures are forecast for much of northern and central New Mexico Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of a storm system expected to bring widespread rain and snow to much of the region Thursday and Friday. High temperatures for the eastern plains are forecast to be as much as 20 degrees above average for early February on Wednesday with 80 degrees not out of the question at Roswell. && .DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... Tranquil weather conditions will persist across the area tonight through Monday as a ridge of high pressure continues to build over the Intermountain West. An abundant amount of high clouds can be seen on satellite imagery this afternoon off the coast of Baja CA and northern Mexico which are slowly moving into the southwestern CONUS. This area of high clouds will creep into western and central NM late tonight which will help keep low temperatures a few degrees warmer compared to last night. The ridge axis shifts eastward over the state on Monday with 500mb pressure heights rising slightly over the area. This will allow the warming trend to continue areawide despite the area of high clouds expanding in coverage. A lee-side low developing over southeastern CO/northeastern NM during the afternoon will help induce breezy southerly to southwesterly winds across the eastern plains. Otherwise, another beautiful day is on tap for the Land of Enchantment. LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... Global models are starting to change their tune somewhat with regard to the late week storm. Prior to that, broken to overcast mid and high clouds are forecast to diminish Tuesday, allowing for at least partial sunshine underneath rising geopotential heights. High temperatures warm to well above average most areas Tuesday and Wednesday. Deepening surface low pressure in southeast CO and across eastern NM will result in brisk west winds east of the central mountain chain with high temperatures forecast to be as much as 20 degrees above average for early February. 80F at Roswell is not out of the question but upper 70s seems more likely at this point. Latest numerical model runs agree that the high amplitude/omega block in the Gulf of AK will evolve somewhat differently than previous runs seemed to have settled upon yesterday. 12Z runs now drop the deep closed low currently off of the PACNW coast more southwestward as opposed to due south near the CA coast for Tuesday. This appears to be, in part, due to a stronger southwesterly subtropical jet. At any rate, the operational ECMWF retrogrades the low as another cold upper-level trough slides southeastward through the Inland NW and Great Basin. These new forecasts/solutions throw all sorts of uncertainty into the late week (Thursday & Friday) sensible weather for NM. GFS continues to try and phase the two lows/troughs and brings in much more rain and snow to NM Thursday and Thursday night thanks to a honkin' 170kt southwesterly jet while the ECMWF would keep mainly light snow across the northern quarter of the state. Why not go with the higher skilled operational ECMWF? Its 51 member ensemble mean is closer in line to the operational GFS. Stay tuned. 15/33 && .FIRE WEATHER... The tranquil weather pattern continues through Tuesday as an area of high pressure remains the dominant feature over the area. A lee-side surface low developing over northeastern NM on Monday and moving into east central NM on Tuesday will help induce breezy to locally windy conditions each afternoon. However, critical fire weather conditions will be limited thanks to minRH values staying over 20 percent. The pattern becomes active once again by mid-week as a Pacific storm system begins to take shape. Precipitation chances increase across western and northern NM starting late Wednesday afternoon while gusty westerly winds continue across the east. Still, minRH values will stay above critical thresholds. Chances of rain and mountain snow increase and expand in coverage on Thursday as the storm system crosses the area. Brisk northwest flow looks to set up late in the week and through next weekend, but minRH values still stay above 20 percent with temperatures cooling well below normal. Ventilation rates remain mostly poor through Tuesday with the exception across the east central plains where stronger winds result in fair to good rates. Vent rates trend up Wednesday and Thursday with the passage of the storm system before falling again next weekend. 15 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 215 AM MST Sun Jan 31 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- 215 AM MST Sun Jan 31 2021 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...Monday through Saturday A Pacific storm system will bring valley rain and mountain snow to the northern and central New Mexico Wednesday through Thursday. Snow levels fall to valley floors Thursday night into Friday morning as snow becomes more concentrated over the eastern plains before ending by Friday afternoon. The heaviest snow looks to favor the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and central mountain chain in general Thursday. A sharp cold snap is looking likely for next weekend, with long duration freezing temperatures possible over the eastern plains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 24
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
41 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Exceptional drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
Severe drought conditions from January 2021 continued in February.
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, February 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: 936775, 936776, 936777, 936778, 936779, 936780, 936781, 936782, 936783, 936784, 936785, 936786, 936787, 936788, 936789, 936790, 936791, 936792, 936793, 936794, 936795, 936796, 936797, 936798, 936799, 936800, 936801, 936802, 936803, 936804, 936805, 936806, 936807, 936808, 936809, 936810, 936811, 936812, 936813, 936814, and more.