New Mexico, 2002

Drought in New Mexico, September 1 to 30, 2002

September 1 to 30, 2002 · NWS ABQ · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Very dry conditions continued across north and central New Mexico during early September with lingering high fire danger conditions in the national forests and state grasslands, plus continuing concern of unusally low water flows on both the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. Several periods of long awaited soaking rains, however, developed over the region during mid-month.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
22

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.

Very dry conditions continued across north and central New Mexico during early September with lingering high fire danger conditions in the national forests and state grasslands, plus continuing concern of unusally low water flows on both the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers. Several periods of long awaited soaking rains, however, developed over the region during mid-month. Widespread rains from the 9th through about the 12th of September provided from one to four inches over the 3 to 4 day period. A few reports of minor mud and rock slides were reported, but overall the heavy soakings were welcomed without serious incidents.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Aug 31, 2:30 PM MST, 9 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 2:30 PM MST, 9 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
330 PM MDT SAT AUG 31 2002

MOISTURE INCREASE NOTICED OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS AS S-SWLY WINDS
ALOFT HAVE TAKEN OVER. MORE UNSTABLE TODAY AS WELL...ESPECIALLY OVER
THE NE AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. STILL A DOWN DAY FOR THE FAR NORTHWEST
HOWEVER...DESPITE THE MID LEVEL MOISTURE OBSERVED THIS MORNING.
WILL CONTINUE SCATTERED POPS MANY AREAS INTO THE EVENING HOURS.
MODELS SHIFT THE UPPER HIGH CENTER WESTWARD SUNDAY WHICH MAY LEAD TO
A DECREASE IN CONVECTION. LABOR DAY LOOKS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO
SUNDAY.

FOR THE EXTENDED...UPR TROUGH DEVELOPING ALONG WEST COAST SHOULD
ALLOW GUD FLOW OF MOISTURE INTO STATE WED/THU AND PSBLY AS EARLY AS
TUES. AS THE RESULTING BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT MIGRATES A
BIT EASTWARD LATER IN THE COMING WEEK...SOME DRYING MAY OCCUR OVER
THE NW PART OF THE STATE ACCOMPANIED BY AFTERNOON BREEZES. ALSO
DEPICTED...HOWEVER...IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR MOISTURE FROM REMNANTS
OF A TROPICAL SYSTEM TO BECOME ENTRAINED IN SWLYS LATE NEXT WEEK.

ABQ BB 063/089 063/089 064 48212
SAF BB 051/088 050/088 052 48212
TCC BB 064/094 064/094 065 48212

.ABQ...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 31, 8:23 PM MST, 3 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE, NM
923 PM MDT SAT AUG 31 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0810 PM    5 E MOUNT DORA            NM   2.75 INCH HAIL
08/31/02   UNION

0921 PM    8 WNW CLAYTON             NM   .75 INCH HAIL
08/31/02   UNION

0900 PM    CLAYTON                   NM   FLASH FLOOD
08/31/02   UNION                          STREET FLOODING IN CLAYTON

CA

Event by event

22 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Curry

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Curry forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, De Baca

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
De Baca forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Harding

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Quay

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Quay forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Roosevelt

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, September 2002

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: 5320357, 5320358, 5320359, 5320360, 5320361, 5320362, 5320431, 5320432, 5320433, 5320434, 5320435, 5320436, 5320437, 5320438, 5320439, 5320440, 5320441, 5320442, 5320443, 5320444, 5320445, 5320446.