A shallow shortwave and jet streak within the northwest to southeast oriented polar jet moved over New Mexico late December 29th into December 30th. These stronger winds aloft resulted in mountain wave activity overnight across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
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 shallow shortwave and jet streak within the northwest to southeast oriented polar jet moved over New Mexico late December 29th into December 30th. These stronger winds aloft resulted in mountain wave activity overnight across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. One of these mountain waves crashed over the Clayton Municipal Airpark resulting in a brief 59 mph wind gust. A similar story was observed at the Hartley Ranch Wunderground station in southwest Harding County with a brief 59 mph gust before sunrise. Daytime mixing during the morning allowed the stronger winds aloft to mix down to the surface resulting in another high wind gust of 58 mph at a mesonet station east of Fort Sumner. Winds gradually tapered off during the afternoon and evening hours as the jet streak exited into the southern Great Plains.
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 29, 10:37 PM MST, 3 hours earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1037 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 911 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 - Strong west winds tonight into Monday across eastern areas will create hazardous to dangerous crosswinds along with patchy blowing dust that may reduce visibility at times. - Critical fire weather conditions across the eastern plains Monday afternoon will make for easier fire starts and rapid spread. - Much lighter winds and temperatures cooling down closer to normal as we close out 2024 and ring in 2025. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 203 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 Winds ramp up quickly across the mountain peaks and nearby highlands this evening into tonight with high wind gusts possible at Raton Pass and the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Strong to high winds spread south to the central highlands and eastern plains during the first half of Monday peaking midday before slowly tapering off during the evening hours. The strong winds combined with low relative humidity values across the eastern plains will result in the potential for rapid fire spread for any fire starts. Much lighter winds and colder to close out 2024 and ring in 2025 before warmer temperatures return heading into the first weekend of 2025. Stronger west winds across the highlands for the first Saturday of 2025. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Monday night) Issued at 203 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 An anomalous high wind and critical fire weather pattern is still on track to arrive into the forecast area tonight thru Monday. This shortwave trough embedded within the jet is currently moving ashore northern CA and southern OR this afternoon. The Medford, OR upper air sounding did measure a stout 155kt 250mb jetmax on the 12Z sounding this morning. This speedmax continues to be forecast to track over northern NM and southern CO by tonight, resulting in very active mountain wave activity along and lee of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. Several hi-res CAMs show this activity crashing to the surface near and around Raton late this evening and overnight, steadily spreading eastward over the adjacent Johnson/Bartlett Mesas and eastern Colfax County. Combined with HREF probabilities of a 55 mph gusts greater than 80% tonight for Raton and the adjacent mesas, have gone ahead and issued a High Wind Warning for the overnight period for the Raton Pass and Far Northeastern Highlands (Raton) to capture this threat of high winds. Crosswinds on this stretch of I- 25 will create dangerous driving conditions for high profile vehicles. The rest of Monday will be quite an interesting meteorological setup to observe. Numerical model guidance continues be in good agreement that a mid-level inversion will be present across eastern NM tomorrow as stronger winds spread over the eastern plains. This will act to cap and limit the upper high end potential. Nevertheless, surface temperatures will be well above normal and being in a nominal area oriented to the jet for subsidence, enough of this wind potential will reach down to support strong westerly to northwesterly winds gusting 45 to 60 mph along and east of the central mountain chain. The High Wind Watch for the Northeast Highlands (Las Vegas), Central Highlands (Clines Corners), and Guadalupe County (Santa Rosa) will be upgraded to a Warning for Monday afternoon. Wind Advisories have been hoisted for adjacent areas stretching up to Union, Harding and Eastern San Miguel Counties, as well as Eastern Lincoln and De Baca Counties further east under the inversion where the high wind potential falls. The earlier High Wind Warning for Raton Pass and Raton will convert to Wind Advisories during this time as mountain wave activity is expected to subside with vertical mixing becoming the dominant mechanism for wind speed transport down to the surface. All highlights will end between 3pm to 5pm MST Monday afternoon as winds begin to subside. Breezy to windy conditions will be present elsewhere across the forecast area including western and central NM, and these Wind Advisories could be expanded to Quay and Curry Counties with one more look by the overnight shift tonight. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 203 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 Eastern NM will be much colder on New Year's Eve compared to Monday (15 to 20 degrees colder) behind the backdoor front associated with Monday's system. However, with Monday much warmer than average, temperatures on New Year's Eve will be right around to slightly below average for late December. Western and central NM will still be around 5 to 10 degrees above average. In terms of winds, they will be much lighter compared to Monday. A trailing weak shortwave exits the central Rockies and moves into the central Great Plains as we bid adieu to 2024 and ring in 2025. This shortwave will provide a reinforcing "cold" shot to the state in it's wake on New Year's Day. Temperatures will still be near to as much as 5 degrees above average across western and central NM and 3 to 8 degrees below average across the eastern plains. A warming trend commences Thursday as upper level heights gradually increase in response to ridging developing over the southern Great Basin and desert SW. The ridge axis moves over the state Friday with high temperatures across the state 10 to 15 degrees above average by then. The ridge breaks down the first weekend of 2025 in response to an upper level trough moving into the northern and central Rockies. West winds will increase across the highlands due to higher 700 mb flow of 30 to 40 kts at the base of this trough. A majority of ensembles (~85%) show this shortwave clipping northern NM late Saturday into early Sunday resulting in some light snowflakes across far northern areas. Temperatures cool down closer to average next Sunday in the wake of the system. Looking beyond at the first full week of 2025, long range ensembles depict a strong positive PNA with strong ridging along the Pacific coast and deep troughing across the eastern 2/3rds of the continental U.S. This pattern will allow a modified arctic airmass to surge south across the central and eastern U.S. with eastern NM potentially being on the western edge of this airmass. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 911 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 A 140kt jet stream is moving over northern NM tonight and will then move out to the east mid day Monday. Timing of the jet maxima favors low level wind shear developing at TAF sites overnight, with potential for dangerous mountain waves to crash along/east of the peaks of the Sangre De Cristos. Winds will fully mix to the surface late Monday morning, with gusts to near 50kts likely along and immediately east of the Sangre De Cristos and Sandia/Manzano Mountains. Otherwise, gusty westerlies are forecast in general on Monday. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 203 PM MST Sun Dec 29 2024 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM MONDAY FOR THE NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL PLAINS DUE TO LOW HUMIDITY, VERY STRONG WINDS, AND AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS... Strong west to northwest winds will begin impacting areas along and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mts tonight, spreading to lower elevation areas along and east of the central mountain chain Monday afternoon. Very low humidity falling to 10 to 15 percent coincident with these strong winds gusting 45 to 55 mph will result in widespread critical fire weather conditions for the Northeast and East-Central Plains Monday afternoon. Elevated to short-lived fire weather conditions will be present further west in the Central and Northeast Highlands where winds will be a tad stronger with gusts to 60 mph possible from Las Vegas to Clines Corners and Vaughn. Cooler temperatures will limit the fall in humidity however. Westerly to northwesterly winds will be present elsewhere across the forecast area Monday afternoon, but not to the strength forecast across eastern NM. A backdoor front will bring a sharp drop in temperatures across the eastern plains Tuesday, by as much as 15 to 20 degrees relative to Monday's forecast highs. This, alongside a significant drop in wind speeds will bring an end to critical fire weather concerns. The next weak weather system will bring dry and breezy conditions to western NM and perhaps a stray flurry or light snow to the northern mountains Tuesday evening. Otherwise, there will be one more day of slightly below normal high temperatures across eastern NM and drier warmer conditions thru central and western NM Wednesday. Then high pressure ridging begins to build in from the west resulting in widespread poor ventilation Thursday and Friday, light winds and warming temperatures. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 28 48 21 44 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 18 48 9 46 / 5 0 0 5 Cuba............................ 27 47 19 47 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 21 53 14 51 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 28 51 24 49 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 25 54 15 53 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 28 53 22 52 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 36 58 27 55 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 34 55 25 53 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 21 66 16 62 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 34 68 29 64 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 19 42 11 40 / 0 0 0 5 Los Alamos...................... 34 48 25 44 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 31 48 22 46 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 27 45 19 41 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 24 36 15 33 / 0 5 0 5 Angel Fire...................... 22 40 9 36 / 0 0 0 5 Taos............................ 23 48 12 40 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 30 48 17 46 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 27 54 18 52 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 31 49 25 45 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 27 53 21 48 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 38 55 31 52 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 34 57 27 54 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 31 61 23 57 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 34 57 27 54 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 30 62 19 57 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 34 57 24 55 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 30 61 18 56 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 33 58 24 55 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 31 61 19 57 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 37 52 27 51 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 33 57 26 54 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 35 68 27 60 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 34 48 24 48 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 51 27 49 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 34 52 20 50 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 30 53 14 52 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 32 50 19 46 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 34 55 22 52 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 33 56 22 54 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 35 61 30 57 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 42 56 26 54 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 42 49 17 36 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 42 53 14 41 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 41 55 16 44 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 37 53 19 43 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 45 61 24 41 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 39 57 20 40 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 42 67 25 50 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 43 62 24 49 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 44 67 23 47 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 44 69 27 49 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 45 69 27 50 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 44 68 25 51 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 44 74 33 56 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 47 68 30 57 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 45 69 29 63 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 3 PM MST Monday for NMZ215-227-228- 230>232. Red Flag Warning from 9 AM to 6 PM MST Monday for NMZ104-126. High Wind Warning until 6 AM MST Monday for NMZ215-227-228. High Wind Warning from 10 AM to 5 PM MST Monday for NMZ223-229- 233. Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 5 PM MST Monday for NMZ237-239. && SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....71 AVIATION...11
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief 59 mph wind gust was observed at the Clayton Municipal Airpark. This was likely caused from a crashing mountain wave coming off the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
A wunderground station at Hartley Ranch in southwest Harding County observed a brief wind gust of 59 mph. This was likely caused from a crashing mountain wave coming off the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
A 58 mph wind gust was observed at the mesonet station east of Fort Sumner.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2024
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: 1221832, 1221833, 1221834.