S. dove southeast across the central Rockies.
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.
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 shortwave trough among longwave troughing across the eastern two thirds of the Continental U.S. dove southeast across the central Rockies. Strong westerly winds at the base of the trough moved across the northern mountains during the early morning hours of January 22nd resulting in some mountain wave activity across the adjacent highlands. One mountain wave crashed to the surface around Las Vegas Municipal Airport resulting in a brief 64 mph wind gust at the site. West northwest winds tapered off across the northern mountains and highlands during the late morning hours as mid and upper level winds relaxed.
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 21, 10:30 PM MST, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1030 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 917 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 - Bitterly cold temperatures will continue for the next few night, increasing the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. - After a brief warm-up late week, temperatures tumble again this weekend in eastern NM behind yet another strong cold front. - There is a low chance (10-30%) of minor travel impacts due to snow in the western and northern high terrain early next week. The likelihood of winter weather impacts increases by mid next week. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 252 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 Very low temperatures and wind chills will continue through the next few nights, mainly for valley areas in northern and western NM. Frostbite and hypothermia risks will persist. Breezy northwest winds across western and northwest NM on Wednesday will precede a cold front moving across the state, dropping temperatures again on Thursday. An abrupt warm up on Friday will see temperatures near to above average across the state, with breezy winds across east central NM. A backdoor cold front will move into eastern NM on Saturday, dropping temperatures for the weekend. Precipitation chances increase late weekend into next week with an approaching winter system, with low to moderate potential of widespread light snow. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 252 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 Strengthening northwest flow aloft induced a surface trough in the lee of the southern Rockies today with somewhat gusty downslope flow that has enabled high temperatures to rise above freezing in some parts of the east. Winds will continue to strengthen tonight, and the surface trough will persist, causing gusty winds to continue along and just east of the central mountain chain overnight. This will help low temperatures rise compared to last night there. Low temperatures will rise in most other locations as well, since a frigid upper level trough has left the region. Nonetheless, with clear skies and light winds west of the central mountain chain tonight, temperatures will again drop into the single digits in most lower elevation locations, where another Cold Weather Advisory will be issued for late this evening through early morning Wednesday. Another upper level trough will dive south and southeastward across the forecast area Wednesday and Wednesday evening steering Pacific and backdoor cold fronts through the forecast area. High temperatures will actually trend warmer in most locations Wednesday, except for some cooling across the northeast. Low temperatures will trend cooler in most central and eastern locations Wednesday night. There will also be a 10-30 percent chance of snow showers in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Wednesday night, but little or no snow accumulation is expected. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Monday) Issued at 252 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 A cool down will occur Thursday after a cold front passes through the state Wednesday, bringing temperatures down over 10F across much of NM. Some light lingering snow flurries may also come down across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, tapering off by the evening. An abrupt warm up on Friday will be the effect of quickly veering mid- level winds, signaling a regime of warm air advection. Temperatures across the eastern plains may rise as much as 20F from Thursday to Friday. Downsloping west winds will also aid in this warming trend, caused by a tightening pressure gradient along the eastern plains in response to a surface low forming in the lee of the Rockies. Nuisance to perhaps difficult crosswinds are possible across east central NM on Friday. This surface low moving eastward late Friday will usher in a backdoor cold front into eastern NM, dropping temperatures sharply along the plains and will remain below average through the weekend and into next week (though not as cold as the recent stretch we observed). With colder, easterly flow likely to be in place through the weekend, gusty east canyon winds are possible both Saturday and Sunday night. A shortwave trough is forecast to traverse down northerly flow across western CONUS on Saturday, then develop into a closed low by early Sunday around southern CA and NV. There is still uncertainty with this system, particularly with its timing and track across the state. Ensemble clustering has been wobbling in solutions for this system over its past few runs, further driving uncertainty in the evolution of this system. As it stands now, low PoPs (roughly 10- 30%) are fairly widespread across western and northern NM beginning Saturday night and continuing through Tuesday. Precip type will remain as snow for a majority of the forecast area, though some low elevation southern areas may experience rain. PoPs will likely fluctuate in probabilities and location in subsequent forecast packages, but the western and northern mountains appear to be favored for light snow accumulations to begin next week. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 917 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist through the TAF period. Increasing northwest flow aloft overnight into Wednesday morning will bring an extended period of low level wind shear to KLVS. A backdoor cold front will bring a wind shift to KLVS, KTCC and KROW Wednesday, but speeds will be relatively light. Gusty northwest winds are forecast to develop Wednesday afternoon across central and western NM, with gusts up to between 35-40kts possible at KFMN. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 252 PM MST Tue Jan 21 2025 The next seven days will continue to feature temperatures well below 30-year averages, except for some pockets of above average readings Saturday. Northwest winds will be gusty along and just east of the central mountain chain tonight, then northwest winds will gust in the 30-40 mph range from the central highlands west and west northwestward on Wednesday. Gusty Pacific and backdoor cold fronts will move into the forecast area Wednesday and Wednesday night. After much lower humidities most places tonight, they will rise Wednesday night and Thursday, before falling again Thursday night through Friday night. Humidities will then rise this weekend and temperatures will fall with the arrival of a strong backdoor cold front Saturday and Saturday night. Models are in fair agreement on a slow-moving upper level low pressure system passing eastward over the forecast area from the west with a chance for rain and snow showers across much of the forecast area Saturday night through Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 1 39 5 37 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... -7 37 -7 34 / 0 0 0 5 Cuba............................ 3 37 1 32 / 0 0 0 5 Gallup.......................... -4 45 -2 36 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 7 43 7 33 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 0 44 0 35 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 7 43 5 35 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 19 46 14 34 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 14 45 10 34 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 3 55 2 43 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 16 59 18 49 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... -2 31 -4 29 / 0 0 0 5 Los Alamos...................... 13 37 9 29 / 0 0 10 10 Pecos........................... 17 38 7 29 / 0 0 10 10 Cerro/Questa.................... 9 31 1 25 / 0 5 10 10 Red River....................... 6 23 -5 16 / 0 5 20 10 Angel Fire...................... -5 28 -19 21 / 0 10 30 20 Taos............................ 0 35 -3 30 / 0 0 10 5 Mora............................ 18 36 0 27 / 0 5 20 20 Espanola........................ 5 44 4 36 / 0 0 10 10 Santa Fe........................ 15 38 9 29 / 0 0 20 20 Santa Fe Airport................ 9 42 9 33 / 0 0 10 10 Albuquerque Foothills........... 18 43 19 35 / 0 0 0 10 Albuquerque Heights............. 14 44 16 37 / 0 0 0 5 Albuquerque Valley.............. 7 47 12 40 / 0 0 0 5 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 10 45 16 38 / 0 0 0 5 Belen........................... 2 46 9 40 / 0 0 0 5 Bernalillo...................... 10 46 12 38 / 0 0 0 5 Bosque Farms.................... 3 46 9 39 / 0 0 0 5 Corrales........................ 9 46 12 39 / 0 0 0 5 Los Lunas....................... 5 46 11 39 / 0 0 0 5 Placitas........................ 16 42 15 34 / 0 0 5 10 Rio Rancho...................... 11 45 14 38 / 0 0 0 5 Socorro......................... 9 49 14 42 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 16 38 10 29 / 0 0 5 10 Tijeras......................... 16 39 13 32 / 0 0 5 10 Edgewood........................ 13 41 7 32 / 0 0 5 10 Moriarty/Estancia............... 7 43 0 33 / 0 0 5 10 Clines Corners.................. 15 36 5 26 / 0 0 5 10 Mountainair..................... 11 42 8 32 / 0 0 0 5 Gran Quivira.................... 10 42 8 32 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 15 46 14 36 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 21 46 12 30 / 0 0 0 5 Capulin......................... 13 26 3 24 / 0 0 5 5 Raton........................... 8 34 3 29 / 0 5 5 10 Springer........................ 6 36 6 29 / 0 5 5 5 Las Vegas....................... 17 39 4 28 / 0 5 10 10 Clayton......................... 17 34 11 32 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 13 35 10 30 / 0 5 5 5 Conchas......................... 13 42 16 36 / 0 0 5 5 Santa Rosa...................... 21 44 14 33 / 0 0 0 5 Tucumcari....................... 15 40 13 35 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 20 45 16 36 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 19 46 14 37 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 18 47 13 36 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 16 55 19 40 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 23 55 14 38 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 22 56 12 37 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Cold Weather Advisory until 9 AM MST Wednesday for NMZ201-204- 205-207-208-216>220-222>225-241. && SHORT TERM...44 LONG TERM....77 AVIATION...11
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A mountain wave crashing to the surface resulting in a brief 64 mph wind gust at the Las Vegas Municipal Airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2025
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: 1224210.