|Isolated flash flooding was observed in McKinley county.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
Deep moisture across New Mexico continued to fuel the development of thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rainfall and flash flooding.|Isolated flash flooding was observed in McKinley county.
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 6, 2:13 PM MST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 313 PM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 .DISCUSSION... AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION...INCLUDING AMONGST OUR NEIGHBORING OFFICES HAVE DECIDED TO HOLD OFF ON A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. WILL GO WITH ANOTHER SPECIAL WX STATEMENT WHICH WILL BE ISSUED BEFORE 4PM. SHORT RANGE MODELS...INCLUDING GFS AND NAM HAVE PRETTY MUCH COME INTO ALIGNMENT WITH HIGHLIGHTING NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST AREAS FOR HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL. PRETTY MUCH CENTERING ON THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY. A FEW THINGS TO WATCH AS THIS SITUATION SETS UP. FIRST...IT IS APPARENT THAT A GREAT BASIN WAVE WILL TRANSLATE AROUND THE UPPER HIGH AS THE HIGH RECENTERS ITSELF OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. BASED ON MODEL ACCOUNTS...THIS WAVE IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS COLORADO AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SECOND...BACK DOOR FRONT CONSIDERATIONS. FRONT IS CURRENTLY DRAPED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE OF WY AND NORTHEAST CO EXTENDING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS FRONT IS DEPICTED TO WASH OUT ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST AREAS OF NEW MEXICO THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THIS WASH OUT WILL BE KEY. DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR...MODELS TEND TO HAVE A HARD TIME IN DEPICTING FRONTAL TRANSLATIONS DOWN THE FRONT RANGE DUE TO MESOSCALE ENHANCEMENTS FROM THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OUTFLOWS. FIGURE THIS WILL BE THE CASE DURING THIS EVENT AS EXPECTING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF CONVECTION ACROSS PORTIONS OF COLORADO TONIGHT AND THIS WILL SERVE TO PUSH THE BOUNDARY FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE MODELS EXPECT. THE ORIENTATION AND PLACEMENT OF THIS BOUNDARY WILL BE KEY...BECAUSE SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND UPSLOPE FLOW WILL DEVELOP ALONG IT. AS OF RIGHT NOW MODELS ARE KEYING ON THE THE CENTRAL MTS...PRIMARILY SANGRES AND ADJACENT PLAINS TO THE EAST. TIMING INCLUDES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LASTLY...WHAT TO DO WITH EDOUARD. IT APPEARS THAT THE MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH SHEARING EDOUARDS MAIN CIRCULATION CENTER BEFORE IT EVER REACHES NEW MEXICO. BASICALLY SHEARING IT INTO A BROAD EASTERLY WAVE THAT GETS TRANSLATED AROUND THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH. THIS WOULD SET UP A VERY NICE DEFORMATION FIELD ABOVE THE FORECAST AREA LATER THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. BASED ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES WITH A DISTINCT DEFORMATION ZONE...COMBINED WITH A HIGH PW ENVIRONMENT...POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THERE FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE AREA. THE OTHER EDOUARD CONSIDERATION WILL BE MOIST LOW LEVEL...SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW FOLLOWING THE UPPER EASTERLY WAVE. THIS WILL AID THE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE MENTIONED ABOVE. THUS...HAVE BEEFED UP POPS AREAWIDE FOR LATER THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. MADE THE PRIME FOCUS...OR HIGHEST POPS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTH CENTRAL MTS INTO THE NORTHEAST AND PORTIONS OF THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. ALSO HIGHLIGHTING SANDIAS AND AREAS ALONG INTERSTATE 40 AS WELL...JUST IN CASE DUE TO UNCERTAINTY WITH FRONTAL ADVANCEMENT. RAISED QPF NUMBERS AS WELL. MANY OF THE ZONES WILL ALSO SEE HEAVY RAIN WORDING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE. BUT...DUE TO PREVIOUS MENTIONED CONSIDERATIONS...JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE COULD SEE THE NORMAL...HEART OF THE MONSOON...HEAVY RAIN THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY. THE WEEKEND APPEARS TO BE WET AS WELL AS MOISTURE TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE UPPER HIGH GETS RECYCLED OUT IN THE FORM OF WETTING THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...CANT POINT TO ANY ONE...DISTINCT FOCUS MECHANISM OTHER THAN RESIDUAL DEFORMATION AND DIURNAL HEATING. AS WITH THIS TIME OF THE YEAR...CONVECTIVE VORTICES ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER HIGH WILL BE A WILDCARD AND ANOTHER FOCUS FOR CONVECTION OVER THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION... ONLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED IN THE EASTERN PLAINS FROM LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE MAJORITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN ACTIVE THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WEST OF A RATON TO CARRIZOZO TO RESERVE LINE. KLVS OR KSAF COULD SEE MVFR CONDITIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS BEFORE SUNSET WEDNESDAY BUT KGUP IS THE MOST LIKELY SPOT FOR MVFR...OR BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS...DUE TO A THUNDERSTORM THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE FORESEEN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BE OF THE WET VARIETY...MAINLY DUE TO THE NORMALLY HIGH SUMMER HUMIDITY LEVELS. ALSO...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND CAPABLE OF GENERATING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. THE MOISTURE REMNANTS OF WHAT HAD BEEN TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD AND A WEAK BACK DOOR WIND SHIFT/COLD FRONT HEADED FOR NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO COULD COMBINE TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AND EAST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS FROM LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS THIS WEEKEND COULD LEAD TO FEWER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND OUR AREA FOR SUNDAY AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 63 89 65 90 / 30 20 40 20 GALLUP.......................... 55 85 57 83 / 50 30 30 20 GRANTS.......................... 56 87 56 82 / 30 40 40 20 GLENWOOD........................ 60 90 61 91 / 20 20 30 30 CHAMA........................... 47 78 48 79 / 60 30 40 50 LOS ALAMOS...................... 58 79 57 77 / 30 20 30 30 RED RIVER....................... 45 69 44 69 / 60 70 70 60 TAOS............................ 54 80 53 78 / 30 30 40 40 SANTA FE........................ 57 82 56 79 / 20 20 30 40 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 59 85 58 81 / 20 20 20 30 ESPANOLA........................ 57 88 56 84 / 30 20 30 30 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 67 89 66 85 / 20 20 20 30 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 64 89 65 87 / 20 20 20 30 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 62 85 61 84 / 20 20 20 30 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 63 89 63 89 / 20 20 20 30 SOCORRO......................... 63 92 63 88 / 20 20 10 30 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 54 78 51 77 / 20 30 30 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 55 82 55 80 / 30 30 40 60 CARRIZOZO....................... 60 86 60 85 / 30 20 20 50 RUIDOSO......................... 56 78 53 75 / 20 30 20 50 RATON........................... 59 75 53 75 / 50 80 80 60 LAS VEGAS....................... 55 77 53 73 / 20 50 70 60 ROY............................. 60 77 57 74 / 20 30 70 70 CLAYTON......................... 63 76 58 75 / 30 60 80 70 SANTA ROSA...................... 61 86 60 80 / 10 20 30 30 TUCUMCARI....................... 67 87 63 82 / 20 20 50 70 FORT SUMNER..................... 66 87 64 82 / 10 20 20 30 CLOVIS.......................... 65 88 64 83 / 20 20 30 40 PORTALES........................ 65 89 65 83 / 20 20 20 40 ROSWELL......................... 68 94 67 88 / 10 10 10 30 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 50/07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 517 AM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 NMZ001>021-026-071200- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-HARDING COUNTY-FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY- CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY- CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY- 517 AM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE LOCAL FLASH FLOODING THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. FLASH FLOODING IS MOST LIKELY ALONG...WEST...AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. SOME HEAVIER SHOWERS WITH DOWNPOURS AND LOCAL FLASH FLOODING WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING OVER THE NORTHEAST AND EASTERN PLAINS MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING THURSDAY...WITH THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT EXPANDING TO WESTERN NEW MEXICO ON FRIDAY. HEAVY RAIN OVER SATURATED SOIL WILL RUN OFF RAPIDLY INTO SMALL STREAMS AND TRIBUTARIES AND CAUSE RAPID RISES OF WATER LEVELS. THOSE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD PLAN FOR POSSIBLE MOVES TO SAFETY SHOULD FLOODWATERS THREATEN. FOR SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...CONTINUING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY ALONG WITH RAPID RAINFALL RUNOFF FROM SATURATED SOIL WILL MAINTAIN A WIDESPREAD THREAT OF LOCAL FLASH FLOODING ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. EXPECT DAILY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BY EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING INTO EACH EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO REPORT FLASH FLOODING...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...MEASURED GUSTY WIND SPEEDS...AND MEASURED RAINFALL AMOUNTS EACH DAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SHY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 337 PM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 NMZ001>021-026-071100- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-HARDING COUNTY-FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY- CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY- CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FARMINGTON...CHAMA/LOS ALAMOS... ESPANOLA...RED RIVER/TAOS/SANTA FE...LAS VEGAS/RATON...ROY... CLAYTON...GALLUP/GRANTS...ALBUQUERQUE...SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST... MORIARTY/ESTANCIA...SANTA ROSA...TUCUMCARI...GLENWOOD...SOCORRO... CARRIZOZO...RUIDOSO...FORT SUMNER...ROSWELL...PORTALES...CLOVIS 337 PM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 ...HEAVY RAIN FOCUS REMAINS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY... VARIOUS WEATHER INGREDIENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LINE UP OVER THE STATE LATER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN. THE MAIN FOCUS FOR A LONGER DURATION...HEAVY RAIN EVENT WILL BE FOUND ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. THIS INCLUDES THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAIN RANGE EASTWARD TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE AS WELL AS THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR FROM EDGEWOOD TO TUCUMCARI AND NORTHWARD TO THE COLORADO STATE LINE. THIS IS THE MAIN FOCUS AREA FOR WHICH A LONGER DURATION...FLASH FLOOD EVENT COULD OCCUR. WITH THAT BEING SAID...OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE COULD RECEIVE HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THIS WOULD BE MORE OF A TYPICAL RESULT FOR THE SUMMER THUNDERSTORM SEASON AS THE DURATION OF THE HEAVY RAIN WOULD BE A SHORTER AND THE FOOTPRINT OF THE HEAVY RAIN WOULD BE SMALLER THAN WHAT COULD OCCUR ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE. AT THIS TIME IT IS STILL UNCLEAR WHETHER FORMER TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD PROVIDES ANY DIRECT AFFECT TO NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. IT IS ANTICIPATED HOWEVER...THAT INDIRECT AFFECTS FROM EDOUARD WILL OCCUR AND HELP PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH YOUR PREFERRED WEATHER INFORMATION SOURCE FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING HEAVY RAINFALL AND INCREASED FLASH FLOODING RISK. 50
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 407 PM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 NMZ018-020-021-062230- CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY- 407 PM MDT WED AUG 6 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER CURRY COUNTY... AT 406 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF MELROSE. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. A STRONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WILL QUICKLY SWITCH WINDS AROUND TO THE NORTH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE CANNON AFB...FLOYD... PORTAIR...RANCHVALE AND SAINT VRAIN. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE ROADWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THIS STORM WAS NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER... PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. 34
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:28 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 53 was closed in both directions between mile markers 35 and 36. Water was up to one foot deep.
U.S. highway 491 was closed at mile marker 16 due to high water.
Flooding occurred along highway 491 at the junction of Navajo route 34 near Little Water. Vehicles were unable to pass through the area between 1000 pm and 1200 am. One vehicle was stuck and had to be pulled out.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2008
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: 111824, 111825, 111826.