Deep monsoon moisture produced thunderstorms with heavy rain over much of New Mexico. A couple of storms dumped heavy rain over the Magdalena Observatory and the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, resulting in the dirt road leading to the facilities being washed out.
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 monsoon moisture produced thunderstorms with heavy rain over much of New Mexico. A couple of storms dumped heavy rain over the Magdalena Observatory and the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, resulting in the dirt road leading to the facilities being washed out. Meanwhile outflow boundaries over Quay County produced strong wind gusts and wind damage around Logan and Nara Visa.
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 23, 10:35 AM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1135 AM MDT FRI JUL 23 2010 .UPDATE... PWAT VALUES NEAR +2 STANDARD DEVIATION COMBINED WITH WEAK STEERING FLOW AND ENERGETIC WAVE OVER EASTERN AZ WILL ALLOW NMRS SHOWERS AND STORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT ACROSS WESTERN NM. ISSUED FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN VCNTY OF CENTRAL MT CHAIN WEST TO THE AZ BORDER. LOCALIZED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS POSSIBLE FOR THIS AREA AS ALREADY INDICATED BY 1730Z RADAR. GRIDS UPDATED TO INCLUDE HEAVY RAINFALL WORDING IN WATCH AREA. THIS WATCH GOES THROUGH 11Z TONIGHT WITH POSSIBLE EXPANSION IN THE NE CORNER OF THE STATE FOR THE WEEKEND. GUYER && .PREV DISCUSSION...313 AM MDT FRI JUL 23 2010... MODELS ARE PICKING UP ON A MESOSCALE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION OVER EASTERN AZ THIS MORNING...WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN TRACKING AS IT HAS SLOWLY DRIFTED TOWARD THE NNW OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS. THIS CIRCULATION HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INSTABILITY WITHIN A SURGE OF MONSOON MOISTURE...AND IT HAS HELPED TRIGGER NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TODAY THE FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT NORTH NORTHEASTWARD AND GRADUALLY CROSS THE NM BORDER NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS. THE SURGE OF MOISTURE WILL STRENGTHEN IN SOUTHERLY FLOW EAST OF THE CIRCULATION...WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND/OR EVENING ACROSS NEW MEXICOS HIGH TERRAIN AND AT LOWER ELEVATIONS FROM AROUND GLENWOOD TO AROUND CHAMA. TONIGHT...MODELS ARE DEPICTING THE BEST SHOT OF PRECIPITATION THAT ALBUQUERQUE HAS SEEN SO FAR THIS MONTH AS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM CONVECTION OVER THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS COLLIDE IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE CIRCULATION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE THE SHAPE OF A WEAK UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AS IT MEANDERS SLOWLY EASTWARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE NM/CO BORDER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. MODELS DISAGREE ON JUST HOW COHERENT THIS LOW WILL BECOME...AND THE TRACK IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN. AS THE FEATURE CROSSES THE ROCKIES AND ONTO THE PLAINS IT MAY HELP DRIVE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT INTO NM FROM THE NORTH NORTHEAST. THIS FRONT WOULD THEN HELP TRIGGER NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING FROM THE SANGRES AND SANDIAS EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40 TO THE TX/OK BORDER. THE NAM IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH DRIVING THE FRONT INTO NM THAN THE GFS. GIVEN THE VARIABILITY IN THE MODEL FORECASTS...WE DECIDED NOT TO ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH JUST YET. WILL CONTINUE THE SPS HIGHLIGHTING THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING AND LOOK FOR A STRONGER MODEL TREND ON THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW AND COLD FRONT. ELSEWHERE ACROSS NM SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND...EXCEPT FOR PERIODS OF ONLY ISOLATED ACTIVITY ACROSS THE SE PLAINS. MODELS DEPICT A 500 MB HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDING OVER THE FOUR CORNERS MONDAY...THEN TACKING SLOWLY EASTWARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE CO BORDER TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DEEPENS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. THIS WILL CAUSE A NOTICEABLE DOWNTICK IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT MAY LAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK IF THE UPPER HIGH STALLS NEAR NE NM AS THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE PROJECTING. HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM A FEW TO AS MUCH AS 12 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WHILE READINGS IN THE EAST RANGE FROM NEAR NORMAL TO AS MUCH AS 7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE COLD FRONT AND ABUNDANT CLOUDS/PRECIP THIS WEEKEND WILL RESULT IN READINGS 3 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AREAWIDE. NEXT WEEK TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND BETWEEN 2 AND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AS THE HIGH MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE. 44 .AVIATION... BENIGN WEATHER PREVAILS ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME MT TOP OBSCURATIONS IN THE NRN/WRN MTS WHERE ISOLD SHOWERS/STORMS PERSIST. EXPECT THE COVERAGE OF PCPN TO EXPAND RAPIDLY LATE THIS MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON AND LINGER THRU MUCH OF THE EVENING HOURS. STRONGER/MORE PERSISTENT STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND MVFR VIS/CIGS. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL IMPACT THE KGUP/KABQ/KSAF TAF SITES...ALTHOUGH KFMN AND KLVS COULD ALSO EXPERIENCE THESE CONDITIONS. HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS MAY CREATE MTN OBSCURATIONS. THE COVERAGE OF STORMS WILL BE THE LEAST OVER THE FAR EC/SE PLAINS OF NM. CB IN TAF WITHOUT VCTS/TS MENTION INDICATES LOW PROBABILITIES OF STORM ACTIVITY. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. DPORTER .FIRE WEATHER... MONSOONAL BURST OF MOISTURE COUPLED WITH UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WITHIN THE WRN PERIPHERY OF AN UPPER HIGH WILL IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND...PARTICULARLY OVER THE WEST TODAY...THEN SHIFTING TO NE QUADRANT OF NM FOR SAT/SUN. THIS WILL TRANSLATE TO HIGHER HUMIDITIES AND AN ENHANCED THREAT FOR WETTING PRECIPITATION. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS MIGRATING THROUGH SOUTHWEST AZ THIS MORNING PER WATER VAPOR LOOP. THIS FEATURE EMBEDDED IN THE MONSOON FLOW WILL PROVIDE A GOOD FOCUS FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE REGION DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS IT SLOWLY MIGRATES EAST... GENERALLY BETWEEN TWO HIGH PRESSURE CENTERS. THE BEST CHANCES FOR PCPN TODAY WILL OCCUR FROM THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN WRN NM TO THE NRN MOUNTAINS. IT ALSO APPEARS THE COVERAGE OF STORMS WILL INCREASE WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED IN THE FAR EC/SE PLAINS. BY SATURDAY...THE UPR LEVEL WAVE IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT INTO NRN NM AND EVENTUALLY INTO NE NM BY LATE ON SUNDAY. THE SLOW NATURE OF THIS WAVE COUPLED WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT IN THE NE PLAINS WILL LIKELY PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THE NC TO EC PORTIONS OF THE STATE. EXPECT THE DIURNAL TEMP RANGE TO BE RETARDED IN THE WEST TODAY...EXPANDING TO THE CENTRAL/ERN ZONES BY THE WEEKEND COMPLIMENTS OF THICKER CLOUDS/ PCPN CHANCES. HAINES VALUES WILL BE VERY LOW THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY PRESS AGAINST THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN SAT NIGHT...OFFERING A MODERATE GAP WIND WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE AFOREMENTIONED IMPLIED UPPER HIGH TO THE WEST ON SUNDAY SHOULD MIGRATE EAST OVER NM THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. THIS IS A SHIFT IN THE MODEL CONSENSUS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS...AND WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED. IF THIS SCENARIO DEVELOPS...THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITH RECYCLE MODE IN PLACE. WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AVAILABLE...CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED BUT THE FOOTPRINT FOR WETTING RAINFALL MAY BE REDUCED. ADDITIONALLY...DAYTIME HUMIDITIES COULD APPROACH THE TEENS AND 20S WITH MODEST RECOVERIES FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIODS. DPORTER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS UPDATE... FARMINGTON...................... 85 64 85 64 / 30 60 40 40 DULCE........................... 84 55 82 54 / 40 80 50 40 CUBA............................ 83 57 83 57 / 60 80 50 50 GALLUP.......................... 76 60 81 58 / 60 70 50 40 EL MORRO........................ 74 56 78 56 / 60 80 60 40 GRANTS.......................... 79 57 80 59 / 70 80 50 50 QUEMADO......................... 77 55 79 56 / 70 70 60 40 GLENWOOD........................ 86 60 86 60 / 70 60 50 30 CHAMA........................... 78 51 76 51 / 60 80 60 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 80 59 78 60 / 50 70 50 50 PECOS........................... 84 55 79 55 / 50 60 60 60 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 83 52 76 52 / 50 60 60 40 RED RIVER....................... 73 49 69 50 / 60 60 60 50 ANGEL FIRE...................... 78 51 72 51 / 60 60 60 50 TAOS............................ 84 54 77 51 / 50 60 60 40 ESPANOLA........................ 89 60 85 60 / 40 60 50 40 SANTA FE........................ 85 57 80 57 / 50 70 60 60 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 86 59 81 58 / 50 60 50 60 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 85 64 83 63 / 50 70 50 60 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 86 66 84 65 / 50 70 40 50 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 87 65 85 66 / 50 70 40 50 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 86 64 85 65 / 50 70 40 50 LOS LUNAS....................... 90 65 87 65 / 40 60 40 40 RIO RANCHO...................... 87 64 86 63 / 50 70 40 50 SOCORRO......................... 89 65 89 65 / 50 60 40 40 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 81 56 78 55 / 60 80 50 60 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 86 60 82 58 / 40 60 60 50 CLINES CORNERS.................. 84 57 77 54 / 50 60 60 50 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 85 60 83 61 / 40 60 60 40 CARRIZOZO....................... 86 63 85 66 / 40 50 40 30 RUIDOSO......................... 76 57 76 56 / 70 50 50 40 CAPULIN......................... 84 56 75 57 / 30 30 50 60 RATON........................... 89 58 75 57 / 30 40 60 60 LAS VEGAS....................... 85 57 74 53 / 40 50 60 60 CLAYTON......................... 95 67 84 62 / 20 20 50 60 ROY............................. 92 62 83 61 / 20 30 50 60 CONCHAS......................... 96 68 88 64 / 20 20 40 60 SANTA ROSA...................... 93 65 86 63 / 30 20 40 50 TUCUMCARI....................... 98 68 87 65 / 10 20 40 60 CLOVIS.......................... 90 65 86 64 / 10 20 30 40 PORTALES........................ 91 67 88 66 / 10 20 30 40 FORT SUMNER..................... 93 67 89 66 / 10 20 30 40 ROSWELL......................... 92 69 90 67 / 20 20 30 30 PICACHO......................... 86 61 87 62 / 30 30 30 30 ELK............................. 82 57 81 58 / 40 40 40 30 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501>526-539-540. && GUYER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1109 AM MDT FRI JUL 23 2010 NMZ501>540-241200- 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- 1109 AM MDT FRI JUL 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. LOCALIZED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. LOCALIZED AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR FLASH FLOODING ALONG THE SANGRE DE CRISTO AND SANDIA MOUNTAINS EASTWARD TO NEW MEXICOS EASTERN BORDER. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY CROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE DURING THIS PERIOD...WHILE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT SAGS INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. THE EXPECTED LOCATION OF HEAVY RAIN COULD CHANGE AS MODELS GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW AND SURFACE COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING AT 1.888.386.7637. GUYER
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large landslide washed out the dirt road leading to the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research.
A SchoolNet site in the Pueblo Point subdivision recorded a 59 mph wind gust. Report relayed by KVII in Amarillo.
A five inch diameter tree limb was snapped off due to the strong winds.
A large three to four foot diameter tree trunk was split apart at a height of eight feet off the ground as seen via webcam. Wind gust recorded by SchoolNet site, and relayed by KVII in Amarillo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, July 2010
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: 235062, 235076, 245147, 236176, 236179.