New Mexico, 2022Wildfire in New Mexico, April 17 to 30, 2022
April 17 to 30, 2022 · NWS ABQ · 1 event in 1 county or zone
As exceptionally dry conditions persisted across northern and central New Mexico and most days during the month of April featured breezy to windy conditions, the stage was set for the rapid development of any fires that formed. When the Cooks Peak Fire was sparked north of Ocate on April 17, 2022, it rapidly spread throughout the month of April.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
As exceptionally dry conditions persisted across northern and central New Mexico and most days during the month of April featured breezy to windy conditions, the stage was set for the rapid development of any fires that formed. When the Cooks Peak Fire was sparked north of Ocate on April 17, 2022, it rapidly spread throughout the month of April.
What forecasters said that day
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 Apr 17, 1:06 PM MST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 1:06 PM MST, 2 hours 54 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
206 PM MDT Sun Apr 17 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Breezy to windy weather today will taper off tonight, with a much
welcome influx of moisture entering the eastern plains Monday. This
Gulf moisture advances further west, potentially up the Rio Grande
Valley Tuesday morning, with low clouds possible along the east
slopes of the central mountain chain. Even a stray shower or a storm
or two could be possible early Tuesday afternoon for a luck spot. But
overall most places will remain dry precipitation wise as dry
westerlies push this moisture back east toward TX Tuesday afternoon.
Critical fire weather returns as dry, warm, and windy weather
persists Wednesday, turning southwesterly Thursday with high winds
likely Friday. A storm system quickly skirting the CO border will
bring slight chances for precipitation over the northern mountains
and a drop in temperatures for most areas Saturday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...
A shortwave ridge cresting over NM tonight will allow lighter winds
to settle over the region. Strong radiational cooling will lead to
cooler min temps for much of the region Monday morning.
A 1034mb high center will shift southeast off the northern Front
Range thru Monday morning and allow surface winds to veer to the
southeast over eastern NM. Meanwhile, a mid level ridge organizes
along the TX coast Monday and allows stronger south to southwest
flow aloft to focus over west TX. As a result, deeper moisture over
TX advects northwest into eastern NM thru Monday afternoon. Max
temps will trend 5 to 10F cooler over the eastern plains. The rest
of central and western NM will see breezy south to southwest winds
with warmer max temps and very low humidity.
The first notable surge of low level moisture so far this season is
expected Monday night while southeast flow strengthens over eastern
NM. Guidance is trending toward deeper moisture with PW values near
0.60" over eastern NM by Tuesday morning. Widespread low stratus may
develop along and east of the central mt chain Monday night with the
potential for even a few light rain showers after midnight. Thicker
cirrus will also move in from the west and help trend min temps much
warmer than most days this spring. Unfortunately, this influx of low
level moisture will be very brief.
LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...
The long term begins Tuesday morning with an influx of low-level
Gulf moisture flowing into eastern NM via southerly return flow. The
latest 12Z suite of models have trended further west, bringing this
influx of moisture up the Rio Grande Valley with various differences
in how far north it goes. Low clouds will be a possibility, mainly
along the east slopes of the central mountain chain and further east
over the Caprock. This won’t last long as westerly flow aloft
strengthens, evident by 40kt H7 winds which vertical mixing will
surpass easily and translate these wind speeds to the surface Tuesday
afternoon. Any convective potential will be difficult with morning
inversions delaying convective initiation and the dry westerlies
quickly squashing any building cumulus. Any storm that does develop
will be isolated and quickly move east into TX. Westerly flow remains
strong Wednesday, pushing the low-level moisture in eastern NM
further east back into TX. More dry, warm, windy, and dusty
conditions are expected areawide Wednesday afternoon.
Flow aloft begins turning southwesterly ahead of an approaching upper
level trough coming ashore the western CONUS Thursday. Global models
continue to differ on how fast this system translates across the
inter-mountain west with the GFS the quickest. However, one
consistent trend is the forecast track keeps creeping northward with
each run. Unfortunately, this means more well above normal warmth,
dry, and very windy conditions for Friday. Wind highlights look
likely even this far out for Friday. Any precipitation looks more and
more isolated to the northern mountains along the CO border.
Temperatures take a dip Saturday behind the Pacific front, and
precipitation could still be lingering along the CO border east of
the Sangre de Cristo’s, depending on the speed of the storm track.
Guyer/24
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER PATTERN TO CONTINUE MUCH OF THIS WEEK...
Northwest flow over NM today will weaken tonight as a shortwave
ridge crests over the region. Low level moisture will begin seeping
northwest into eastern NM Monday with stronger south to southeast
flow. Central and western NM will remain very dry with breezy west
to southwest winds. Winds will be light enough to limit the coverage
of critical fire weather however widespread elevated conditions are
still expected. Moisture will continue deepening over eastern NM
Monday night and models are trending toward excellent recoveries for
much of the east. Low clouds and some very light rain showers are
even possible along and east of the central mt chain early Tuesday.
Tuesday will be a dynamic day as very dry air spreads eastward once
again on a strong west wind shift. Widespread critical fire weather
is likely. Models show thick high clouds spreading over the region
which may limit instability to some degree. Flow aloft strengthens
further Tuesday night and surface winds may remain strong over much
of the area all night with poor recoveries. Widespread critical
conditions are expected to continue thru Wednesday with strong west
winds and single digit humidity.
Guyer
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE
Northwest winds will peak btwn 25 and 35 kt today then taper off
thru 02Z while becoming more northerly. Winds finally relax tonight
as a shortwave ridge crests over NM. Increasingly moist low level
east to southeast flow will enter eastern NM aft 10Z.
Guyer
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Farmington...................... 37 81 46 77 / 0 0 0 0
Dulce........................... 28 76 38 70 / 0 0 0 0
Cuba............................ 35 76 45 71 / 0 0 0 0
Gallup.......................... 30 78 41 74 / 0 0 0 0
El Morro........................ 36 75 43 71 / 0 0 0 0
Grants.......................... 29 78 41 75 / 0 0 0 0
Quemado......................... 35 79 44 74 / 0 0 0 0
Magdalena....................... 41 78 49 77 / 0 0 0 0
Datil........................... 37 77 44 72 / 0 0 0 0
Reserve......................... 30 83 39 77 / 0 0 0 0
Glenwood........................ 39 86 48 80 / 0 0 0 0
Chama........................... 28 69 35 64 / 0 0 0 0
Los Alamos...................... 43 72 50 72 / 0 0 0 0
Pecos........................... 40 71 45 72 / 0 0 10 5
Cerro/Questa.................... 37 68 44 67 / 0 0 0 0
Red River....................... 28 64 36 60 / 0 0 5 0
Angel Fire...................... 19 63 34 63 / 0 0 5 0
Taos............................ 28 72 40 71 / 0 0 0 0
Mora............................ 33 68 40 70 / 0 0 10 0
Espanola........................ 39 80 50 77 / 0 0 0 0
Santa Fe........................ 42 73 48 72 / 0 0 5 0
Santa Fe Airport................ 38 76 47 75 / 0 0 5 0
Albuquerque Foothills........... 47 81 56 78 / 0 0 5 0
Albuquerque Heights............. 44 82 56 79 / 0 0 0 0
Albuquerque Valley.............. 39 83 53 81 / 0 0 0 0
Albuquerque West Mesa........... 44 82 54 80 / 0 0 0 0
Belen........................... 37 84 50 83 / 0 0 0 0
Bernalillo...................... 42 83 53 80 / 0 0 0 0
Bosque Farms.................... 35 84 49 82 / 0 0 0 0
Corrales........................ 43 83 54 80 / 0 0 0 0
Los Lunas....................... 37 83 51 82 / 0 0 0 0
Placitas........................ 45 79 53 77 / 0 0 0 0
Rio Rancho...................... 43 81 53 80 / 0 0 0 0
Socorro......................... 45 86 55 85 / 0 0 5 0
Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 44 74 52 73 / 0 0 5 5
Tijeras......................... 42 77 51 75 / 0 0 5 5
Edgewood........................ 37 76 47 76 / 0 0 10 5
Moriarty/Estancia............... 31 78 43 77 / 0 0 10 5
Clines Corners.................. 37 71 43 73 / 0 0 10 10
Mountainair..................... 39 77 49 76 / 0 0 10 10
Gran Quivira.................... 42 78 49 77 / 0 0 10 10
Carrizozo....................... 47 82 54 79 / 0 0 10 10
Ruidoso......................... 44 76 49 72 / 0 0 10 10
Capulin......................... 31 63 42 74 / 0 0 10 0
Raton........................... 31 69 41 77 / 0 0 10 0
Springer........................ 32 70 44 79 / 0 0 10 0
Las Vegas....................... 33 68 42 74 / 0 0 10 5
Clayton......................... 34 67 44 79 / 0 0 5 5
Roy............................. 35 69 44 79 / 0 0 10 5
Conchas......................... 39 76 49 86 / 0 0 10 5
Santa Rosa...................... 39 75 49 84 / 0 0 10 5
Tucumcari....................... 41 75 50 84 / 0 0 10 10
Clovis.......................... 40 72 47 79 / 0 0 10 20
Portales........................ 39 73 48 80 / 0 0 10 20
Fort Sumner..................... 40 77 51 85 / 0 0 10 10
Roswell......................... 46 81 57 88 / 0 0 10 10
Picacho......................... 46 77 49 83 / 0 0 10 10
Elk............................. 43 79 48 79 / 0 0 10 10
&&
.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Fire Weather Watch from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening for
the following zones... NMZ101>107-109.
Red Flag Warning until 7 PM MDT this evening for the following
zones... NMZ103-107.
Wind Advisory until 7 PM MDT this evening for the following zones...
NMZ223.
&&
Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- April 17, 4:00 PM MST to April 30, 11:59 PM MST
- Where
- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
- Coordinates
- 36.032, -104.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
On April 17, 2022, the Cooks Peak Fire began on private land north of Ocate near the Mora and Colfax county line. The wildfire experienced its most rapid growth on April 22nd as a historic and catastrophic fire weather pattern set up over New Mexico underneath widespread 60 to 80 mph wind gusts. An infrared flight on the night of April 22nd estimated that the wildfire had grown to 42,672 acres. The rapid growth of this fire prompted evacuations for numerous communities across Mora and Colfax counties. The rapid growth of the wildfire continued through the remainder of the month with a persistent and dangerous windy pattern. By the end of the month on April 30th, the Cooks Peak Fire had burned 59,063 acres with 69 percent containment. Currently, full containment is expected in May 2022.
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, April 17, 2022$9.8 million · EF1 · 50 events
- Wildfire in Arizona, April 17 to 30, 2022$20 million · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, April 17, 2022$500,000 · 1 event
- Flood and Hail in Florida, April 17 to 18, 2022$37,000 · 1.75 in hail · 12 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, April 17, 2022$32,000 · 1 in hail · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 17, 2022$2,000 · 3 in hail · 24 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 17, 20222 in hail · 13 events
- Heavy Snow in North Dakota, April 17, 202210 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, April 17, 2022$7,000 · 2 in hail · 7 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, April 17, 2022$5,000 · 1.75 in hail · 7 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, April 17, 202260 kt wind · 6 events
- Damaging Winds in Florida, April 17, 202264 kt wind · 6 events
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: 1012063.