Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall by mid afternoon across portions of western New Mexico. The heavy rainfall fell so quickly that vehicles were swept away into nearby arroyos due to the high water flow.
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.
Thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall by mid afternoon across portions of western New Mexico. The heavy rainfall fell so quickly that vehicles were swept away into nearby arroyos due to the high water flow. Luckily, no one was injured.
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 Sep 5, 8:21 AM MST, 5 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 921 AM MDT SAT SEP 5 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO REMOVE FOG WORDING AND INCREASE POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST WHERE LATEST SREF APPEARS MORE BULLISH. OTHERWISE... MINOR CHANGES TO SKY AND QPF GRIDS. UPDATES OUT SHORTLY. 34 && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 AM MDT SAT SEP 5 2009... CURRENT CHARTS...SHOWING POORLY DEFINED EASTERN EXTENT OF RIDGE CORE POKING INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO FROM MORE SOLID RIDGE CORE OVER THE TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC. SYSTEM OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA PUSHING FIRST SLUG OF RAIN INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL ROLL INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AS THE WORK WEEK GETS STARTED. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE REMAINING OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTHEAST CORNER OF NEW MEXICO. MODELS...RAGGED CONSENSUS IN LOW FLOW REGIME CONTINUING...WITH DIFFERENCES IN FEATURE PLACEMENT. BROAD STORY CONTINUES NORTHBOUND MOISTURE SEEP INTO NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH RIDGE CORE REMAINING OVER THE TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC...AND GULF OF ALASKA TROUGH DIGGING TO CENTRAL NEVADA. WEAK CONSENSUS BETWEEN GFS AND ECMWF FOR MONDAY DIGGING TROUGH FURTHER SOUTH TO THE WEST COAST OF MEXICO AND ESCORTING ANOTHER ROUND OF MOISTURE NORTHBOUND INTO NEW MEXICO WITH TROUGH LIFTING OUT ON TUESDAY. RIDGE CORE REORGANIZING BY MIDWEEK...WITH ECMWF PLACING CORE IN BROAD BELT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN U.S. AND THEN SADDLING THE FEATURE WITH A TROUGH OVER NEW MEXICO HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. BROAD SUMMARY SUGGESTS CONTINUATION OF CURRENT SHOWERY PATTERN THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK...WITH ANY EASING OF CONVECTION IN THE FIRST HALF BALANCED BY A RETURN TO GREATER CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR THE LAST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...WEAK COOL PUSH OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS MOVING WESTWARD ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TODAY...WITH WINDS MORE SOUTHERLY FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO THE ARIZONA LINE. ANOTHER CONVECTIVELY ACTIVE DAY ON TAP WITH THUNDERSTORMS INITIATING ON WINDWARD SLOPES AND MOVING OFF INTO VALLEYS THROUGH THE EVENING. BEST CAPE AND INSTABILITY OVER THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SECTORS...AND WITH PWATS APPROACHING AN INCH...WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER DAY OF LOCAL FLASH FLOODING IN HEAVIER AND SLOWER MOVING THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES BROADLY NORMAL OR A FEW DEGREES BELOW. FOR SUNDAY...DIGGING PACIFIC NORTHWEST TROUGH WILL PROVIDE DYNAMIC HELP FOR DEEPENING SURFACE LOW OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES...SUFFICIENT TO VEER WINDS TO BROADLY SOUTH AND WEST FOR THE DAY. CONVECTIVE SCENARIO CHANGES LITTLE...WITH INITIATION OVER WINDWARD SLOPES CENTRAL AND WEST...AND STORM MOVEMENT BROADLY TO THE SOUTH. THETA E RIDGE STRUNG OUT FROM CHAMA TO GLENWOOD FOR THE AFTERNOON...WITH PWAT REMAINING SLIGHTLY SHY OF AN INCH. FLOODING CONCERN CONTINUES IN LOCALLY HEAVY AND SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES STARTING TO CREEP ABOVE NORMAL TO THE EAST...AND NEAR NORMAL CENTRAL AND WEST. FOR LABOR DAY...SURFACE TROUGH SETTING UP OVER NEW MEXICO TO MAINTAIN BROAD SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FLOW...AS WHAT PASSES FOR A RIDGE CORE BECOMES ROUGHLY ORGANIZED ALOFT. THETA E FIELDS FLATTER WITH LESS RIDGE DEFINITION. MUCAPE AND LIFTEDS MOST FAVORABLE FOR CONVECTION OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WITH PWAT STILL RUNNING AROUND AN INCH. CONTINUED INITIATION ON WINDWARD SLOPES WITH VERY SLOW MOVEMENT SOUTH AND EAST INTO THE VALLEYS...AND IN AN AREA OF GREATEST MOISTURE CONVERGENCE JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. FOR TUESDAY...SURFACE TROUGH WELL ESTABLISHED OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO TO MAINTAIN BROAD SOUTHWEST FLOW...WITH MOISTURE CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY REMAINING EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. CONTINUED FLAT BUT ELEVATED THETA E FIELD...WITH MUCAPE MAX AND LIFTED INDEX MINS REMAINING OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN ENDS OF THE FORECAST AREA. TUESDAY PWATS CONTINUING AT INCH LEVELS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. CONVECTIVE INITIATION PATTERN CONTINUING...WINDWARD SLOPES AND IN AREAS OF GREATEST MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WITH VERY SLOW MOVEMENT ONCE STARTED. LONGER TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...WEAK COOL FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY TO SHIFT WINDS TO THE EAST...AND PUSH STORM FOCUS TO THE WINDWARD SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. FRONT WILL STALL OUT OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE STATE LATE THURSDAY AS RIDGE CORE ATTEMPTS TO BECOME ORGANIZED OVER NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. RIDGE CORE BECOMING MORE ORGANIZED BY FRIDAY...WITH SURFACE LOW OVER NORTHERN CHIHUAHUA STATE MAINTAINING BROAD SOUTH AND EAST FLOW IN CONTINUING CONVECTIVELY ACTIVE PATTERN. SHY .AVIATION... LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL PERSIST OVER NORTHEAST SECTIONS EARLY THIS MORNING AS A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY GRADUALLY PUSHES WEST. IFR TO OCCASIONALLY LIFR CIGS EXPECTED MAINLY OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS BEFORE MIXING OUT MID-LATE MORNING. CONFIDENCE FOR LOW CLOUDS REACHING KLVS OR KTCC REMAINS LOW AND WILL LEAVE MENTION OUT OF THE TAFS. AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO IGNITE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FAVORING THE WEST/CENTRAL/NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. TAF SITES ACROSS THE WEST AND CENTRAL HAVE THE GREATEST CONFIDENCE OF IMPACT AND WILL CONTINUE TEMPO GROUPS THERE. MAIN THREATS WILL BE GUSTY SFC WINDS OF 30-40 KTS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ACTIVITY TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH LATER TONIGHT BUT STILL COULD SEE A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS LINGER LATE. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. KW .FIRE WEATHER... VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY RECOVERIES THIS MORNING WILL GIVE WAY TO MIXING AND VALUES DECREASING INTO THE 20 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE MOST LOCALES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER VALUES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CYCLED UNDER THE RIDGE WILL AID IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH WETTING RAINFALL FAVORED OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS. WEAK STEERING FLOW TO YIELD POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. HIGHEST LIGHTNING ACTIVITY LEVELS EXPECTED OVER WESTERN SECTIONS WITH VALUES OF 3 EXPECTED. UPPER RIDGE TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND BE REPLACED BY A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. THIS FEATURE WILL PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SUNDAY AND MONDAY ONCE AGAIN FAVORING CENTRAL AND WESTERN LOCALES. EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE STATE INTO THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. UPPER TROUGH TO GRADUALLY TRANSLATE AWAY FROM NEW MEXICO WITH AN UPPER RIDGE RETURNING TO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT BY THE MIDDLE TO LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK. SLIGHTLY DRIER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHWEST BUT TRENDS FOR VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE MAJORITY OF NEW MEXICO THROUGH NEXT WEEK. KW && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS UPDATE... FARMINGTON...................... 83 56 84 55 / 40 40 20 20 DULCE........................... 78 47 79 46 / 40 40 40 30 CUBA............................ 77 47 78 47 / 50 40 50 50 GALLUP.......................... 79 50 79 49 / 50 40 30 30 EL MORRO........................ 76 48 75 47 / 50 50 40 30 GRANTS.......................... 78 49 78 48 / 40 50 30 30 QUEMADO......................... 77 50 77 47 / 40 50 40 30 GLENWOOD........................ 86 58 85 57 / 40 50 30 30 CHAMA........................... 74 43 74 41 / 50 40 50 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 77 54 76 49 / 30 30 40 30 PECOS........................... 78 50 79 48 / 30 30 40 30 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 72 46 76 41 / 30 30 40 30 RED RIVER....................... 68 37 67 40 / 30 30 50 30 ANGEL FIRE...................... 69 38 70 41 / 30 30 50 30 TAOS............................ 76 46 75 45 / 20 30 30 30 ESPANOLA........................ 82 49 82 50 / 30 30 30 30 SANTA FE........................ 79 51 78 49 / 30 30 40 30 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 80 52 79 53 / 20 30 30 30 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 79 57 78 58 / 20 30 30 30 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 82 61 81 62 / 20 40 30 30 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 84 56 83 58 / 20 40 30 30 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 84 56 82 58 / 20 40 30 30 LOS LUNAS....................... 86 56 86 56 / 20 40 30 30 RIO RANCHO...................... 84 57 82 56 / 20 40 30 30 SOCORRO......................... 86 57 85 57 / 20 30 30 40 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 74 46 72 53 / 30 30 40 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 80 50 80 54 / 30 30 30 30 CLINES CORNERS.................. 76 53 79 53 / 30 30 30 30 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 80 54 78 56 / 20 30 30 30 CARRIZOZO....................... 84 53 83 58 / 20 20 20 20 RUIDOSO......................... 76 48 76 53 / 20 20 20 20 CAPULIN......................... 76 48 77 50 / 30 10 20 20 RATON........................... 79 49 80 48 / 30 10 20 30 LAS VEGAS....................... 75 48 76 49 / 30 20 30 30 CLAYTON......................... 81 56 84 57 / 20 10 10 20 ROY............................. 78 54 79 55 / 20 10 20 20 CONCHAS......................... 86 58 84 55 / 20 10 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 84 55 85 56 / 20 10 10 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 86 61 87 61 / 10 10 5 10 CLOVIS.......................... 83 59 85 60 / 10 10 5 10 PORTALES........................ 86 61 87 61 / 10 10 0 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 86 60 87 61 / 10 10 5 10 ROSWELL......................... 87 62 88 63 / 10 10 0 10 PICACHO......................... 83 56 84 58 / 20 10 10 20 ELK............................. 80 49 79 55 / 20 10 20 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 511 AM MDT SAT SEP 5 2009 NMZ501>540-061200- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 511 AM MDT SAT SEP 5 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... THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS...A FEW MINUTES OF SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. DOWNPOURS MAY FILL ARROYOS AND DITCHES AND BLOCK LOW WATER CROSSINGS IN SPOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR SUNDAY AND LABOR DAY...THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE AFTERNOON OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS...A FEW MINUTES OF SMALL HAL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. FOR TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 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 TO REPORT FLASH FLOODING FROM LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. REPORT HAIL SIZES...SIGNIFICANT MEASURED WIND GUSTS OR WIND IMPACTS...AND MEASURED RAINFALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1.888.386.7637. SHY
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 152 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:40 UTC.
5 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A vehicle was washed away in an arroyo near the intersection of Second Canyon Road and Highway N11-49 (also called Navajo Service Route 11).
Four feet of water near the intersection of Mountain View Road and Highway 53 made the road impassible.
Heavy rain caused a vehicle to be washed away in an arroyo. Law enforcement discovered the vehicle unoccupied with keys in the ignition.
Dirt roads were washed away by the heavy rainfall in the Timberlake Ranch subdivision. Giant boulders blocked the roadways, preventing residents from making it home from the main roadway.
Highway 66 was closed for approximately one hour near Western Skies Road due to high water.
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, September 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: 186953, 186954, 186955, 186956, 186957, 187439.