2016 Annual Weather Highlights - Monthyreview

January 26 heavy snow in Mora – photo courtesy of Frieda Bustos

February 1 damage in Clovis – photo courtesy of Cindy Ferguson

February 2016 was considerably warmer and drier than normal.

The month got off to a great start as a series of disturbances brought snow to western and northern New Mexico during the first three days of February. But a dry period followed from the 4th through the 21st of the month, with a significant warming trend from around the 7th on, including several days with record highs. This put a dent in the above normal snowpack for the winter season, especially in the western basins. Finally, a decent storm system delivered moderate snow to areas along and north of Interstate 40 on the 22nd and 23rd. But we reverted back to the mostly dry and warm weather pattern for the rest of the month. 

April 2016 had near to slightly above normal temperatures, and near to above normal precipitation.

April 2016 began with snow on the first, at the tail end of a storm from late March. It was dry until the 7th to 9th when the first widespread precipitation event since early February finally delivered rain and high mountain snow to much of the state. Some additional rain and high terrain snow fell on the 11th through 13th. The more active weather pattern continued through the rest of the month. A couple of storms in the middle of the month, from the 15th through 18th, produced classic spring weather with severe weather, high winds and snow all occurring at the same time. High winds impacted several areas on the 23rd and 25th, some from severe thunderstorms. Two slow moving storms delivered rain and mountain snow to close out April. The first on the 28th and 29th, and the second one began impacting the state on the 30th.  

May 2016 temperatures were mostly below normal. Precipitation was varied, with above normal amounts across the west, near to below normal precipitation central and east, and below to well below normal over the far south.

May started out with a bang across northern and central NM. Widespread rain and mountain snow impacted the area, especially from the Continental Divide westward from the 1st to the 3rd. A couple more fast moving systems crossed northern NM with scattered showers and thunderstorms on the 6th and 7th then again from the 9th through the 12th. The next round of precipitation began on the 17th and continued into the 19th. This has left much of western NM with above normal precipitation for May, while central, eastern and far southern portions of the state have been near to below normal. Severe weather struck the eastern plains on the 29th and 31st. 

  May 15 hail near Santa Fe – photo courtesy of Matt Grubs

June 2016 was quite varied with precipitation, with the northwest, far southwest and far northeast below normal, while everywhere else was near to above normal.

June began with heavy rain from thunderstorms over east central New Mexico. Especially hard hit was the Clovis area where flash flooding was widespread. More flooding occurred on the 4th around Espanola, Jaconita and Pojuaque. Isolated large hail events occurred on the 6th and 13th. A heat wave struck mostly western and central New Mexico from the 19th through 24th, with numerous record highs. An increase in moisture from the 20th through the end of the month brought some relief to the heat, but delivered isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. Fortunately, only minor flooding was reported.

July in New Mexico was warmer than normal area wide except near normal in the far northwest. Precipitation was below normal across most areas. 

July 2016 was drier and warmer than normal over most of New Mexico.  The first three weeks of July were relatively quiet. However, large hail and damaging winds struck parts of Harding County, including around Solano, Mosquero and Logan on the 3rd.  Welcome rain did fall over the east on the 14th and 15th. Some monsoon moisture finally made it into the western half of the state starting on the 17th and then continued through the 21st. The end of the month finally brought a good monsoon moisture tap from the south. 

July 2 funnel clouds near Taos – photo courtesy of Adrena Martin

August 29 flood near the Dog Head Burn Scar - photo courtesy of Ashley Krystal

September 14 small hail 3 inches deep near Raton - photo courtesy of Thomas Vigil

                    Image Courtesy of the NWS
 

The start of October was pretty quiet through the first week of the month. The 8th finally produced widespread showers and some thunderstorms over northern and central NM. Small hail was common as a trough of low pressure crossed the state. Hail up to the size of nickels was reported at the Route 66 Casino, while up to an inch and a half of rain fell across southern Albuquerque. More mostly dry and mild weather returned from the 10th through 16th, while strong winds buffeted the state on the 17th. A back door cold front on the 19th delivered some cooler air mainly to the east on the 19th. But dry and milder weather followed from the 20th into the 24th. Showers and a few storms impacted the northwest third of the state from late on the 24th into the 25th. The remainder of the month will be dry and warm with well above normal high temperatures.

The start of November was quiet until the 4th through 6th as widespread rain and isolated severe weather struck New Mexico. The hardest hit was actually Albuquerque with numerous reports of nickel to quarter size hail on the 5th. Flash flooding occurred in Quay and Socorro Counties on the 6th. A mostly dry and unseasonably warm period ensued from the 7th through 16th. Then high winds and much colder air poured over the state on the 17th. The first round of snow finally arrived across the northern mountains on the 21st through 22nd. A more active period of weather impacted New Mexico nearing the end of the month, including light to moderate snow over the northwest half of the state from the 26th through early on the 29th.

November 5 large hail in ABQ Uptown – photo courtesy of Todd Kurtz