High Wind — Northwest Mountains Including Jemez, New Mexico

2008-01-28 · Northwest Mountains Including Jemez, New Mexico

Event narrative

The AWOS at Los Alamos also reported a peak wind gusts of 61 mph at 650am on January 29th. The general public reported a measured peak wind gust of 60 mph in Rio Rancho at 1208am on January 29th. High winds caused roof damage in Los Alamos. A portion of a roof was blown off an old barrack style apartment building. Two pine trees fell and damaged another roof at 47th Street and Urban Avenue, while a large pine tree behind Fuller Lodge fell and damaged a rose garden. Another tree snapped and fell onto a truck's camper shell on Torreon Street in Quemazon, causing damage. Many homes in Los Alamos lost shingles and there were a number of power outages.

Wider weather episode

A storm off the northern California coast on the 25th and 26th moved inland on the 27th, crossing New Mexico early on the 28th. Meanwhile, a second storm from the Pacific Northwest raced southeast across the state on the night of the 28th into the early morning hours of the 29th. The first storm pulled sub-tropical moisture north into the state and tightened the pressure gradient aloft. The second storm had less moisture to work with, but produced a few bursts of heavy snow and strong winds across northern and central New Mexico. Heavy rain in the upper Gila region of the Southwest mountains resulting in isolated flooding and flash flooding events.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 67380. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.