Alert archive / New Mexico / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 36, NWS Albuquerque, NM

May 8, 1997Lincoln County, New Mexico

NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 1997, 4:15 PM MDT for Lincoln County, New Mexico. It was in force for 50 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 8, 1997, 4:15 PM MDT (22:15 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 1997, 5:05 PM MDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Albuquerque, NM
Area
Whole counties

County Lincoln County, NM

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 8, 2:30 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 179 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 12:00Z on 1997-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1997-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2529 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
119 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KABQ 082213 RRA
SVRABQ
NMC027-082305-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
415 PM MDT THU MAY 8 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 505 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

   ...EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY
 
AT 415 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
7 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARABELA MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 5-10 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL AFFECT AREAS ALONG STATE ROAD 246 AND IS EXPECTED TO
REMAIN IN OPEN COUNTRY.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK REFUGE FROM THE WEATHER IN A STRONG
BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN... AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY INSIDE AWAY
FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 8, 3:29 PM MDT, 46 minutes before
NMZ001>032-090500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
330 PM MDT THU MAY 8 1997

A MIX OF STRONG STORMS...WINDS...AND COOLER WEATHER FOR NEW MEXICO.

AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF
NEW MEXICO WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDER
STORMS AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES IN FROM THE WEST AND PROVIDES
A FOCUS FOR SUSTAINING THE STORMS INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR MOST
OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
TO THE TEXAS BORDER.  ONLY UNION AND COLFAX COUNTIES IN THE EAST
ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.  LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS AND INTENSE RAIN ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE FROM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.

THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVED SOUTH THROUGH EASTERN NEW MEXICO TODAY AND
DESTABILIZED THE AIRMASS WILL PUSH WESTWARD INTO THE RIO GRANDE
VALLEY BEFORE SUNSET.  THE COMBINATION OF OUTFLOW FROM STORMS IN THE
EAST AND RISING PRESSURES BEHIND THE COLDFRONT WILL RESULT IN STRONG
EAST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.  A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE
AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND FOR THE SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS.
GUSTS ABOVE 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF
THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING THE
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS.

WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT
MOVES FURTHER TO THE WEST.

LATER TONIGHT AS COOLER AIR FILTERS SOUTH AND THUNDERSTORMS WEAKEN...
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS EASTERN AND NORTHERN NEW
MEXICO.  THE SNOW LEVEL IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WILL DROP TO ABOUT
8000 FEET.  HIGH COUNTRY HIKERS AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD BE
AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOW AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000
FEET LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED LATER
THIS EVENING.

MJF/EAP
Special weather statement, May 8, 3:30 PM MDT, 45 minutes before
NMZ001>032-090500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
330 PM MDT THU MAY 8 1997

A MIX OF STRONG STORMS...WINDS...AND COOLER WEATHER FOR NEW MEXICO.

AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF
NEW MEXICO WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDER
STORMS AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES IN FROM THE WEST AND PROVIDES
A FOCUS FOR SUSTAINING THE STORMS INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR MOST
OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
TO THE TEXAS BORDER.  ONLY UNION AND COLFAX COUNTIES IN THE EAST
ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.  LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS AND INTENSE RAIN ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE FROM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.

THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVED SOUTH THROUGH EASTERN NEW MEXICO TODAY AND
DESTABILIZED THE AIRMASS WILL PUSH WESTWARD INTO THE RIO GRANDE
VALLEY BEFORE SUNSET.  THE COMBINATION OF OUTFLOW FROM STORMS IN THE
EAST AND RISING PRESSURES BEHIND THE COLDFRONT WILL RESULT IN STRONG
EAST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.  A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE
AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND FOR THE SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS.
GUSTS ABOVE 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF
THE WEST SLOPES OF THE SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING THE
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS.

WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT
MOVES FURTHER TO THE WEST.

LATER TONIGHT AS COOLER AIR FILTERS SOUTH AND THUNDERSTORMS WEAKEN...
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS EASTERN AND NORTHERN NEW
MEXICO.  THE SNOW LEVEL IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WILL DROP TO ABOUT
8000 FEET.  HIGH COUNTRY HIKERS AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD BE
AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOW AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000
FEET LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED LATER
THIS EVENING.

MJF/EAP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 1:32 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQMora48 min
May 8, 2:20 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQMora, San Miguel65 min
May 8, 3:31 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQSan Miguel59 min
May 8, 3:45 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQTorrance40 min
May 8, 4:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQDe Baca45 min
May 8, 4:55 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQChaves55 min
May 8, 5:38 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQChaves47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New Mexico, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.