A strong section of the jetstream brought high winds translating to the surface over parts of south-central and southeastern NM stretching from the Upper Tularosa Valley to Roswell. Peak gusts of 60 to 86 mph were measured by various mesonet and ASOS sites.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 section of the jetstream brought high winds translating to the surface over parts of south-central and southeastern NM stretching from the Upper Tularosa Valley to Roswell. Peak gusts of 60 to 86 mph were measured by various mesonet and ASOS sites. No damage or injuries were reported.
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 11, 4:58 AM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 458 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 322 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 Cold temperatures are generally forecast for the next seven days with many locations remaining a few to several degrees below 1991 to 2020 averages daily. A storm system will produce a few to several inches of snow accumulation across western and north central areas this morning through this evening, as well as over the central and south central mountains. In addition, strong winds are forecast today through Saturday, with the strongest gusts reaching over 60 mph along and just east of the south central mountains today, and potentially up to 70 mph along the east slopes of the central mountain chain Friday night into Saturday. Another disturbance could bring more snow to the northern mountains westward Saturday night through Sunday evening, as well as an Arctic airmass to northeast and east central New Mexico. The potential exists for subfreezing temperatures across northeast and east central areas Saturday through Tuesday. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Friday) Issued at 322 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 An upper level trough is moving over the intermountain west with a couple of distinct embedded shortwave perturbations that are currently moving over CA and poised to quickly swing through AZ through the late morning before crossing NM in a more neutrally (but still positive) tilted fashion through the afternoon and evening. Stronger winds aloft are already feeding into NM and will continue to through the morning with the strongest mid level jet orienting itself over southern NM and Chihuahua by mid to late day. Inherited short term wind forecast looked to be in great order, so only minor tweaks were made through today and tonight with the speeds ramping up from the southwest this morning and then veering more westerly while increasing more this afternoon. Speeds then are expected to increase a bit more immediately along and behind the Pacific front as they turn more northwesterly through this evening. With this in mind, we will be expanding Wind Advisories to some central areas for late this afternoon and in surrounding southwestern and central mountain zones this evening. The inherited Winter Weather Advisories look on track, and do not plan any amendments with this package. As was expected, snow is starting in the northern mountains and will expand over the northwestern areas of the forecast area around and just after dawn. West central areas get their turn toward mid day and central areas by late afternoon as the trough axis overtakes NM. Cold temperatures aloft, generally ranging from -7 to -10 C at 700 mb ahead of the main baroclinic zone will raise snow-to-liquid ratios and of course temperatures will drop further as the front passes and precipitation tapers and wanes. While it will be a short-lived window, QPF will generally range between 0.1 to 0.3 inch with higher amounts reaching close to 0.5 inch over some of the northern and high southwest mountains. The trough axis should overtake the eastern border of NM by midnight tonight with no appreciable precipitation thereafter, and a very cold night will be on hand as cold (and very dry) air advection ensues. Frigid wind chills ranging from sub-zero to single digit readings will be widespread late tonight into early Friday morning. For the remainder of Friday, northwest flow aloft will stay brisk out of the northwest with 700 mb speeds of 40 to 60 kt over much of northern and central NM. Surface high pressure will still be building into the forecast area in the wake of today’s front, and while the surface gradient may not initially appear to be optimal for windy conditions, the stout flow aloft will likely create mountain wave activity on Friday that will buffet much of the central mountain chain and highlands/high plains immediately to the east, so another High Wind Watch will be issued. Wind speeds would fall off quickly working eastward from the central mountain chain. Single digit to sub-zero dewpoints early Friday morning will gradually increase through the day and some cold stratocumulus over the northern mountains may be able to yield a few flurries, but otherwise dry conditions are forecast on Friday. && .LONG TERM... (Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 322 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 The tail end of a northwesterly speed maximum in the polar jet will linger over the forecast area Friday night and Saturday with a mountain wave likely developing and a risk of damaging surface winds. Wind speeds at 700 mb are progged to peak around 55-70 KT along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and southward along the Torrance and Guadalupe County line. Dangerous crosswinds will be possible on north-to-south oriented roads like I- 25. Models remain in fair agreement on a cold upper level trough tracking southeastward across the forecast area Saturday night through Sunday evening with a few to several inches of snow along and west of the northern mountains. The storm system, a disturbance clipping northeast NM the day before it, and another disturbance that will clip northeast NM in northwest flow aloft Monday, will send a series of shallow backdoor cold fronts into the eastern plains bolstered by a 1040 mb surface high pressure system sinking southward over the western Great Plains out of Canada. A shallow Arctic air mass looks to penetrate northeast NM Saturday, when Clayton may struggle to reach a high temperature in the teens. The Arctic air mass will then sag over east central areas as well on Sunday and Monday with highs along NM's eastern border varying from the single digits to mid 20s. Models are notorious for poorly handling these shallow air masses with bitterly cold temperatures, so it is possible for the cold air to arrive sooner and push farther west than currently forecast. There is a risk that all lower elevation locations east of the central will struggle to reach freezing Sunday and Monday. At this time, models differ on how much moisture they bring into the area with the backdoor cold fronts. If enough moisture arrives we could have a freezing fog and freezing drizzle concerns across the east. The Arctic air mass is forecast to retreat Tuesday and Wednesday with warming temperatures. After falling below freezing Friday night, Clayton may finally rise above freezing again on Wednesday. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 451 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 Weather conditions will deteriorate through morning and into the afternoon as a winter storm approaches northern and central New Mexico. Winds aloft are already increasing and will mix down to the surface through the late morning and early afternoon, initially from the southwest, but veering westerly and then northwesterly going into the evening. Gusts of 30 to 50 kt will be possible with the strongest gusts over the Sacramento mountains near KSRR. Winds will remain strong and gusty into the early morning hours Friday. Snow will lower visibility with IFR to LIFR ceilings, first in northwestern areas, spreading to central areas of New Mexico by the afternoon. Snow will decrease in intensity as it shifts into eastern New Mexico this evening with VFR conditions returning to most areas after midnight tonight. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 322 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024 A winter storm will bring colder temperatures, blustery winds and light to moderate snow to northern and central NM today through the evening. Snow accumulations of a couple to a few inches are expected in the western and central zones with higher amounts of several (8 to 12) inches on the high peaks above 9,000 ft. While less, if any, snow is expected in the eastern plains, the colder temperatures should help offset any concern for critical fire weather from the gusty winds. After a frigid start on Friday, mostly drier conditions are forecast through the rest of the day, and areas immediately along the central mountain chain will be inundated by strong winds again which will likely last well through the overnight and into Saturday and Saturday evening. Temperatures are expected to be too cool and humidity too high for any critical concerns during these days, but the winds will pose significant impact on their own. It should also be noted that an Arctic front will be nosing into far northeastern NM Saturday before advancing over the majority of the eastern half of the state by Sunday. While temperatures across almost all of northern and central NM will be below average on Sunday, the Arctic front will make these departures much more significant in the eastern zones where a long multi-day duration of sub-freezing temperatures is expected, especially in the northeast. In addition, a modest upper level disturbance will cross northern NM Sunday, helping to spread light snow over the layer of Arctic air. The harsh, subnormal temperatures will linger into Monday and will be slow to temper into the middle of next week as dry northwest flow relaxes. However, breezy conditions would still impact the central highlands where gusts to 30 mph cannot be ruled out Tuesday and Wednesday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 31 5 28 10 / 90 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 30 -10 23 3 / 90 20 10 5 Cuba............................ 30 2 27 10 / 90 10 0 0 Gallup.......................... 29 0 33 11 / 90 5 0 0 El Morro........................ 29 -2 29 12 / 90 10 0 0 Grants.......................... 33 4 34 14 / 80 10 0 0 Quemado......................... 33 4 33 14 / 90 30 0 0 Magdalena....................... 37 14 37 23 / 70 10 0 0 Datil........................... 31 9 33 20 / 90 20 0 0 Reserve......................... 36 5 42 12 / 90 30 0 0 Glenwood........................ 38 12 40 22 / 90 30 0 0 Chama........................... 26 -11 17 4 / 90 50 10 5 Los Alamos...................... 31 7 28 17 / 90 20 0 0 Pecos........................... 30 4 27 15 / 80 40 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 28 -6 22 11 / 80 80 0 0 Red River....................... 23 -10 16 4 / 90 80 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 25 -18 18 0 / 80 80 5 0 Taos............................ 29 -6 23 3 / 80 60 0 0 Mora............................ 32 2 26 14 / 60 50 0 0 Espanola........................ 36 5 31 12 / 90 30 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 31 7 27 14 / 90 30 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 35 6 32 13 / 80 30 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 39 14 35 22 / 80 20 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 41 16 37 21 / 70 20 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 43 8 39 19 / 70 10 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 41 15 37 21 / 70 10 0 0 Belen........................... 46 12 43 17 / 60 10 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 41 14 37 20 / 80 10 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 44 8 40 17 / 70 10 0 0 Corrales........................ 41 14 37 20 / 70 10 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 45 9 41 18 / 70 10 0 0 Placitas........................ 38 14 34 21 / 80 20 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 40 15 36 21 / 70 10 0 0 Socorro......................... 47 20 46 24 / 70 10 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 33 11 30 20 / 80 20 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 13 31 20 / 80 20 0 0 Edgewood........................ 34 12 31 18 / 80 20 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 36 11 33 16 / 70 20 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 31 7 28 17 / 60 20 0 0 Mountainair..................... 37 12 34 21 / 70 20 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 38 14 36 20 / 70 30 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 45 19 42 25 / 70 40 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 37 15 36 25 / 70 60 0 0 Capulin......................... 32 -4 28 7 / 30 40 0 0 Raton........................... 35 1 31 10 / 40 50 0 0 Springer........................ 39 1 32 10 / 20 40 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 34 6 32 18 / 40 30 0 0 Clayton......................... 40 6 35 7 / 20 30 0 0 Roy............................. 39 9 34 17 / 10 40 0 0 Conchas......................... 46 15 41 21 / 10 40 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 44 18 38 26 / 20 40 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 47 13 41 21 / 10 60 0 0 Clovis.......................... 51 18 43 26 / 10 40 0 0 Portales........................ 55 18 46 27 / 5 30 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 50 19 45 26 / 30 30 0 0 Roswell......................... 57 22 52 27 / 0 5 0 0 Picacho......................... 49 21 48 30 / 30 30 0 0 Elk............................. 46 19 47 27 / 40 40 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ201- 202-204>206-208-209-241. Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 2 AM MST Friday for NMZ207-219-220. Wind Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 2 AM MST Friday for NMZ206-208-221>223-241. Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for NMZ203- 210-211-213>216. High Wind Watch from Friday morning through Saturday evening for NMZ213>215-221-223-226>229-233-239. Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM MST this evening for NMZ224-225-236-238. High Wind Warning until 5 AM MST Friday for NMZ226-239-240. && SHORT TERM...52 LONG TERM....44 AVIATION...52
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
901 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM Snow 1 WSW Farmington 36.74N 108.21W
01/11/2024 M1.6 inch San Juan NM Cocorahs
Cocorahs station NM-SJ-25 Farmington 1.4
WSW.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
936 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0801 AM Snow 1 ESE Cedar Hill 36.93N 107.88W
01/11/2024 M1.0 inch San Juan NM Cocorahs
Cocorahs station NM-SJ-38 Aztec 9.9 NE.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
938 AM MST Thu Jan 11 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1120 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 ESE Fort Sumner 34.47N 104.21W
01/10/2024 M62 MPH De Baca NM Mesonet
Mesonet station FTSN5 East Fort Sumner.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Roswell Airport measured high sustained winds of 40 mph over the course of one hour alongside a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Chupadera RAWS measured peak gusts of 86 and 74 mph over the course of one hour.
A mesonet station near Nogal measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
The Roswell Airport measured a high wind gust of 60 mph during the evening of January 11th.
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, January 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: 1147498, 1147496, 1147497, 1147499.