Hail, Colfax
- When
- May 30, 3:45 PM MST
- Where
- Colfax County, 8 mi N of Raton
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 37.017, -104.433
Tornado and Hail in New Mexico, May 30, 2005
Several intense storms that formed north and northwest of Tucumcari during early evening moved southeast across east central New Mexico to reach Clovis and eastern Roosevelt by late evening. The storms were located mainly over unpopulated and open rangelands and produced extended periods with strong radar signatures of large hail and small tornadoes.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
Several intense storms that formed north and northwest of Tucumcari during early evening moved southeast across east central New Mexico to reach Clovis and eastern Roosevelt by late evening. The storms were located mainly over unpopulated and open rangelands and produced extended periods with strong radar signatures of large hail and small tornadoes. Spotters were able to confirm one tornado in rural southern Harding County north of Logan which destroyed a grove of trees. Large hail reports were received as the storms passed near populated locations.
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 May 30, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 30, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 .DISCUSSION...UPPER LOW TRACKING NORTH OF FOUR CORNERS REGION ATTM. DRIER AIR MOVING INTO NORTHWEST QUARTER ALOFT...AND DEWPOINTS HAVE COME DOWN OVER THAT AREA AS WELL. EXCEPT AT GALLUP WHERE WIND HAS DECREASED LAST HOUR...WIND HAS NOT EXCEEDED THE RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA...THEREFORE WARNING WILL BE CANCELLED. HOWEVER...40S DEWPOINTS STILL ENTRENCHED FROM CATRON COUNTY SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD. CELL MOVING OVER METRO AREA THIS AFTERNOON PRODUCED A BRIEF ROUND OF PEA HAIL AND 0.40 IN RAIN ON ABQ WEST SIDE. PULLED THE ISOLD AREA OF POPS BACK WESTWARD TO THE CONTDVD FOR THIS EVENING...THOUGH MAY BE MOSTLY OVER WITH FROM RIO GRANDE VALLEY WESTWARD BY EARLY EVENING. IN THE EAST...LAPS CAPE VALUES CONTINUE TO CLIMB OVER 2000 J/KG WITH AXIS STRETCHING ACROSS SAN MIGUEL...QUAY...HARDING AND UNION COUNTIES. OTHERWISE...UPPER TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH STATE AND EXITS TO EAST MIDDAY TUESDAY. LOOKS LIKE A WEAK BOUNDARY IS STILL ON TAP TO DROP INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO TUESDAY...BUT DON/T EXPECT MUCH COOLING...MAIN AFFECT MAY BE TO ENHANCE MOIST LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE. WEDNESDAY MAY BE THE MOST QUIET DAY OF THE WEEK WEATHER WISE...AS A SHORT WAVE RIDGE BUILDS. MOISTURE SEEN ADVECTING NORTHEASTWARD IN SATELLITE IMAGERY AHEAD OF UPPER LOW OFF BAJA MAY REMAIN SUPPRESSED UNTIL MIDWEEK BY STRONGER WESTERLIES ASSOCIATED WITH LOW PRESSURE DOMINATING THE NORTHWEST U.S. BOTH NAM/GFS CONTINUE TO SHOW A GOOD SLUG OF AT LEAST HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE CROSSING MUCH OF THE STATE POSSIBLY LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH LATE THURSDAY AS THE BAJA LOW WEAKENS AND BEGINS TO TRACK EAST NORTHEASTWARD. IN ANY EVENT...EXPECT AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN EASTWARD PERSISTING THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AS A TROUGH EXTENDS THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN AND ARIZONA...LIKELY PRODUCING SOME AFTERNOON BREEZY TO WINDINESS AND DRYLINE THUNDERSTORMS IN NEW MEXICO. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 48 81 47 87 / 0 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 41 77 39 84 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 45 78 41 84 / 10 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 48 84 46 90 / 10 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 34 68 33 75 / 20 10 10 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 44 75 42 80 / 20 10 10 10 RED RIVER....................... 35 63 31 69 / 30 30 20 20 TAOS............................ 41 74 37 79 / 20 10 10 10 SANTA FE........................ 45 75 43 80 / 20 10 10 10 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 48 77 45 82 / 20 10 10 10 ESPANOLA........................ 47 80 43 85 / 20 10 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 56 81 56 87 / 10 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 51 83 50 88 / 10 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 53 80 53 85 / 10 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 55 83 55 88 / 10 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 52 85 53 90 / 10 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 48 73 49 79 / 10 10 10 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 46 76 49 83 / 20 10 10 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 54 82 54 87 / 10 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 51 76 52 79 / 20 10 0 10 RATON........................... 44 73 42 78 / 50 30 30 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 45 75 43 80 / 40 30 30 20 ROY............................. 49 74 49 79 / 50 30 30 20 CLAYTON......................... 51 72 50 80 / 60 30 40 20 SANTA ROSA...................... 53 83 52 86 / 40 20 20 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 56 82 55 89 / 50 30 30 20 FORT SUMNER..................... 57 82 55 89 / 40 20 20 20 CLOVIS.......................... 55 83 56 86 / 40 30 20 20 PORTALES........................ 57 84 57 88 / 40 20 20 20 ROSWELL......................... 59 88 58 91 / 30 10 20 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 5:00 AM MST, 10 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ001>021-026-311200- 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- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- 600 AM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT...BUT DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE AS STORMS SHIFT EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS LATE TODAY. HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING WHERE SIGNIFICANT RAIN FELL OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST. IN ADDITION...HIGH WATER FLOWS WILL CONTINUE WITHIN THE RIVERS AND STREAMS OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN INCLUDES THE CABRESTO CREEK AND RED RIVER...WHERE A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES. SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION COULD ALLOW WATERWAYS TO RISE ONCE AGAIN. FINALLY...A FEW DRY THUNDERSTORMS ARE PREDICTED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE TODAY. LIGHTNING STRIKES...IN CONJUNCTION WITH GUSTY WINDS AND VERY LITTLE RAIN COULD SPARK WILDFIRES LATER TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHEAST PART OF NEW MEXICO ON TUESDAY WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. HIGH WATER FLOWS WILL CONTINUE WITHIN THE RIVERS AND STREAMS OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION COULD ALLOW WATERWAYS TO RISE ONCE AGAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR MANY AREAS ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 19
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 30, 1:34 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 234 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ003-009-010-302115- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA... AT 229 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR LOS RANCHOS DE ALBUQUERQUE. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ALAMEDA...NORTH VALLEY... PARADISE HILLS...SANDIA HEIGHTS AND SANDIA PUEBLO. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. 23
Special weather statement, May 30, 1:54 PM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 254 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ005-302145- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO. ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER NORTHERN SAN MIGUEL AND SOUTHERN MORA COUNTIES... AT 248 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATROUS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE SHOEMAKER...WATROUS AND VALMORA. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. 23
Special weather statement, May 30, 2:24 PM MST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 324 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ003-004-302200- SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER THE UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY... AT 321 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR EMBUDO. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE DIXON...PILAR...RINCONADA AND VELARDE. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. 23
Special weather statement, May 30, 2:51 PM MST, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 351 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ005-302230- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER NORTHWESTERN COLFAX COUNTY... AT 342 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 17 MILES NORTHWEST OF RATON CREWS AIRPORT. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE RURAL NORTH CENTRAL COLFAX COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER... PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM WAS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA SOURCES FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES OR WARNINGS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO. 23
Special weather statement, May 30, 3:20 PM MST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 420 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ002-003-302245- NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER EASTERN SANDOVAL AND WESTERN SANTA FE COUNTIES... AT 413 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 5 MILES WEST OF COCHITI PUEBLO. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE COCHITI LAKE...LA BAJADA...LA CIENEGA...PENA BLANCA AND SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. 23
Special weather statement, May 30, 3:38 PM MST, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 438 PM MDT MON MAY 30 2005 NMZ005-012-302330- CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER SOUTHEASTERN MORA AND NORTHEAST SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES... AT 435 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 10 MILES EAST OF MAES. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BELL RANCH. THIS STORM WAS NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER... PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM WAS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA SOURCES FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES OR WARNINGS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO. 23
The radar
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 162 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:44 UTC.
Event by event
9 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, San Miguel
- When
- May 30, 4:25 PM MST to 4:30 PM MST
- Where
- San Miguel County, Conchas Dam
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 35.367, -104.183
Hail, San Miguel
- When
- May 30, 4:30 PM MST
- Where
- San Miguel County, 23 mi NE of Conchas Dam
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 35.600, -103.900
Hail, Harding
- When
- May 30, 5:53 PM MST
- Where
- Harding County, 25 mi SE of Mosquero
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 35.517, -103.650
Tornado, Harding
- When
- May 30, 5:53 PM MST to 6:02 PM MST
- Where
- Harding County, 30 mi SE of Mosquero
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 1 mi
- Path width
- 200 yd
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 35.467, -103.583
Hail, Guadalupe
- When
- May 30, 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- Guadalupe County, Newkirk
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 35.067, -104.267
Hail, Quay
- When
- May 30, 6:55 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Quay County, Quay
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 34.933, -103.750
Hail, Quay
- When
- May 30, 8:13 PM MST
- Where
- Quay County, 10 mi S of San Jon
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 33.950, -103.333
Hail, Curry
- When
- May 30, 11:00 PM MST
- Where
- Curry County, Cannon Afb
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
- Coordinates
- 34.383, -103.317
Hail, Roosevelt
- When
- May 30, 11:15 PM MST
- Where
- Roosevelt County, 5 mi SE of Lingo
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Reported by
- BROADCAST MEDIA
- Coordinates
- 33.733, -103.050
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
- Hail in Texas, May 30, 2005
- Tornado in South Carolina, May 30, 2005
- Hail in New Mexico, May 30, 2005
- Hail and Lightning Strike in Colorado, May 30, 2005
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 30, 2005
- Tornado and Hail in New Mexico, May 30, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New Mexico, May 30, 2005
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Utah, May 30, 2005
- Hail in Vermont, May 30, 2005
- Tornado and Hail in Kansas, May 30, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, May 30, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, May 30, 2005
More
Every storm in New Mexico in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 2005Warnings in New Mexico, May 2005
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: 5446225, 5446234, 5446226, 5446227, 5446233, 5446228, 5446229, 5446230, 5446231, 5446232.