Alert archive / New Mexico / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Albuquerque, NM

April 10, 2012

NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this special weather statement at Apr 10, 2012, 3:29 PM MDT. It was in force for 31 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 10, 2012, 3:29 PM MDT (21:29 UTC)
Expired
Apr 10, 2012, 4:00 PM MDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Albuquerque, NM

The radar

The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:31 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 2012-04-10Temperature 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 2012-04-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 72 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
2256 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 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.

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What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Apr 10, 2:49 PM MDT, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 2:49 PM MDT, 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
249 PM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

.DISCUSSION...
NOT A LOT OF CHANGES MADE TO THE GRIDDED FORECAST. ALTHOUGH EXPECT
THE DRYLINE TO INITIATE STORMS FURTHER WEST THAN EXPECTED SO
ADJUSTED THE SEVERE WORDING ACCORDINGLY FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. STILL LOOKS LIKE A SOLID EVENT. STILL WOULD NEED TO
HAVE A SHARPER DEWPOINT LINE FOR MORE POTENTIAL BUT AS OF THIS
TIME...ALL OF THE OTHER INGREDIENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE
SUCH AS DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED SHEAR. DID DECIDE TO ADD SEVERE
WORDING FOR THIS EVENING ACROSS THE EAST ALTHOUGH EXPECT MORE
ISOLATED POTENTIAL.

DECIDED TO ADD SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS
THE FAR NORTHWEST AS THE INITIAL PACIFIC DIVES INTO THE ROCKIES.
MODELS HAVE BEEN SHOWING THIS UPSLOPE PRECIPITATION AREA THE PAST
3 DAYS.

COULD SEE SOME WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE FAR WEST
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BUT NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO ISSUE A 2ND
PERIOD ADVISORY. WIND SPEEDS WERE INCREASED ACROSS SOME AREAS FOR
WEDNESDAY. ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS COULD BE SEEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF
THE EAST ON THURSDAY BUT SUSPECT THAT STRONGEST WIND DAY ACROSS
THE EAST WILL BE FRIDAY.

STILL EXPECTING A SECONDARY PIECE OF ENERGY TO DIVE INTO THE
PARENT PACIFIC TROUGH DURING THE WEEKEND AND CREATE UNSETTLED
WEATHER OVER THE STATE. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO VARY ON THEIR
SOLUTION OF THIS SYSTEM RUN TO RUN. THUS CONFIDENCE REMAINS FAIRLY
LOW AT THIS TIME. THE LATEST GFS IS A BIT MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH
TAKING THE CLOSED LOW OUT OF THE STATE SUNDAY NIGHT. ECMWF IS ALSO
SHOWING THIS AND THE ECMWF AS A WHOLE HAS BEEN A BIT MORE PROGRESSIVE
WITH THIS SYSTEM THAN THE GFS. EITHER WAY...SOME PRECIPITATION
WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE WEEKEND BUT UNSURE WHERE THE HEAVIEST
WILL OCCUR. ONE THING THAT IS MORE CERTAIN IS THAT THERE WOULD BE
A BUNCH OF CLOUD COVER DURING THE AFTERNOON AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

50

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO PREVAIL AT TERMINALS THROUGH THE NEXT
24H WITH TWO POSSIBLE EXCEPTIONS. LOW STRATUS AND/OR FOG IS POSSIBLE
AT BOTH KROW AND KTCC EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT CONFIDENCE IS
TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IN TAFS. IN ADDITION...BRIEF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS ARE
POSSIBLE AT KABQ...KSAF... KLVS...KTCC...AND KROW IN SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 22 AND 02Z THIS EVENING. CONFIDENCE IS TO LOW
TO INCLUDE THIS AS PREVAILING...WITH SHRA/TS FAVORING THE MOUNTAINS
THIS AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY MOVING EAST NEAR THE MENTIONED
TERMINALS THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION TO POSSIBLE MVFR CONDITIONS WITH
SHRA/TS...WIND GUSTS TO BETWEEN 35-45 MPH AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING
ARE POSSIBLE.

NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. 11

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
..EXTENDED PERIOD OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY...

ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INITIATED OVER THE HIGHER
TERRAIN TODAY AND WILL GENERALLY MOVE OFF TO THE EAST OVER ADJACENT
HIGHLANDS/VALLEYS WITH SPOTTY WETTING RAINS. AS OF 3 PM...LIGHTNING
HAS BEEN LIMITED...BUT WOULD BE MORE CONCERNING ACROSS THE WESTERN
HIGH TERRAIN WHERE WETTING RAINS ARE NOT EXPECTED AND WHERE A RED
FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT ON WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST WEDNESDAY...MAINLY EAST OF THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS. LIGHTNING WILL TREND UP OUT EAST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS DEEPER CONVECTION IS EXPECTED ALONG/EAST OF THE DRY LINE.
HOWEVER...WETTING RAINS ARE FORECAST TO ACCOMPANY THOSE STORMS.

VENTILATION WILL TREND UP WEDENSDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS
SHIFTS EAST AND THE PACIFIC DRY SLOT OVERTAKES WESTERN AREAS.  THE
RED FLAG WARNING FOR WEDNESDAY HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ZONE
106...WHICH IS FORECAST TO EXCEED CRITICAL THRESHOLDS LATE (4-8PM)
AS THE CLOUD SHIELD SHIFTS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND LATE
DAY MIXING IS MAXIMIZED.

OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES WILL TREND DOWN WEDNESDAY NIGHT COMPARED TO
TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE PACIFIC DRY SLOT PROGRESSES EAST. MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL TREND DOWN THURSDAY ACROSS THE EAST AS THE
DRY LINE EXITS AND STAYS EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE FIRE WEATHER
WATCH IN PLACE FOR THURSDAY STILL LOOKS ON TRACK AND WILL NOT MAKE
CHANGES AT THIS TIME.

FRIDAY IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE THE WINDIEST OF THE FORECAST
PERIOD...BUT THE PACIFIC DRY SLOT WILL BE SHIFTING SOUTH AND
EAST...WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR SLIGHTLY HIGHER MINIMUM RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST. DECIDED TO GO WITH A HIGH
CONFIDENCE WATCH FOR FRIDAY FOR ZONES 103...104...106-108. THE WATCH
WILL START EARLY AND END AT 9 PM...BUT THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO EXTEND BEYOND 9 PM ACROSS ZONES
107 AND 108.

WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY WITH THE APPROACH OF
THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
FORECAST TO PERSIST ACROSS THE EAST...MAINLY ZONE 108.

BEYOND SATURDAY...12Z CYCLE OF THE MEDIUM RANGE MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE
LESS BULLISH ON A WETTING EVENT FOR SUNDAY/MONDAY ASSOCIATED WITH
THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER LOW...WHICH NOW MAINLY FAVORS THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS. MODERATE CONFIDENCE ON A RELATIVE COOL-DOWN WITH AN
UPTREND IN RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND LESS WIND SUNDAY/MONDAY.

11

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
FARMINGTON......................  46  78  42  63 /   0   0   0   0
DULCE...........................  35  74  32  61 /  10   5   0   5
CUBA............................  43  77  38  63 /   5   5   0   0
GALLUP..........................  36  72  37  60 /   0   0   0   0
EL MORRO........................  35  69  34  57 /  10   0   0   0
GRANTS..........................  37  75  36  61 /   0   0   0   0
QUEMADO.........................  42  72  38  61 /   0   0   0   0
GLENWOOD........................  45  77  40  68 /   0   0   0   0
CHAMA...........................  38  70  38  56 /  20  10   5   5
LOS ALAMOS......................  55  73  48  62 /  10   5   0   0
PECOS...........................  48  71  45  62 /  20  10   0   0
CERRO/QUESTA....................  39  72  37  62 /  20  10   5   0
RED RIVER.......................  38  60  38  52 /  30  20   5   0
ANGEL FIRE......................  35  62  35  55 /  30  20   5   0
TAOS............................  42  73  37  62 /  20  10   0   0
MORA............................  42  67  41  62 /  20  20   0   0
ESPANOLA........................  41  81  38  70 /   5   5   0   0
SANTA FE........................  49  72  46  62 /  10   5   0   0
SANTA FE AIRPORT................  46  77  43  66 /   5   5   0   0
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS...........  53  79  51  68 /   5   5   0   0
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS.............  55  80  51  69 /   5   5   0   0
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY..............  52  82  48  71 /   5   0   0   0
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA...........  49  81  48  70 /   5   0   0   0
LOS LUNAS.......................  48  82  46  72 /   5   0   0   0
RIO RANCHO......................  49  80  48  69 /   5   0   0   0
SOCORRO.........................  52  85  49  77 /   5   5   0   0
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST.........  44  78  42  67 /  10   5   0   0
TIJERAS.........................  48  81  44  70 /  10   5   0   0
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA...............  47  76  43  65 /  10  10   0   0
CLINES CORNERS..................  47  74  43  64 /  20  20   0   0
GRAN QUIVIRA....................  50  77  45  68 /  10  10   0   0
CARRIZOZO.......................  44  81  42  72 /  10  10   0   0
RUIDOSO.........................  46  73  47  64 /  20  10   0   0
CAPULIN.........................  48  67  48  66 /  40  50  20   0
RATON...........................  45  74  43  72 /  30  40  20   0
SPRINGER........................  44  74  42  70 /  30  30  10   0
LAS VEGAS.......................  45  71  43  66 /  20  30   0   0
CLAYTON.........................  52  70  51  75 /  50  60  30   0
ROY.............................  48  70  48  70 /  30  40  20   0
CONCHAS.........................  53  78  51  77 /  30  40  20   0
SANTA ROSA......................  52  80  49  76 /  20  30  10   0
TUCUMCARI.......................  59  80  57  82 /  40  50  30   0
CLOVIS..........................  56  77  54  79 /  50  60  30   0
PORTALES........................  57  79  55  81 /  50  60  30   0
FORT SUMNER.....................  54  84  51  85 /  30  30  20   0
ROSWELL.........................  57  87  54  85 /  30  30  10   0
PICACHO.........................  50  83  50  79 /  20  20   5   0
ELK.............................  48  79  49  73 /  20  20   5   0

&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 2 PM TO 8 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES...NMZ101-105-106-109.

FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101>109.

FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103-104-106>108.

&&

50/11
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 6:00 AM MDT, 9 hours 29 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
600 AM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

NMZ501>540-111200-
ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-
CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-
EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY-
JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-
NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY-
RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA-
SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY-
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
600 AM MDT TUE APR 10 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL
NEW MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM CAPULIN...TO TUCUMCARI...TO ELIDA THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO ARE
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM RATON...TO FORT SUMNER...TO ELKINS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO ARE
POSSIBLE.

ADDITIONALLY...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON
WEDNESDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEW MEXICO DUE TO STRONG
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL
RETURN THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN
PLAINS.

WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...
WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR
FAR EASTERN NEW MEXICO DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

34

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 10, 3:29 PM MDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 9, 6:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningABQRoosevelt47 min
Apr 10, 7:26 AM MDTFire Weather WatchABQBernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Harding, McKinley, Rio Arriba and 6 more31 hr
Apr 10, 7:26 AM MDTRed Flag WarningABQBernalillo, Catron, Cibola, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Sandoval and 3 more37 hr
Apr 10, 3:20 PM MDTFire Weather WatchABQBernalillo, Harding, Sandoval, San Miguel, Socorro, Union and 1 more47 hr

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in New Mexico, 2012Every special weather statement in 2012

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.