A human caused grass fire spread quickly in the area southwest of the town of Hagerman. The fire consumed 1000 acres before it was contained.
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.
A human caused grass fire spread quickly in the area southwest of the town of Hagerman. The fire consumed 1000 acres before it was contained.
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 22, 2:00 PM MST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 .DISCUSSION... A BROAD 544H5 UPPER LOW CENTERED IN UTAH...THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE ENTIRE WESTERN UNITED STATES AND NORTHERN MEXICO...IS STALLED THIS AFTERNOON. THE UPPER LOW IS PART OF A LARGE OMEGA BLOCK PATTERN THAT ENCOMPASSES MUCH OF NORTH AMERICA. SUFFICIENT DYNAMICS EXIST WITH THIS SYSTEM...CSI...AND GRAVITY WAVE ENERGY...TO HAVE GENERATED BANDS OF CONVECTION WITH MOSTLY PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL TODAY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PASSED THROUGH ABQ AROUND 130 PM. ALSO... THE ATMOSPHERE ALOFT COOLED SUFFICIENTLY WITH THE BROAD UPPER LOW TO GENERATE SLEET AND SNOW SHOWERS AT ELEVATIONS FROM AROUND 7000 FT AND ABOVE OVER WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO. THE 12 UTC ABQ SOUNDING MEASURED...-18C AT 500 MB...AND A WET BULB ZERO AT 9000 FT. BETWEEN 10 AM AND 11 AM...AS A BAND OF MODERATE CONVECTION AND PRECIPITATION MOVED THROUGH THE ALBUQUERQUE REGION...WE RECEIVED SEVERAL REPORTS FROM SPOTTERS SITUATED AT AROUND 7000 FT OF WET MODERATE SNOW AND SLEET. ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...AS THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY BUILDS AND THE RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN WEAKENS...THE LARGE UPPER LOW WILL RETROGRADE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST ...WEAKENING THE HEIGHT GRADIENT OVER NEW MEXICO...AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIMINISHING UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE WINDS. MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW...NOW OVER NEW MEXICO...RETREATS TO THE NORTHWEST. WARM AIR ADVECTS INTO THE STATE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...RETURNING TEMPERATURES TO CLIMATE NORMALS ON SUNDAY. THEREAFTER...EXPECT A WARMING TREND FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE EAST...AN EXTENSION OF THE BERMUDA HIGH...BRINGING WITH IT AND INCREASE OF HUMIDITIES AND MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. && .AVIATION... SHOWERS AND STORMS PRODUCING SOME MVFR CONDITIONS FOR A SHORT DURATION WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE WESTERN HALF TO THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER CELLS. THIS IS DUE TO THE FAST MOVING NATURE TO THE CELLS. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE SOMEWHAT ACROSS CENTRAL AREAS FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRECIPITATION MOVES TO THE WEST. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT WESTERN AND SOME CENTRAL AREAS THROUGH AT LEAST THE EVENING AS WELL. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL SHIFT SLIGHTLY WESTWARD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS WILL SPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WESTWARD AS WELL. THERE IS ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO CONTINUE WITH A FIRE WEATHER WATCH ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AS WELL AS LOWER AREAS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY SUCH AS PORTIONS OF SOCORRO COUNTY BUT WENT AHEAD AND DROPPED THE ESTANCIA BASIN ZONE. PERHAPS 1 TO 2 HOURS ACROSS THE CHUPADERA MESA AND LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE BASIN. HIGHER HUMIDITY AND COOLER CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN ACROSS AT LEAST THE WESTERN THIRD WITH SPOKES OF INTERMITTENT CLOUDS AND ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION AFFECTING SOME CENTRAL AREAS ON FRIDAY. STILL SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LONG RANGE MODELS ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE WESTERN QUARTER ON SATURDAY BUT SUSPECT THAT CONDITIONS OVERALL WILL DRY OUT. THIS WILL ALLOW CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO SPREAD FURTHER WEST AND PROVIDE A LONGER DURATION EVENT. THUS...HAVE GONE AHEAD AND ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. SUNDAY LOOKS TO BE DRY. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND. DRY LINE THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL NEED TO BE LOOKED AT ON SUNDAY AND LESS LIKELY SATURDAY FOR THE FAR EAST. ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE THE UPPER LOW SETS UP. DRIER...WARMER AND BREEZY TREND FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 43 66 42 72 / 50 30 30 20 GALLUP.......................... 40 61 36 66 / 50 40 30 20 GRANTS.......................... 40 63 36 72 / 40 20 20 10 GLENWOOD........................ 47 74 45 80 / 20 50 10 10 CHAMA........................... 30 58 32 63 / 50 30 30 20 LOS ALAMOS...................... 39 62 38 68 / 30 10 10 5 RED RIVER....................... 30 57 30 61 / 30 10 20 10 TAOS............................ 38 67 37 73 / 30 10 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 42 67 40 72 / 30 10 10 5 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 42 69 42 75 / 30 10 10 5 ESPANOLA........................ 44 73 45 77 / 30 10 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 49 73 50 79 / 30 10 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 45 74 47 81 / 30 10 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 45 73 49 78 / 30 10 10 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 47 80 49 81 / 30 10 10 5 SOCORRO......................... 51 79 49 82 / 20 5 10 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 35 66 38 73 / 30 10 10 5 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 42 69 45 74 / 30 5 5 5 CARRIZOZO....................... 47 81 47 82 / 10 0 5 5 RUIDOSO......................... 45 69 42 74 / 10 0 5 5 RATON........................... 39 70 40 76 / 20 5 10 5 LAS VEGAS....................... 41 67 42 74 / 20 0 5 5 ROY............................. 46 70 48 75 / 10 0 5 5 CLAYTON......................... 49 80 51 85 / 10 0 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 49 80 50 83 / 10 0 5 5 TUCUMCARI....................... 53 85 53 90 / 10 0 5 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 54 82 55 86 / 10 0 5 5 CLOVIS.......................... 53 86 55 89 / 10 0 10 5 PORTALES........................ 54 88 56 89 / 10 0 10 5 ROSWELL......................... 56 89 56 92 / 10 0 5 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ104-106>108. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ005>007-010>013-015>021-026. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ108. && 01/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ001>021-026-231200- 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- 600 AM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY NEAR AND EAST OF A LINE FROM RATON TO THE BOSQUE DEL APACHE WILDLIFE REFUGE. THERE SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL REACH 25 TO 35 MPH WITH SOME GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH. VERY LOW HUMIDITIES WILL COMBINE WITH THE STRONG WINDS CREATING CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE ENTIRE STATE THROUGH AT LEAST THIS EVENING. WIND ADVISORIES AND RED FLAG WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT MUCH OF THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING FOR THESE AREAS. WEST OF THIS AREA WHILE OVERALL WIND SPEEDS WILL BE LOWER...STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL DEVELOP WITH SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL OCCUR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY...WINDS WILL STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH AT TIMES TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...THOUGH FRIDAY THE MOST LIKELY REGION WILL BE THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THIS AREA. BY SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY THE DRY LINE MAY EASE WESTWARD INTO THE EASTERN QUARTER OR THIRD OF THE STATE AND BRING AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME STRONG OR EVEN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THAT PART OF THE STATE. THAT RISK MAY CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ON THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS...BUT THE CHANCE AT THIS TIME IS NOT HIGH. 43
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1217 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ008-009-221845- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- 1217 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO SOUTHEASTERN CIBOLA COUNTY... AT 1215 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 24 MILES SOUTH OF ACOMA PUEBLO. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 32 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE THE ALAMO BAND INDIAN RESERVATION...HIGHWAY 169...RESERVATION ROAD 54...RURAL WEST CENTRAL VALENCIA COUNTY...RURAL SOUTHEASTERN CIBOLA COUNTY...RURAL NORTHWESTERN SOCORRO COUNTY AND RURAL EXTREME NORTHEASTERN CATRON COUNTY. GUYER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 114 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ009-221945- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- 114 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO SOUTH CENTRAL BERNALILLO COUNTY... AT 110 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR LOS LUNAS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 34 MPH. LIGHT HAIL ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BOSQUE FARMS...ISLETA PUEBLO...PAJARITO...PERALTA...ALBUQUERQUE SOUTH VALLEY AND VALENCIA. GUYER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 117 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ008-009-221945- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- 117 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO WESTERN BERNALILLO COUNTY... AT 114 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 19 MILES WEST OF SOUTH VALLEY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 38 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ALAMEDA...DOUBLE EAGLE AIRPORT...PETROGLYPH NATIONAL MONUMENT...LOS RANCHOS DE ALBUQUERQUE...NORTH VALLEY...PARADISE HILLS AND TOHAJIILEE. GUYER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
159 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0152 PM TSTM WND GST RIO RANCHO 35.27N 106.66W
05/22/2008 M63.00 MPH SANDOVAL NM TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GUYERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 311 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ002>004-222145- NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- 311 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING FROM EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN RIO ARRIBA COUNTY INTO SOUTHWESTERN TAOS COUNTY... AT 309 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR VELARDE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 33 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE DIXON...EMBUDO...LA MADERA...LA VILLITA...LYDEN AND PILAR. GUYER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 338 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 NMZ008-009-222215- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- 338 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER EASTERN CIBOLA COUNTY... AT 334 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 10 MILES EAST OF ACOMA PUEBLO. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 41 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BIBO...CEBOLLETA... MESITA...NEW LAGUNA AND PAGUATE. GUYER
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A human caused grass fire just southwest of Hagerman was spread by strong southwest winds and consumed 1000 acres. The wildfire destroyed a vacant mobile home, a camper trailer and 2 sheds.
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, May 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: 89120.