Deep moisture remained over the eastern plains on the 21st, allowing thunderstorms to form and produce localized areas of heavy rain. A Mesoscale Convective Complex formed late on the 21st over the east central plains and drifted south during the night.
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 remained over the eastern plains on the 21st, allowing thunderstorms to form and produce localized areas of heavy rain. A Mesoscale Convective Complex formed late on the 21st over the east central plains and drifted south during the night. Very heavy rain from slow moving thunderstorms produced significant flash flooding during the early morning of the 22nd around Hagerman.
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 Jul 22, 2:18 AM MST, 4 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 318 AM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 .DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS FOR TODAY WILL REVOLVE AROUND AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF CONVECTION EXTENDING FROM THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS NORTHWARD TO INTERSTATE 40 FROM SANTA ROSA EAST TO THE TX/NM BORDER. SUBSIDENCE IN THE WAKE OF THE SHORTWAVE THAT HELPED TRIGGER THE WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY YESTERDAY HAS AIDED IN IMPROVING CONDITIONS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 25 EARLY THIS MORNING. WE EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH MID MORNING WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING IN MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW AND ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS. WE EXPECT AT LEAST THE TYPICAL ARROYO AND SMALL STREAM/LOW WATER CROSSING TYPE FLOODING CONCERNS THIS MORNING. MODELS STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH QPF THIS MORNING. GFS SHOWING SOME CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ISSUES THIS MORNING AND THE NAM-WRF INITIALIZING PRECIP TOO FAR NORTH. FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IS QUITE CHALLENGING. UPPER RIDGE TO REMAIN NEAR OR JUST WEST OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION TODAY. THIS WILL KEEP A CONTINUATION OF NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT AND ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST. SOME LIMITING FACTORS DO EXIST...NAMELY THE SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE...AMPLE CLOUD COVER AND SATURATED CONDITIONS FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TO THE EASTERN PLAINS. THERE MAY BE A LULL IN THE ACTIVITY OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL LOCALES THIS MORNING FOLLOWED BY A RE-DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON WITH SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. CURRENT ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS INTO THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL KEEP HIGHEST POPS THERE. FLASH FLOOD THREAT TODAY LOOKS MORE LOCALIZED THAN YESTERDAY AND WILL HANDLE LOCALIZED HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HWO. MODELS CONTINUE TRENDS OF BUILDING THE UPPER HIGH FURTHER EAST OVER THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT INTO THE WEEKEND. EXPECT AT LEAST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING CENTRAL AND WEST AS MOISTURE GETS RECYCLED UNDER THE RIDGE. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER EASTERN SECTIONS WILL KEEP CONVECTIVE CHANCES IN PLAY ALOGN WITH PERIODIC BACK-DOOR FRONTAL INTRUSIONS. GFS AND ECMWF STILL INDICATING A SOUTHWARD SHIFT WITH THE HIGH AS A DEEP TROUGH CARVES OUT OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. THIS POTENTIAL CHANGE IS ABOUT ONE WEEK AWAY. IMPORTANT NOTE...EFFECTIVE WEDNESDAY JULY 22ND AT 300 PM MDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE WILL ISSUE PUBLIC FORECASTS AND WARNING PRODUCTS USING NEW ZONE BOUNDARIES. FOR FURTHER DETAILS... PLEASE REFER TO HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/ABQ/ZONES/2009PUBLICZONES.PHP /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/. KW && .AVIATION... BROAD AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS THROUGH LATE MORNING. SCATTERED AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WILL CONTINUE TO SEE MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO LOWERED CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS IN RAINFALL. SOME ISOLATED AREAS WILL SEE BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS UNDER THE STRONGER STORMS. REMNANT CLOUD COVER AND REDEVELOPING SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WILL KEEP SPOTTY AREAS OF MVFR CONDITIONS ONGOING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. LESS SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...THUS TAF SITES WILL BE LESS PRONE TO EXPERIENCE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS. GUSTY OUTFLOWS FROM THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FAVOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AS AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH EXITS TO THE SOUTHEAST. HEALTHY DEWPOINTS AND A LARGE AREA OF WETTING RAINS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT HAVE LET EXCELLENT RH RECOVERY DEVELOP MOST AREAS THIS MORNING. COOL TEMPS WILL CONTINUE IN THE EAST IN POST FRONTAL AND RAIN SOAKED ENVIRONMENT WITH EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER AND POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOPING THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DRIEST AREA WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE NORTHWEST WITH ONLY VERY SPARSE SHOWER/STORM COVERAGE AND MINIMUM HUMIDITIES FALLING TO 15 PERCENT WITH WARMER TEMPS. UPPER LEVEL HIGH WILL RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA THURSDAY WITH DRIER AIR GRADUALLY ENTRAINING INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS. LESS PRECIP COVERAGE IN THE EASTERN PLAINS THURSDAY AS TEMPS REBOUND AND HUMIDITIES TREND DOWN. CENTRAL TO WESTERN MOUNTAINS WILL THEN BE THE FAVORED AREAS FOR ISOALTED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. UPPER HIGH WILL SAG SOUTHWARD SOME BY SATURDAY WITH A BACK DOOR FRONT STILL SLATED TO IMPACT THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS BY LATE SATURDAY. THEREAFTER THE HIGH WILL SHIFT SOUTHWESTWARD AND A STRONGER NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME WILL SET UP. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 94 62 98 63 / 10 20 10 10 GALLUP.......................... 88 55 92 57 / 30 20 20 10 GRANTS.......................... 85 56 90 56 / 40 20 20 20 GLENWOOD........................ 90 61 94 61 / 20 30 30 20 CHAMA........................... 77 50 83 49 / 30 20 30 20 LOS ALAMOS...................... 78 55 88 55 / 30 20 20 20 RED RIVER....................... 71 43 77 43 / 30 30 30 10 TAOS............................ 80 51 87 52 / 30 20 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 80 55 88 58 / 40 20 20 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 83 57 90 59 / 40 20 30 20 ESPANOLA........................ 85 52 94 57 / 40 20 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 86 66 90 69 / 40 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 86 63 92 64 / 40 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 86 63 91 63 / 40 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 89 63 96 66 / 40 20 20 20 SOCORRO......................... 85 67 91 64 / 40 30 20 20 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 80 55 84 54 / 40 30 20 20 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 81 54 88 57 / 50 30 20 20 CARRIZOZO....................... 80 61 88 63 / 50 40 20 10 RUIDOSO......................... 71 55 78 56 / 50 40 30 10 RATON........................... 82 52 90 55 / 30 20 10 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 76 52 85 55 / 50 20 20 10 ROY............................. 75 53 84 62 / 40 20 10 10 CLAYTON......................... 82 61 91 65 / 40 10 10 5 SANTA ROSA...................... 81 61 89 61 / 50 30 10 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 81 62 93 68 / 50 20 10 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 78 62 90 67 / 50 40 20 10 CLOVIS.......................... 77 60 89 65 / 60 40 20 5 PORTALES........................ 78 62 86 67 / 60 40 20 5 ROSWELL......................... 81 65 90 68 / 60 40 20 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 17/52
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 604 AM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 NMZ001>021-026-222100- 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- 604 AM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY RAINFALL FROM A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL WILL IMPACT THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS THIS MORNING. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL INCREASING THE THREAT FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-888-386-7637 TO REPORT FLOODING. KW
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 161 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:58 UTC.
5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Rio Felix was flowing at a depth of ten feet and began to flood the area around Cherokee Road, three miles west of Hagerman.
Water overflowed Walnut Creek about 2 miles south of Lake Arthur, flooding a portion of State Road 2.
Heavy rain caused the normally dry Rio Felix to rise ten feet and flood Morgan road west of Hagerman.
Heavy rain caused the normally dry Rio Felix to rise 10 feet and flood Lincoln road west of Hagerman.
Highway 249 east of Hagerman was closed with damage to the road due to water overflowing the Rio Felix.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, July 2009
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: 173741, 173867, 173886, 173887, 173747.