A strong upper level jet passed over northern New Mexico and Colorado, producing repeated high wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph along and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on December 2, 2022. This included peak gusts in excess of 70 mph being reported at Las Vegas, Raton, and Clayton.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 strong upper level jet passed over northern New Mexico and Colorado, producing repeated high wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph along and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on December 2, 2022. This included peak gusts in excess of 70 mph being reported at Las Vegas, Raton, and Clayton. Impacts from blowing dust reducing visibility also occurred, resulting in a multi-car accident being reported in Clayton.
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 2, 4:41 AM MST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 441 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 142 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 West winds will increase over the Tusas and Sangre de Cristo Mountains and then spread to the remainder of central and eastern New Mexico this afternoon. Potentially damaging wind gusts of 55 to 75 mph will be expected over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and nearby highlands of northeast New Mexico. This is also an area of concern for rapid fire growth should any fires start. The high winds may also down trees and cause isolated power outages. Light snow is also possible in the higher terrain around Chama through Friday night. Chances for rain will increase over much of the area Saturday as abundant moisture streams into New Mexico with a potent jet stream. Rainfall totals near one-half inch are possible across southern parts of the state. Valley rain and higher terrain snow chances will continue Monday and Tuesday. We will continue to monitor the potential for more high winds on Monday. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Saturday) Issued at 142 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 Guidance is still on track for a high wind event today especially for portions of central and eastern NM. In fact, within the past hour, the Las Vegas airport reported a gust to 49 mph. No changes to the existing High Wind Warnings, but did add De Baca and Roosevelt counties to the Wind Advisory, where winds are most likely to hit the advisory criteria over the northern parts of those counties. Any snow accumulations today continue to be limited to mainly the peaks of the Tusas mountains where 3-5 inches, as well as blowing snow, are possible. Models indicate the strong winds will diminish quickly after sunset but surface high pressure building down the eastern plains tonight may result in some 15-25 mph northerly winds. Models are still consistent with a rapidly increasing stream of subtropical moisture over the region along and south of I-40 on Saturday with the best potential for rain focused along and south of Highways 380 and 60. The Day 2 Excessive Rainfall graphic covers this area with a Marginal Outlook. Today's highs will be up to 15 degrees above average across the east. Highs Saturday will be about 5 degrees below normal over the eastern plains and about 5-10 degrees warmer than normal central and west. Above normal temperatures expected tonight. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday night through Thursday) Issued at 142 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 Saturday into Sunday synoptic models continue to support a band of precipitation mainly south of I-40 across New Mexico due mostly to a strong jet stream stretching across northern New Mexico. The band matches up well with large scale lift from the right entrance region of the jet and this will also increase warm air advection over the region leading to primarily rain as snow levels increase. PWATs will increase in response to the moisture advection with the NA Ensemble forecast system showing PWAT values in the 99th percentile or near records for Sunday morning. This higher moisture axis stretches from the Gila Forest eastward through the Sacramento Mtns. The moisture then increases over E NM overnight into Monday before decreasing as drier air moves in from the NW. Jet stream remains active over the southern Rockies through the middle of the coming week. The jet axis sags south Tuesday as a trough develops over California. This may allow for some smaller vorticity max to ripple through the flow causing cloud cover and precip. The trough finally looks to swing out over New Mexico on Wednesday into Thursday next week. The various synoptic models and ensembles all have varying timing for when this trough moves east along with varying strengths which greatly affect precipitation chances. These differences also explain differences in timing of cold fronts and ultimately low forecast confidence. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 423 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 Low-level wind shear is likely before about 15Z along the Contdvd and along and east of the central mt chain. Widespread wly wind gusts to around 50-60kts along the central mt chain and into ne NM until around 02/23Z before diminishing. Lcl vsby reductions in bldu over ern NM with some blsn over the nrn high terrain, where sct snow showers are possible. Improving conditions aft 03/00Z with winds becoming n-nely over ern NM as sfc high pressure builds over the area. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 142 AM MST Fri Dec 2 2022 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AND HIGHLANDS DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES... A disturbance passing through the central Rockies today will bring very strong southwest to west winds to the surface over much of central and eastern NM. Although minimum humidities are marginal, a Red Flag Warning has been issued for the Northeast Highlands especially along and east of the I-25 corridor and Northeast Plains due to the potential for gusts to 60-70 mph. These strong winds will diminish rapidly this evening then become north around 15 to 25 mph as a cold front pushes southward through eastern NM. Gusty west winds will also impact much of the central mountain chain eastward today but minimum humidities look to be a bit higher. Spotty snow showers will develop over the northern high terrain but any snow accumulations will be rather localized and minimal. A stream of subtropical moisture is still forecast to overspread much of southern and central NM along and south of I-40 Saturday through Sunday. Most of the wetting precipitation will be in the form of rain with the high snow levels forecast. Chances for precipitation diminish Monday but windy conditions resume. There is much uncertainty by the middle of next week as forecast models are having some major run to run consistency issues handling the energy moving into the western U.S. while a strong ridge of high pressure remains anchored over the Gulf of Mexico. With the exception of Saturday over the eastern plains, temperatures will be above normal. Good to excellent ventilation today will become widespread poor Saturday and Sunday. Rates improve to good over the west central and east central Monday and Tuesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 51 29 55 34 / 20 0 5 10 Dulce........................... 47 20 53 26 / 40 0 20 10 Cuba............................ 49 27 49 34 / 5 0 10 20 Gallup.......................... 52 23 57 36 / 0 0 10 10 El Morro........................ 50 23 56 37 / 0 0 20 20 Grants.......................... 54 24 57 32 / 0 0 20 20 Quemado......................... 56 26 56 39 / 0 0 40 40 Magdalena....................... 60 33 54 41 / 0 0 50 50 Datil........................... 56 26 53 39 / 0 0 50 50 Reserve......................... 61 32 59 39 / 0 0 60 60 Glenwood........................ 63 39 61 47 / 0 0 70 60 Chama........................... 40 14 46 26 / 50 5 20 10 Los Alamos...................... 48 28 47 36 / 5 0 10 20 Pecos........................... 50 25 48 37 / 5 0 20 20 Cerro/Questa.................... 43 18 46 31 / 20 0 5 5 Red River....................... 42 23 45 25 / 30 0 5 5 Angel Fire...................... 40 21 46 27 / 20 0 5 10 Taos............................ 47 20 48 29 / 10 0 5 5 Mora............................ 49 24 50 34 / 5 0 10 10 Espanola........................ 53 24 52 36 / 5 0 10 10 Santa Fe........................ 50 26 48 38 / 5 0 20 20 Santa Fe Airport................ 53 28 50 35 / 5 0 20 20 Albuquerque Foothills........... 57 33 54 44 / 0 0 20 30 Albuquerque Heights............. 59 36 56 42 / 0 0 20 30 Albuquerque Valley.............. 61 30 57 41 / 0 0 20 30 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 59 33 55 42 / 0 0 20 30 Belen........................... 64 34 58 39 / 0 0 40 40 Bernalillo...................... 59 31 56 41 / 0 0 20 30 Bosque Farms.................... 63 33 58 39 / 0 0 30 40 Corrales........................ 60 33 56 41 / 0 0 20 30 Los Lunas....................... 63 34 57 40 / 0 0 30 40 Placitas........................ 55 31 53 42 / 0 0 20 30 Rio Rancho...................... 59 32 55 41 / 0 0 20 30 Socorro......................... 67 39 59 42 / 0 0 50 50 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 51 28 49 40 / 0 0 30 30 Tijeras......................... 54 30 52 40 / 0 0 30 30 Edgewood........................ 54 27 51 36 / 0 0 30 30 Moriarty/Estancia............... 56 26 53 34 / 0 0 30 40 Clines Corners.................. 53 25 47 36 / 0 0 30 40 Mountainair..................... 57 30 53 40 / 0 0 40 50 Gran Quivira.................... 58 32 55 41 / 0 0 60 60 Carrizozo....................... 62 39 59 44 / 0 0 70 60 Ruidoso......................... 58 37 53 41 / 0 0 70 50 Capulin......................... 56 20 43 32 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 59 20 47 29 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 57 21 47 30 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 56 23 47 36 / 0 0 10 20 Clayton......................... 65 19 45 36 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 62 22 43 34 / 0 0 5 5 Conchas......................... 65 28 46 39 / 0 0 10 20 Santa Rosa...................... 66 29 49 39 / 0 0 20 40 Tucumcari....................... 72 29 50 40 / 0 0 20 30 Clovis.......................... 70 30 50 37 / 0 0 30 40 Portales........................ 71 31 51 39 / 0 0 30 40 Fort Sumner..................... 72 31 51 37 / 0 0 30 40 Roswell......................... 75 35 54 42 / 0 0 30 40 Picacho......................... 69 37 52 40 / 0 0 50 40 Elk............................. 66 37 53 39 / 0 0 50 30 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ223-230- 233. Red Flag Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ104-123. Wind Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ210-221. High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ213>215- 226>229. High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ231-232-234. Wind Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ235>237-239-240. Wind Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ202. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A public weather station near Bonito Lake experienced a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
A public weather station reported repeated high sustained wind speeds of 40 to 45 mph near Cimarron, NM.
Clayton Airport ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 71 mph.
Taos Ski Valley weather observing station recorded a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Las Vegas Airport ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 71 mph.
A public weather station near Santa Rosa Lake State Park experienced a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
High winds with gusts reaching over 70 mph resulted in blowing dust lowering visibility to near zero in Clayton, NM. This resulted in a multi-vehicle crash with an unknown number of injuries.
The Raton Airport ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 71 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2022
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: 1058999, 1059056, 1059002, 1058997, 1059001, 1059003, 1058947, 1059000.