A fast-moving upper level storm system combined with deepening surface low pressure over eastern New Mexico to produce strong west to northwest winds across parts of the state on February 3-4, 2021. Many areas reported wind gusts of 30 to 45 mph as a Pacific cold front blasted through the state.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 fast-moving upper level storm system combined with deepening surface low pressure over eastern New Mexico to produce strong west to northwest winds across parts of the state on February 3-4, 2021. Many areas reported wind gusts of 30 to 45 mph as a Pacific cold front blasted through the state. The strongest winds occurred along the east slopes of the central mountain chain where a few locations reported peak wind gusts up between 58 mph and 68 mph.
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 Feb 3, 11:05 AM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1105 AM MST Wed Feb 3 2021 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Timing up the upper level trough approaching NM is the main challenge for this TAF period. Strong sfc winds are expected as the jet stream swings overhead, with some localized gustiness possible across western NM this afternoon, becoming more widespread tonight. While VFR conditions are expected to prevail, short-lived MVFR is possible across portions of western NM, mostly affecting the KGUP and KFMN terminals. LLWS along with mtn wave activity are possible with the passage of the trough tonight. Periods of rain showers are expected across northwest and north central areas below 7500ft. A backdoor cold front will push down into the northeast highlands and plains later tonight into Thursday with a north-northeasterly wind shift. 12 && .PREV DISCUSSION...334 AM MST Wed Feb 3 2021... .SYNOPSIS... Winds will increase in parts of New Mexico today as a trough of low pressure aloft moves into the intermountain west. Wind speeds will be highest along and near the central mountain chain where gusts of 45 to 55 mph will be possible. In addition, clouds will continue to thicken and lower in northwestern and north central parts of the state with rain and high mountain snow developing through the day and into tonight. Despite the stronger winds and areas of precipitation in northern areas, temperatures will remain well above normal today, rising close to record values for several locations. However, a potent cold front will sweep into New Mexico tonight and early Thursday, with a couple to several inches of snow stacking up in the northern mountains. Precipitation will dwindle and shift toward northeastern parts of the state on Tuesday. Dry, but cool and brisk conditions are forecast for Friday and Saturday with wind gusty northwest winds persisting. Slightly warmer conditions are expected on Sunday as winds decrease in speed. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... An upper level trough will pass eastward over the central Rockies today and tonight, then a weaker shortwave trough will pass southeastward over NM on Thursday. With surface dewpoints already in the 30s, and a broad swath of lower VFR cloudiness west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains into NE AZ, the system will have some low level moisture to work with as it skirts mainly to the north of our state. The northern mountains and Chuska Mountains should accumulate a few to several inches of snow, with the greatest amounts generally reaching 6-10 inches across the high peaks and west facing slopes of the Tusas and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The snow level will be quite high until Pacific and back door cold fronts dive into the state tonight into Thursday morning. In fact, record and near record high temperatures are expected today mainly across central, southeast and east central areas. Clayton and Farmington will probably also flirt with records this afternoon. Most of the snow will fall tonight. The upper trough will also steer a strong speed max in the polar jet over the state this afternoon through early Thursday morning with strong west and eventually northwest surface winds. Speeds at 700 mb should peak during the overnight hours at 40-60 kt. Will convert the high peaks of the Sangres to a Winter Weather Advisory and discuss winds in that product. Will also continue the ongoing Wind Advisories for the Las Vegas and Clines Corners zones this afternoon through tonight, and add the Sandia, Manzano, Sacramento, and Guadalupe Mountains tonight into early Thursday morning. Isolated 60 kt gusts are possible over high peaks, especially tonight, but population centers should feel less wind than that in the absence of buoyant mixing. The day shift may add to the areal coverage of the Wind Advisory along its borders with the morning update, and they could end up adding the Gallup area, west central mountains and Chuska Mountains if models strengthen their forecast for these areas a little. LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... The previously mentioned trough will continue overtaking the Great Lakes region into Friday with a significant deepening into a polar vortex. This will spread a prolific gradient across the majority of the ConUS, and it will keep very strong winds aloft intact across NM with only transient waves of meager mid level moisture racing through the state. A surface trough will take shape to the lee of the central mountain chain of NM Friday afternoon, but it will be rather ill-defined. Still, breezy to windy conditions will bisect NM, stretching down a corridor from NW to SE with the central mountains and highlands boasting the highest speeds that could warrant additional wind advisories. While a few to several degrees of warming are expected Friday, temperatures will feel less than seasonable in the brisk northwest flow. The Great Lakes low will pivot into western Ontario as frigid Arctic air continues spilling out of the Canadian prairies and into the American plains. This initial cold airmass looks to be too shallow and displaced too far to the east to be much of a player for NM weather, leaving our forecast area with breezy northwest flow and high temperatures within a couple degrees either side of climatology. By Sunday, the flow aloft will back slightly over NM with speeds decreasing more and pressure heights increasing as temperatures exceed normals. There looks to be some potential for dual vort lobes within the greater vortex over Ontario, and how these orient themselves and pinwheel around each other will dictate how the next Arctic frontal push evolves. For now it looks to hold off until Monday or Monday night, posing low risk of intrusion in the eastern NM plains. For now reductions in Tuesday's high temperatures in northeastern NM have remained conservative due to uncertainties with how the spokes of Arctic air will swivel southward. 44/52 && .FIRE WEATHER... An upper level trough passing eastward over the central Rockies will produce a few to several inches of snow accumulation across the high peaks of the Sangre de Cristo and Tusas Mountains this afternoon through tonight. Lower elevations of north central and northwest NM will receive precipitation mainly in the form of rain with locally wetting accumulations. Strong winds are also expected this afternoon through early Thursday morning mainly over the mountains and adjacent east slopes gusts from 40-55 mph are generally expected. After high temperatures around 7-19 degrees above normal today, readings will plummet below normal most places on Thursday, then vary a few degrees either side of normal through the end of the week. Northwest flow will continue to be breezy to windy Thursday and Friday from around Farmington to around Clines Corners. Winds will weaken into early next week, except for a gusty back door cold front that could penetrate the eastern plains Sunday night and Monday. 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 5 AM MST Thursday for the following zones... NMZ212-215-223-229. Wind Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 7 AM MST Thursday for the following zones... NMZ221-226-240. Winter Weather Advisory until 8 AM MST Thursday for the following zones... NMZ210-213-214. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 406 AM MST Wed Feb 3 2021 NMZ201>241-041200- 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- 406 AM MST Wed Feb 3 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Winds will strengthen today, especially along and just east of the central mountain chain where gusts of 45 to 55 mph will be possible. These strong winds will continue and expand southward tonight. Light to occasionally moderate snow will also begin in the northern mountains today, continuing through tonight with a couple to a few inches of accumulation expected below 7500 feet and higher amounts of 6 to 10 inches expected above. Areas of blowing snow will further reduce visibility, making travel difficult in the high elevations. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Areas of blowing snow, reduced visibility, and slick road conditions could linger through Thursday morning in the northern mountains. Snow will gradually shift east and decrease in intensity through the late morning Thursday. Breezy to windy conditions will redevelop on Thursday and again on Friday. The strongest speeds will tend to stretch from the northwest highlands to the central mountains and highlands where gusts of 40 to 50 mph will be possible each afternoon. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report any strong wind gusts or snowfall measurements through the National Weather Service Albuquerque web site at weather.gov/abq or by calling 1.888.386.7637. You can also submit reports and photos to our Facebook page or via Twitter using the hashtag nmwx. 52
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief wind gust up to 68 mph was reported at the Raton airport.
A brief wind gust up to 60 mph was reported at the Las Vegas airport.
Wind gusts up to 58 mph were reported by an observer in Stanley.
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: 931965, 931966, 931967.