High Wind — Far Northwest Highlands, New Mexico

2021-05-22 · Far Northwest Highlands, New Mexico

Event narrative

A weather station near Archuleta measured a 67 mph non-thunderstorm wind gust.

Wider weather episode

With a low pressure system over the Great Basin and a dryline sharpening over eastern New Mexico, it was another favorable set up for severe weather across the area on May 22, 2021. With a warm and unstable atmosphere across much of central and eastern New Mexico, thunderstorms developed early in the day across the central high terrain. Thunderstorms generally moved in a northerly to northeasterly direction where they continued to intensify as the day progressed. Several reports of large hail were received with one particular thunderstorm producing 1 inch to 1.5 inch hail around Santa Fe. These thunderstorms also produced very strong winds with wind speeds near 70 mph across eastern New Mexico. Meanwhile, dry, southwest flow continued across western New Mexico, and deep mixing resulted in windy conditions across the area. A few locations west of the Rio Grande Valley recorded non-thunderstorm winds near 60 mph during the afternoon.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 950912. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.