New Mexico, 2004

Tornadoes and Hail in New Mexico, April 8, 2004

April 8, 2004 · NWS ABQ · 11 events in 1 county or zone

An isolated thunderstorm formed over extreme southeast Lincoln County and then moved east through south central Chaves County producing a string of weak tornadoes and then collapsing with a burst of baseball size hail. A series of relatively brief and weak tornadoes were observed as the storm passed from about 24 miles southwest of Roswell to 6 miles south of Roswell.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$40,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 isolated thunderstorm formed over extreme southeast Lincoln County and then moved east through south central Chaves County producing a string of weak tornadoes and then collapsing with a burst of baseball size hail. A series of relatively brief and weak tornadoes were observed as the storm passed from about 24 miles southwest of Roswell to 6 miles south of Roswell. These intermittent tornadoes were located over open range or rural and unpopulated sections of Chaves County, but were observed from long distance by FAA controllers at the Roswell Airport and by Skywarn amateur radio spotters. The storm overturned one mobile home near the Midway community. A witness report conflicted with debris patterns so it was uncertain whether this damage was caused by straight line winds or a dissipating tornado. The occupant had abandoned the mobile home and sought safe shelter elsewhere after hearing one of the earlier tornado warnings.

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 Apr 8, 1:30 PM MST, 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 1:30 PM MST, 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
230 PM MDT THU APR 8 2004

.DISCUSSION...A VIGOROUS UPR LVL STORM SYSTEM LOCATED NEAR THE FOUR
CORNERS REGION WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE. NM MEXICO IS AGAIN
FINDING ITSELF IN A FAIRLY UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTER WITH PIECES OF
ENERGY DROP THROUGH THE STATE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK AND
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PLUNGE THROUGH
THE EASTERN PLAINS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY BRINGING MORE CHANCES OF
RAIN TO THE STATE AND SNOWS TO THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND
NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND GIVEN THE SPEED AND STRENGTH OF THE FRONT HAVE POSTED A SNOW ADV
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT FOR NMZ004-005 ABV 7500 FEET FOR SNOWS OF 3 TO 5
INCHES. THIS MAY HAVE TO BE INCREASED BOTH IN AREAL COVERAGE AND TIME
SPAN. ENTERING INTO NEXT WEEK SHOULD BE A RETURN TO DRY AND WARMER
WEATHER PATTERN.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
FARMINGTON................ 041/063 036/058 031 16221
GALLUP.................... 035/061 030/058 026 16321
GRANTS.................... 036/061 032/058 028 16321
GLENWOOD.................. 042/073 041/064 041 16321
CHAMA..................... 029/051 025/047 020 16323
LOS ALAMOS................ 035/055 032/050 024 16322
RED RIVER................. 028/047 021/037 013 16326
TAOS...................... 032/055 027/048 022 16326
SANTA FE.................. 034/057 032/050 023 16322
SANTA FE AIRPORT.......... 036/061 034/052 026 16322
ESPANOLA.................. 036/062 036/055 028 16322
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS....... 043/065 042/059 035 16321
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY........ 040/066 041/061 035 16321
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS..... 040/061 040/056 032 16321
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA..... 043/066 042/060 034 16321
SOCORRO................... 042/071 042/064 038 16321
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST... 035/059 035/051 026 16322
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA......... 035/063 036/054 028 16522
CARRIZOZO................. 044/072 041/058 034 16322
RUIDOSO................... 042/063 039/049 030 16322
RATON..................... 034/059 032/040 023 16526
LAS VEGAS................. 035/062 033/040 025 16526
ROY....................... 037/062 032/042 025 16523
CLAYTON................... 042/064 034/041 025 16523
SANTA ROSA................ 043/068 041/048 031 16523
TUCUMCARI................. 046/073 045/050 031 16623
FORT SUMNER............... 046/070 043/051 032 16623
CLOVIS.................... 046/073 041/052 030 16623
PORTALES.................. 045/073 041/052 031 16623
ROSWELL................... 047/077 048/055 037 16622
&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SN ADV FRI NGT NMZ004-005.
&&

16
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 7:58 AM MST, 6 hours 16 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED DAY ONE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
858 AM MDT THU APR 8 2004

NMZ001>021-026-091200-
CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-
CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-
CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-
FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY-
HARDING COUNTY-LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY-
LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY-
ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
WESTCENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
858 AM MDT THU APR 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER A LARGE PORTION OF
THE EASTERN PLAINS. THIS INCLUDES PORTIONS OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...MORA...UNION...HARDING...SAN MIGUEL...QUAY...TORRANCE...
GUADALUPE...LINCOLN...DE BACA...CURRY...ROOSEVELT...AND CHAVES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SURGE THROUGH EASTERN NEW MEXICO FRIDAY
NIGHT...RESULTING IN MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES SATURDAY. AT THE SAME
TIME...FORECAST MODELS INDICATE LOW PRESSURE ALOFT WILL DEVELOP OVER
THE STATE. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FEATURES INDICATES SOME
POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWS ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN
AND NORTHEAST DURING THE EASTER WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN
MORA...UNION...HARDING...SAN MIGUEL...QUAY...TORRANCE...GUADALUPE...
LINCOLN...DE BACA...CURRY...ROOSEVELT...AND CHAVES COUNTIES.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 tornado, 3 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 2:14 PM MST to 2:20 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 24 mi SW of Roswell
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
200 yd
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
33.133, -104.817

Funnel Cloud, Chaves

When
April 8, 2:38 PM MST to 2:41 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 22 mi SW of Roswell
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
33.363, -104.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 2:41 PM MST to 2:53 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 20 mi SW of Roswell
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
150 yd
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
33.183, -104.767

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 2:57 PM MST to 3:10 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 14 mi SW of Roswell
Rating
F0
Path length
1 mi
Path width
150 yd
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
33.233, -104.683

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:20 PM MST to 3:25 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 12 mi SW of Roswell
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
200 yd
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
33.267, -104.667

Hail, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:30 PM MST to 3:40 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 4 mi S of Roswell
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
33.333, -104.517

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:33 PM MST to 3:38 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 10 mi S of Roswell
Rating
F0
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
100 yd
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
33.233, -104.517

Hail, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:40 PM MST to 4:10 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 6 mi S of Roswell
Measured
3 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
33.300, -104.517

Tornado, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:42 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 5 mi NW of Dexter
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
33.250, -104.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Chaves

When
April 8, 3:50 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 7 mi S of Roswell
Measured
80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$40,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
33.283, -104.517

Hail, Chaves

When
April 8, 4:35 PM MST
Where
Chaves County, 7 mi NE of Dexter
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
33.267, -104.283

What these are

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.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 2004Warnings in New Mexico, April 2004

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: 5387177, 5387178, 5387179, 5387181, 5387182, 5387180, 5387183, 5387184, 5387186, 5387185, 5387187.