Alert archive / New Mexico / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 38, NWS Albuquerque, NM
NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 1997, 5:38 PM MDT for Chaves County, New Mexico. It was in force for 47 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, 5:38 PM MDT (23:38 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1997, 6:25 PM MDT
- In force
- 47 min
- Issued by
- NWS Albuquerque, NM
- Area
- Whole counties
County Chaves County, NM
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2:30 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 264 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1001 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -351 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1689 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 206 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KABQ 082338 RRA SVRABQ NMC005-090025- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 538 PM MDT THU MAY 8 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 625 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO ...NORTHEASTERN CHAVES COUNTY AT 538 PM MDT...A LARGE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR 15 MILES NORTH OF ELKINS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
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, 2 hours 9 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, 2 hours 8 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1:32 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | Mora | 48 min |
| May 8, 2:20 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | Mora, San Miguel | 65 min |
| May 8, 3:31 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | San Miguel | 59 min |
| May 8, 3:45 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | Torrance | 40 min |
| May 8, 4:05 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | De Baca | 45 min |
| May 8, 4:15 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | Lincoln | 50 min |
| May 8, 4:55 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ABQ | Chaves | 55 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.