High Wind in De Baca County, New Mexico

A 58 mph wind gust was observed at the mesonet station east of Fort Sumner.

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.