NOVEMBER 2003 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS FOR NEW MEXICO
November 2003 was wetter than normal across most of New Mexico with temperatures near to slightly above normal.
The month began with southwest flow increasing across the state with breezy to windy conditions. The winds peaked on the the 3rd with strong winds gusts across much of the state. Low level moisture early in the month delivered plenty of low clouds and some fog over the eastern plains on the 1st and 2nd, then again on the 6th and 7th as a couple of cool surges pressed south across the eastern plains. High temperatures in the 70s and 80s on the 3rd across the east were replaced with highs in the 40s and 50s by the 6th and 7th. The first significant snow event of the season affected the Land of Enchantment on the 12th and 13th. A storm off the California coast on the 11th moved inland on the 12th and lifted northeast on the 13th and 14th. Plenty of sub-tropical moisture ahead of this system was drawn northeast into the state. At the same time a cold front moved south through New Mexico delivering chillier air. This combination resulted in the first widespread snowfall of the season, affecting the northern mountains into the northeast. Some much needed rain fell elsewhere. Much quieter weather returned for the 15th through 21st. A weak system crossed the state on the 17th with some gusty winds but little precipitation. A much stronger system affected the Land of Enchantment on the 22nd and 23rd, delivering high winds on the 22nd and much colder temperatures by the 23rd to the state, as well as a little snow across the northern mountains. A warming trend and generally dry weather followed for the last week of November. A weak system brought a couple of inches of snow to the northwest on the 25th. A cold front crossed the state late on the 26th and early on the 27th, Thanksgiving Day, causing a little snow to fall in the northeast and brief cooling to much of New Mexico.
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° First Significant Snow of the Season on the 12th through 13th |
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| ° Temperature and Precipitation Data For Albuquerque |
First Significant Snow of the Season on the 12th Through 13th
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| The first significant and widespread snow of the season fell over portions of the northern mountains into northeast New Mexico on the night of the 12th and during the day of the 13th. A storm off the California coast on the 11th moved slowly inland on the 12th and 13th, sending plenty of moisture ahead of it into New Mexico. The water vapor satellite loop above shows the storm and it's movement from the 11th through 13th. Meanwhile a cold front swept south through the state on the 12th, sending temperatures plummeting, especially in the north and east. The surface temperature loop above and to the right reveals the temperature change from 3:00 pm on the 11th to 3:00 pm on the 12th. The chilly temperatures continued on the 13th, with highs recovering only a few degrees from the morning lows. Click here for a view of the minimal rise in temperatures from the morning to the afternoon across the state on the 13th. The combination of the cooler air and the moisture from the storm to the west delivered plenty of rain and snow to the state. The radar loop below shows a sample of the precipitation during the evening of the 12th. While mostly rain was still falling at this time, the rain did change over to snow during the night of the 12th, shifted north, and continued well into the 13th. The table to the right lists some of the higher snowfall totals. For a visible satellite view of the snow cover after the storm, click here. Below and to the right is a different view of the precipitation during the afternoon of the 13th. The precipitation is overlaid onto a visible satellite. Notice the precipitation is in the middle of the deep plume of clouds that extend southwest toward the subtropical region. This is likely the area of deepest moisture within this cloud layer. |
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TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION DATA FOR ALBUQUERQUE - NOVEMBER 2003
Albuquerque daily actual maximum (red bars) and normal maximum (purple line) temperatures - November 2003
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The average maximum temperature in Albuquerque during November 2003 was 56.3o, which was 0.8 degrees below the 30 year normal of 57.1o. The high of 74 on the 1st tied a record high for the date. |
Albuquerque daily actual minimum (blue bars) and normal minimum (purple line) temperatures - November 2003
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The average minimum temperature for November 2003 was 35.2o, which was 3.6 degrees above the normal of 31.6o. The low of 55o on the 1st was a record high minimum temperature for the date. The average temperature for the month was 45.7o which was 1.3 degrees above the normal of 44.4o. The average temperature so far this year is 61.3o, which is the warmest on record, just ahead of 1995, which averaged 61.2o through the first 11 months of that year. |
Albuquerque daily precipitation - November 2003
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There was 0.49 inches of precipitation in November 2003 in the Duke City, compared to the normal of 0.62 inches. Only three days recorded measurable rain, with most of that coming on the 12th when 0.39 inches was measured. There was no snow reported in November at the airport. Total precipitation for the year so far is just 6.24 inches, compared to the normal of 8.98 inches, making the calendar year the 15th driest on record so far, going back to 1931. |
SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NEW MEXICO - NOVEMBER 2003
| There was no severe weather reported across New Mexico in November 2003. |
