Alert archive / New Mexico / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Albuquerque, NM

May 31, 1992Colfax County, New Mexico

NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this flash flood warning at May 31, 1992, 6:36 PM MDT for Colfax County, New Mexico. It was in force for 69 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 1992, 6:36 PM MDT (00:36 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1992, 7:45 PM MDT
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Albuquerque, NM
Area
Whole counties

County Colfax County, NM

The nearest sounding before it

Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 247 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM at 00:00Z on 1992-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 353 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM at 00:00Z on 1992-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
353 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2498 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KABQ 010037
FFWABQ
NMC007-010145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
636 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE...
 
IN NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO
 
   ...COLFAX COUNTY
 
AT 630 PM MDT...A CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED
BY RADAR BETWEEN RATON AND MAXWELL. THE PUBLIC REPORTED VERY
HEAVY RAIN AND VIVID LIGHTING JUST SOUTH OF RATON AS OF 625 PM MDT.
 
THE COMMUNITIES OF RATON...MAXWELL...AND ABBOTT WILL BE AFFECTED
BY THESE STORMS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTH SOUTHEAST AT
15 TO 20 MPH.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADvS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 31, 1:29 PM MDT, 5 hours 7 minutes before
NMZALL-AZZALL-UTZ008-011-COZ003>010-015>017-TXZ050-052-312030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
130 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992

TORNADO WATCTH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM FOR UNION AND EASTERN HARDING
COUNTIES...

AT 130 PM MDT...IN NEW MEXICO...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED
BETWEEN RATON AND SPRINGER...ALSO IN THE SOUTH...TO THE
SOUTHWEST OF SOCORRO.  NO MOVEMENT DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.
Special weather statement, May 31, 2:30 PM MDT, 4 hours 6 minutes before
NMZALL-AZZALL-UTZ008-011-COZ003>010-015>017-TXZ050-052-312130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
230 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992

TORNADO WATCTH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM FOR UNION AND EASTERN HARDING
COUNTIES...

AT 230 PM MDT...IN NEW MEXICO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED
HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS...WERE BETWEEN NAVAJO LAKE AND RATON.
WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN GALLUP...SOCORRO
AND CORONA.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 15 MILES
AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 31, 3:29 PM MDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
NMZALL-AZZALL-UTZ008-011-COZ003>010-015>017-TXZ050-052-312230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
330 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992

TORNADO WATCTH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT FOR UNION AND EASTERN HARDING
COUNTIES...

AT 330 PM MDT...IN NEW MEXICO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED
HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS...WERE OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...ALSO
IN THE VICINITY OF GRANTS...SOCORRO...CORONA AND WEST OF FT. SUMNER.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTH AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

SOUTHERN COLORADO...THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS...WERE
IN THE VICINITY OF ALAMOSA AND PAGOSA SPRINGS.
Special weather statement, May 31, 4:34 PM MDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
NMZALL-AZZALL-UTZ008-011-COZ003>010-015>017-TXZ050-052-312330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
435 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992

TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT FOR UNION AND EASTERN HARDING
COUNTIES...

AT 430 PM MDT...IN NEW MEXICO...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH
HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHEAST...EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
PLAINS. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS NORTH OF FORT SUMNER. ELSEWHERE...WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE OVER THE NORTH
AND WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE
HEAVIEST RAINS WERE SOUTH OF SOCORRO AND JUST EAST OF GRANTS.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

IN SOUTHERN COLORADO...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS....A FEW WITH
HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED NEAR PAGOSA SPRINGS...TRINIDAD AND WALSENBURG.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ARIZONA...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS WERE
OVER THE MOGOLLON RIM AND EAST CENTRAL BASINS BETWEEN FLAGSTAFF...
WINSLOW AND FORT APACHE.

NO MOVEMENT HAD BEEN DETERMINED.
Special weather statement, May 31, 6:36 PM MDT, 0 minutes before
NMZALL-AZZALL-UTZ008-011-COZ003>010-015>017-TXZ050-052-010130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
635 PM MDT SUN MAY 31 1992

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT FOR UNION AND EASTERN
HARDING COUNTIES...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM MDT FOR CURRY...QUAY...
ROOSEVELT...EASTERN CHAVES...EDDY AND LEA COUNTIES...

AT 630 PM MDT...IN NEW MEXICO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH
HEAVY RAIN...CONTINUED OVER THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS...THE
EAST CENTRAL PLAINS...AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL VALLEYS. THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE NORTHEAST OF SPRINGER...NORTHEAST OF FORT SUMNER...AND
NORTH OF TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES. ELSEWHERE...WIDELY SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...MIDDLE RIO
GRANDE AND THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

IN SOUTHERN COLORADO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST THROUGH
SOUTHWESTo OF TRINIDAD.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ARIZONA...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE MOGOLLON RIM
AND THE CENTRAL BASINS BETWEEN PRESCOTT AND SHOW LOW.

MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Albuquerque, NM issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 6:36 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQColfax70 min
May 31, 7:17 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningABQSierra58 min
May 31, 7:17 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQSierra58 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New Mexico, 1992Every flash flood warning in 1992

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.