New Mexico, 1998

Tornado and Hail in New Mexico, September 29, 1998

September 29, 1998 · NWS ABQ · 2 events in 1 county or zone

An unusually intense and long-lived thunderstorm developed over southwest Rio Arriba County north of Lindrith and moved northeast to El Vado and then east to Nutrias. The storm formed a mesocyclone just west of El Vado which persisted for nearly an hour producing large hail and intense downdrafts over an distance of 15 to 20 miles.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

An unusually intense and long-lived thunderstorm developed over southwest Rio Arriba County north of Lindrith and moved northeast to El Vado and then east to Nutrias. The storm formed a mesocyclone just west of El Vado which persisted for nearly an hour producing large hail and intense downdrafts over an distance of 15 to 20 miles. Early warning allowed lake officials to clear boaters and many campers from El Vado Reservoir. Recreational vehicles that remained in a camp ground near the dam suffered extensive hail damage to all west facing sides. Several smaller buildings and boat sheds lost sections of roof as the storm passed. Additional severe hail damage to vehicles and homes was reported in Nutrias where officials confirmed west windows blown out or broken by hail in over 50 homes and buildings or practically every structure in the small community. A small tornado may also have developed which destroyed about 1500 hay bales. Hay was scattered all across the small valley and nearby foothills.

The radar

The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 162 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Rio Arriba

When
September 29, 2:05 PM MST to 2:15 PM MST
Where
Rio Arriba County, El Vado
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
36.600, -106.720

Tornado, Rio Arriba

When
September 29, 3:20 PM MST to 3:21 PM MST
Where
Rio Arriba County, Nutrias
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
30 yd
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.580, -106.520

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 1998Warnings in New Mexico, September 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5668812, 5668814.