An outflow boundary moving southwest through Tucumcari created wind gusts up to 33 kts at the airport. As the boundary moved southwest across town a local eddy was strong enough to roll a dumpster into a chain link fence at a Tucumcari elementary school and spread the trash across a field.
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.
An outflow boundary moving southwest through Tucumcari created wind gusts up to 33 kts at the airport. As the boundary moved southwest across town a local eddy was strong enough to roll a dumpster into a chain link fence at a Tucumcari elementary school and spread the trash across a field. All debris was blown in one direction.
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 Jun 1, 2:01 PM MST, 4 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 301 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 .DISCUSSION... LATEST SURFACE OBS...RADAR TRENDS...INSTABILITY INDICES...AND WATER VAPOR LOOP TELL MUCH OF THE STORY THIS AFTERNOON. THE CORE OF AN UPPER WAVE IS CHURNING SLOWLY EAST OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS MTS PROVIDING UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT...WHILE AT THE SURFACE AND MID LEVELS MODELS INDICATE STRONG 700-500MB LAPSE RATES NEAR 9C/KM AND LI VALUES AT -1C. SURFACE DEWPOINTS RANGE FROM THE 20S IN THE WEST TO NEAR 45 IN THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. STEERING FLOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER WAVE COUPLED WITH DRY AIR IS FORCING SCATTERED VIRGA SHOWERS ACROSS THE WEST WITH GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. A LINE OF CONVECTION IS DEVELOPING OVER THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS WHERE BETTER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY EXIST. THIS AREA OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A COMPLEX OF STORMS OVER WEST TX AND CONTINUE EAST AS THE UPPER WAVE SHEARS EAST INTO SW KANSAS OVERNIGHT. MUCH OF THE WESTERN HALF WILL THEN CLEAR OUT OVERNIGHT AS DAYTIME HEATING IS LOST. 12Z MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL SLIDE DOWN THE EASTERN PLAINS TUESDAY WITH EVEN BETTER INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE. WNW STEERING FLOW OF 15-20 KTS WITH AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT AT THE SURFACE WILL FAVOR STRONGER CONVECTION ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS CONVECTION WILL HELP PUSH THE BOUNDARY THRU THE CENTRAL MTS TUESDAY NIGHT WITH MODEST GAP WINDS EXPECTED INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. BETTER MOISTURE AND MODEST INSTABILITY BEHIND THE BOUNDARY WILL PROVIDE AN UPTICK IN ACTIVITY ACROSS CENTRAL AREAS WEDNESDAY. 15Z SREF GUIDANCE INDICATES WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THAT THE UPPER LOW CURRENTLY POSITIONED OFF THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE WILL HELP FORCE DECENT SW FLOW ACROSS NM...RETURNING BREEZES AND WARM CONDITIONS BACK OVER THE STATE. THE GEFS ENSEMBLE AGREES AS WELL THROUGH FRIDAY HOWEVER BECOMES MORE INCONSISTENT REGARDING THE TIMING OF THE UPPER LOW SLIDING NORTH OF NM OVER THE WEEKEND. EITHER WAY A WARMING TREND WILL DEVELOP COMPARED TO THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. GUYER && .AVIATION... THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO RECEIVE MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY WOULD BE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WHERE SOME ISOLATED STRONG STORMS HAVE OCCURRED. THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE AT TERMINAL SITE TCC THE NEXT FEW HOURS. HIGHER BASED ACTIVITY... PRODUCING BLOWING DUST AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WILL BE THE NORM ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN AREAS. MAIN FOCUS OF STORMS ON TUESDAY WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. POSSIBILITY OF MVFR CONDITIONS DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT ACROSS THE FAR NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. LOW CIGS AND/OR LOW VIS POSSIBLE. HEDGED THE FORECAST AT TCC TO REFLECT THIS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. 50 && .FIRE WEATHER... DRIER...MAINLY HIGH BASED VIRGA HAS BEEN FOUND ACROSS WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AREAS TODAY. A MIX OF WET AND DRY HAS BEEN FOUND ELSEWHERE WITH THE MAIN FOCUS FOR WETTING RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRY LINE CURRENTLY EXTENDING FROM NEAR CLAYTON TO ROSWELL. MUCH DRIER AIR IS FOUND ON THE WEST SIDE OF THIS DRY LINE WITH GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. THE DRY LINE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH EASTWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON BUT THEN SLOSH BACK ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS TONIGHT. THUS EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAR EAST. EXCELLENT RH RECOVERIES ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS POCKETS OF THE NORTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WHERE OTHER AREAS WILL SEE MODERATE READINGS. LOWEST HUMIDITY RECOVERIES TONIGHT WILL BE FOUND ACROSS ZONE 109 OR THE WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. WINDS WILL ALSO GET LIGHTER SOON AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN THIS EVENING. NO REAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE TO THE FORECAST THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS. DID MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE MID RANGE AND EXTENDED FORECAST. WANTED TO BUMP UP THE AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING WIND FORECAST FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO PROGRESS TOWARDS THE DRIER...WARMER AND WINDIER SCENARIO BY THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. AN UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST IS EXPECTED TO DRAW CLOSER TO NEW MEXICO TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. THIS WOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASED SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND ALSO GENERATE A STRONGER LEE SIDE PRESSURE TROUGH ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. THIS ALL ADDS UP TO INCREASING WINDS LATER IN THE WEEK. THIS WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE STRONGEST OVERALL WINDFLOW WE HAVE HAD SINCE EARLY MAY. IN THE MEANTIME...WEATHER MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH PUNCHING A BACK DOOR FRONT INTO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS STARTING TUESDAY MORNING. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH WEST AND SOUTHWARD DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY AND MOST LIKELY BE ENHANCED BY THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG IT. HIGHER HUMIDITY WILL BE FOUND BEHIND THIS FRONTAL SURGE. THE SURGE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN GAPS TUESDAY NIGHT AND SET UP A NICE BOUNDARY SOMEWHERE NEAR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE ON WEDNESDAY. A MIXTURE OF WET AND DRY STORMS WOULD RESULT ALONG THIS BOUNDARY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. DRIER STORMS WOULD MOST LIKELY BE FOUND BETWEEN THE AZ STATE LINE AND ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. WETTER STORMS ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS EASTWARD. AS MENTIONED BEFORE...A GRADUAL DRYING TREND WOULD COMMENCE ON THURSDAY AS A PACIFIC DRY SLOT TRIES TO INVADE MORE OF THE AREA FROM THE WEST. AS FAR AS CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS...IT APPEARS THAT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY COULD BE POSSIBILITIES. AFFECTING FAR WESTERN AREAS AND LOCATIONS TO THE LEE OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY AND SPREADING ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY. IT DOESNT APPEAR THAT THIS EVENT WOULD BE A 7 TO 9 HOUR EVENT BUT CERTAINLY COULD WARRANT 2 TO 4 HOURS. RECENT PRECIPITATION HAS ALSO BROUGHT A MOSAIC OF GREENUP WHICH COULD MITIGATE SOME OF THE FIRE DANGER POTENTIAL. THE MAIN FLY IN THE OINTMENT...AS FAR AS WINDS ARE CONCERNED WOULD BE HIGHER CIRRUS CLOUDS FLOWING OFF THE PACIFIC. THIS COULD MITIGATE SOME OF THE MIXING. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 52 84 53 85 / 5 10 10 10 GALLUP.......................... 40 80 40 82 / 10 10 5 5 GRANTS.......................... 40 81 40 82 / 10 20 10 20 GLENWOOD........................ 48 88 48 89 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 37 70 37 70 / 30 30 30 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 52 77 52 72 / 20 20 30 30 RED RIVER....................... 36 63 33 66 / 50 50 40 40 TAOS............................ 37 74 37 73 / 30 30 30 30 SANTA FE........................ 43 77 43 76 / 20 20 30 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 46 81 46 79 / 20 20 20 20 ESPANOLA........................ 44 82 44 80 / 20 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 56 84 57 81 / 10 10 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 53 86 58 83 / 10 10 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 50 82 56 80 / 10 10 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 52 85 57 83 / 10 10 20 10 SOCORRO......................... 53 88 55 85 / 5 5 0 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 42 78 42 76 / 20 20 30 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 46 82 46 78 / 20 10 30 20 CARRIZOZO....................... 52 85 52 83 / 0 5 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 46 76 43 73 / 5 10 10 20 RATON........................... 44 69 44 73 / 30 50 30 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 44 73 41 71 / 20 40 30 30 ROY............................. 50 73 45 71 / 20 30 30 20 CLAYTON......................... 54 73 46 72 / 20 30 30 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 51 86 51 78 / 10 30 30 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 54 84 53 78 / 20 20 30 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 53 87 53 80 / 10 20 30 10 CLOVIS.......................... 54 86 54 78 / 20 20 30 10 PORTALES........................ 57 87 57 81 / 20 20 30 10 ROSWELL......................... 57 91 59 84 / 5 5 20 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && GUYER/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 545 AM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 NMZ001>021-026-021200- 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- 545 AM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...A FEW STORMS ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS WILL BE CAPABLE OF STRONG WIND GUSTS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND AT LEAST SMALL HAIL. ELSEWHERE...JUST ABOUT ANY STORM COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY STRONG WIND GUSTS...THOUGH HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE LESS LIKELY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY THE THREAT FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR LOCALES ALONG AND EAST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND SANDIA MOUNTAINS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 43
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 131 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 NMZ007-012000- FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- 131 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER NORTH CENTRAL UNION COUNTY... AT 128 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 22 MILES EAST OF BRANSON. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE AREAS ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 456 AND AREAS OVER RURAL NORTH CENTRAL UNION COUNTY. 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. SHOEMAKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 306 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 NMZ007-012130- FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- 306 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER NORTHEASTERN UNION COUNTY... AT 301 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 13 MILES WEST OF KENTON. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE RURAL NORTHEASTERN UNION COUNTY AND STATE HIGHWAY 456. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. FAST FLOWS INTO WASHES AND ARROYOS NEAR THE DRY CIMARRON RIVER CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM...AND WARNINGS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER WEATHER CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY. STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE WEATHER STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SHOEMAKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 334 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 NMZ006-013-021-012215- CURRY COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- 334 PM MDT MON JUN 1 2009 ...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER EASTERN QUAY COUNTY... AT 332 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NARA VISA TO 11 MILES WEST OF WHEATLAND. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE BELLVIEW...BROADVIEW... FORREST...GLENRIO...GRADY AND LOGAN. THIS INCLUDES PORTIONS OF INTERSTATE 40. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. THESE STORMS WERE NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. SHOEMAKE
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A small dumpster was rolled over into a chain link fence by a local eddy or dust devil on the edge of an outflow boundary. Debris within the dumpster was spread out across the field of an elementary school.
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, June 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: 162842.