A strong section of the jetstream screamed over the central mountain chain of NM on January 12th and 13th with mountain wave activity developing along and immediately east of the mountains. This acted to bring high winds aloft crashing to erratic locations along the adjacent highlands from Wagon Mound southward through the Vaughn and parts of remote eastern Lincoln County.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 screamed over the central mountain chain of NM on January 12th and 13th with mountain wave activity developing along and immediately east of the mountains. This acted to bring high winds aloft crashing to erratic locations along the adjacent highlands from Wagon Mound southward through the Vaughn and parts of remote eastern Lincoln County. In one instance, the high winds blew fresh snow that had fallen a few days earlier through Mora and Colfax Counties causing blowing snow drifts and an isolated ground blizzard. Snow drifts as high as vehicles developed along I-25 from the Fort Union exit to Springer, especially near Wagon Mound. NMDOT was forced to close this section of I-25 due to the ground blizzard conditions and snow drifts during the morning of January 13th. Thankfully there were no reports of accidents or damages. Otherwise, peak gusts of 58 to 77 mph were observed by spotters and automated weather stations.
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 12, 11:05 AM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The SE Vaughn mesonet station measured a peak gust of 60 mph, with persistent high sustained winds of 37 to 45 mph.
The SE Vaughn mesonet station measured a peak gust of 67 mph, with persistent high sustained winds of 40 to 49 mph.
A public weather station southeast of Las Vegas measured a peak gust of 68 mph during the early morning hours of the 13th.
A trained spotter just south of Mora reported high winds causing snow drifts across highways with estimated wind gust of 60 mph. A public weather station near Rociada also reported a 77 mph wind gust later in the evening of the 13th.
The CSBF transwestern pump mesonet station measured a peak gust of 58 mph.
NM State Police relayed a report of high winds blowing snow and causing snow drifts across portions of I-25 from the mile markers 366 to 412, or from Fort Union to Springer. Due to the isolated ground blizzard conditions, this section of I-25 was closed near 10am MST. Snow drifts were reported to be 2 to 3 feet deep, however one photo shared clearly shows a snow drift higher than the vehicle on the side of the road. A storm spotter just west of Wagon Mound estimated gusts of 65 mph during this time.
A public weather station southeast of Las Vegas measured high sustained winds of 56 mph during the afternoon of the 13th.
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: 1147553, 1147554, 1147551, 1147549, 1147555, 1147550, 1147552.