Deep monsoon moisture combined with an easterly wave over southeast New Mexico to create widespread heavy rain across northern and central New Mexico. Hardest hit areas were in the vicinity of the central mountain chain, where several flash floods were observed.
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 combined with an easterly wave over southeast New Mexico to create widespread heavy rain across northern and central New Mexico. Hardest hit areas were in the vicinity of the central mountain chain, where several flash floods were observed.
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 28, 2:25 AM MST, 8 hours 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 325 AM MDT WED JUL 28 2010 .DISCUSSION... LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE RADAR SCOPE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SRN/WRN NEW MEXICO. 00Z/WED KABQ SOUNDING TOOK A DECENT HIT IN THE PRECIPITABLE WATER CATEGORY BUT SHOULD EXPERIENCE A SLOW REBOUND AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MIGRATES WESTWARD INTO THE REGION. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE PWAT VALUES BETWEEN THE GFS40/NAM12 WITH THE LATTER BEING MORE WET. NONETHELESS...VALUES SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS TO ALLOW FOR HEAVY RAINFALL CAPABLE OF MINOR OR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. AT THIS TIME...CONFIDENCE IN WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS NOT AN ISSUE AND WILL NOT POST A WATCH AT THIS TIME. FOR TODAY...UPPER LEVEL CYCLONE WILL START TO INVADE SE NEW MEXICO AS THE FEATURE WEAKENS INTO AN OPEN WAVE. MEANWHILE...E/SE BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW WILL PROVIDE AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE STATE...PARTICULARLY IN THE ERN PLAINS. EXPECT AN UPTICK IN CONVECTION IN THE SRN/SE PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHILE DIURNAL STORMS CONTINUE OVER THE NW HALF. THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COVERAGE WILL BE OVER THE NE PLAINS. BY LATER TONIGHT...EXPECT THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR PCPN TO BE ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE/BELOW NORMAL NORTH/SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 RESPECTIVELY. BY THURSDAY...UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE SHOULD SHEAR OUT AS IT CONTINUES A SLOW WESTWARD TRACK TOWARD CENTRAL NM. AGAIN... THE BEST CHANCES FOR QPF WILL BE ALONG/WEST OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN. THROUGH THURS AFTERNOON...THE MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT. MODELS DIVERGE NOTICEABLY FOR THE FRIDAY THROUGH WEEKEND PERIOD ON HOW THE UPR LEVEL PATTERN WILL EVOLVE. GFS40 IS FAIRLY PROGRESSIVE ON THE WESTWARD TRACK OF THE AFOREMENTIONED WAVE...PRIMARILY DUE TO A WEAKER UPPER HIGH WHICH IS CURRENTLY POSITIONED IN CENTRAL CO. THE ECMWF IS PRETTY SIMILAR...ALTHOUGH HAS A MORE NRN TRACK OF THE WAVE THRU CENTRAL NM...LEADING TO A HIGHER THREAT FOR QPF. THEREAFTER... BOTH OF THESE MODELS DRIFT THE WAVE NORTHWARD ON THE WRN PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH INTO THE INCREASING WESTERLIES OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. THE PRIMARY CENTER OF CIRCULATION OF THE UPPER HIGH IS PROGGED TO BE IN THE WRN GULF STATES...KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN FOR A MONSOONAL SURGE FOR THE WEEKEND. IF THIS SCENARIO PANS OUT...THEN WRN NM COULD BE A PRIME LOCATION FOR ENHANCED CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL. ON THE FLIP SIDE... THE CANADIAN KEEPS A MORE WRN TRACK FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED WAVE WITH A STRONG RIDGE REMAINING TO THE N/NW. BY THE WEEKEND...THE CANADIAN THINKS THE UPPER HIGH WILL BE IN A STRONG POSITION TO BLOCK A DECENT MONSOONAL SURGE AND EVEN SUGGESTS SIGNIFICANT DRYING ACROSS MUCH OF MEXICO AND NM...OFFERING ONLY RECYCLE MODE FOR THE CWA. THE OVERALL MESSAGE...STAY TUNED. NO MATTER THE CASE...THE HIGHER POPS WILL BE FOCUSED IN WRN NM WHILE THE ERN PLAINS WILL BE FAIRLY LIMITED. IT IS JUST UNCLEAR HOW LARGE OF A POP SPREAD THAT COULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. DPORTER && .AVIATION... LOCALIZED MVFR CIGS AND MT OBSCURATIONS IN A FEW SPOTS NEAR TO WEST OF THE DIVIDE AND PERHAPS FAR E CENTRAL NM EARLY TO MID MORNING... BUT OVERALL A VFR MORNING. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD INCREASE AT LEAST A BIT ACROSS S AND E PORTIONS OF FCST AREA THIS AFTN AND EVE...PERHAPS ACROSS CENTRAL SECTIONS AS WELL...AS TX UPPER LOW ENTERS OR GETS VERY NEAR THE SE OR E CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE. BRIEF AND LOCALIZED MVFR CONDITIONS IN CIGS AND PCPN REDUCED VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS TODAY. POTENTIAL INCREASES VERY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THU FOR SOME AREAS OF MVFR AND MORE LOCALIZED IFR CIGS ACROSS SOUTHERN AND E CENTRAL PORTIONS OF FCST AREA WITH TAF SITES KTCC AND KROW HAVING A LITTLE BETTER CHANCE OF THOSE LOWER CIGS THAN OTHER SITES. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. 43 && .FIRE WEATHER... OVERALL HIGHER HUMIDITY PATTERN LINGERING THROUGH REST OF THE WEEK AND FAIRLY LIKELY FOR THE WEEKEND. WETTING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE SHOULD INCREASE SOMEWHAT ACROSS MAINLY SE HALF OF NM THIS AFTN AND EVE AS TX UPPER LOW GETS VERY NEAR OR EVEN ENTERS FAR E CENTRAL OR SE NM LATE TODAY. ELSEWHERE MOISTURE RECYCLING WILL GENERATE AT LEAST ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...FAVORING THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE MID LEVEL HIGH IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE FOCUSED TO THE EAST OF THE STATE FRI THROUGH SUN...BUT A QUICK LOOK AT LATEST...06Z RUN... SHORTER TERM NAM MODEL BEGINNING TO CONTRADICT THIS SCENARIO BY KEEPING UPPER HIGH CENTERED FRI AND SAT AT LEAST NOT FAR FROM 4 CORNERS. THIS SCENARIO...IF IT PANS OUT...WOULD MEAN LESS WETTING RAIN COVERAGE ACROSS AT LEAST N NM FROM WEEKEND INTO AT LEAST A PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. THUS CONFIDENCE OF INCREASED WETTING RAINS FOR THAT PERIOD ACROSS N AREAS BEGINNING TO WANE A BIT. LATER MULTIPLE MODEL RUNS CONSENSUS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED TO SEE IF THIS BECOMES A TREND. FOR THIS FCST PACKAGE WILL STILL GO WITH SOME INCREASE IN MONSOONAL MOISTURE ACROSS W NM FOR LATE WEEK AND INTO WEEKEND...BUT NORTHERN AREAS MAY NOT GET AS MUCH BENEFIT AS EARLIER THOUGHT IF NEW MODEL RUNS CONTINUE THE LATEST NAM TREND. AFTER THU OR FRI EASTERN AREAS SHOULD HAVE LEAST AMOUNT OF WETTING RAIN POTENTIAL. EMBEDDED TROPICAL AND CONVECTIVELY INDUCED WAVES WILL ALSO PROVIDE A WILDCARD TO DAILY COVERAGE CHANGES. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN SLIGHTLY TO MODERATELY BELOW NORMAL FAVORING SOUTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS AND NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL NORTH AND EAST CENTRAL. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES SHOULD OVERALL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL DUE TO THE HIGHER HUMIDITY AT THE SURFACE. MINIMUM HUMIDITY VALUES ARE NOT FORECASTED TO DROP BELOW 20 PERCENT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS W AND S SECTIONS OF FCST AREA. GOOD TO EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES EXPECTED TONIGHT MAJORITY OF N AND CENTRAL NM WITH COVERAGE OF SAME POSSIBLY INCREASING SOMEWHAT THE FOLLOWING 2 TO 3 NIGHTS. NEAR SURFACE WIND SPEEDS GENERALLY TO BE 12 MPH OR LESS WELL OUTSIDE OF STORMS. THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE STRONGEST WIND FLOWS AT THE SURFACE. WEAK TO MODERATE GAP WINDS ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVE. 43 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 93 65 90 63 / 20 30 30 20 DULCE........................... 86 55 84 54 / 30 40 30 30 CUBA............................ 83 53 81 54 / 40 40 40 30 GALLUP.......................... 85 58 84 57 / 30 40 40 30 EL MORRO........................ 81 55 80 53 / 40 40 40 40 GRANTS.......................... 86 57 84 56 / 30 30 40 30 QUEMADO......................... 84 58 82 56 / 40 40 40 30 GLENWOOD........................ 86 62 88 62 / 30 30 50 40 CHAMA........................... 80 50 78 50 / 40 50 40 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 84 54 83 56 / 30 30 30 20 PECOS........................... 82 53 80 54 / 40 30 30 30 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 81 50 81 51 / 40 30 30 30 RED RIVER....................... 73 44 73 45 / 40 40 40 30 ANGEL FIRE...................... 75 45 76 44 / 50 30 30 30 TAOS............................ 84 52 84 53 / 30 30 30 20 ESPANOLA........................ 90 60 90 60 / 30 30 30 20 SANTA FE........................ 84 55 82 56 / 40 30 40 30 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 87 58 85 58 / 40 30 30 20 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 88 64 86 64 / 30 30 30 20 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 89 66 87 66 / 30 30 30 20 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 90 61 88 61 / 30 30 30 20 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 89 62 87 63 / 30 30 30 20 LOS LUNAS....................... 90 62 89 63 / 30 30 30 20 RIO RANCHO...................... 90 62 88 63 / 30 30 30 20 SOCORRO......................... 90 63 88 62 / 30 30 30 30 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 79 51 76 53 / 30 30 30 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 86 56 85 56 / 30 30 30 30 CLINES CORNERS.................. 81 56 81 57 / 30 30 20 20 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 83 58 82 58 / 40 30 30 30 CARRIZOZO....................... 87 61 84 60 / 40 30 30 30 RUIDOSO......................... 78 55 73 54 / 50 40 40 40 CAPULIN......................... 83 53 82 54 / 20 20 10 10 RATON........................... 87 56 87 57 / 20 20 10 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 81 53 80 54 / 30 30 20 20 CLAYTON......................... 89 63 90 64 / 20 20 10 10 ROY............................. 85 62 83 62 / 20 20 10 10 CONCHAS......................... 91 66 92 66 / 20 20 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 89 63 89 62 / 30 20 10 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 90 65 91 66 / 30 20 10 10 CLOVIS.......................... 85 64 86 65 / 30 20 20 10 PORTALES........................ 86 63 87 64 / 30 20 20 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 89 65 89 65 / 30 20 20 10 ROSWELL......................... 89 67 87 66 / 30 30 30 10 PICACHO......................... 86 62 83 62 / 40 30 30 20 ELK............................. 80 60 76 58 / 70 50 50 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 46/43
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 603 AM MDT WED JUL 28 2010 NMZ501>540-291200- 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- 603 AM MDT WED JUL 28 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY RAINS CAPABLE OF MINOR FLOODING OR POSSIBLY LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR OVER PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE FROM THE UPPER GILA TO THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS AND POSSIBLY INTO THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A THREAT FOR MINOR OR POSSIBLY FLASH FLOODING FOR AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN ON THURSDAY. EXPECT THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL TO PERSIST INTO FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY THE UPCOMING WEEKEND FOR WESTERN NEW MEXICO. IT APPEARS THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE FOCUSED ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON FOR RAIN AND FLOODING REPORTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT 1.888.386.7637 FOR ANY WEATHER REPORTS. DPORTER
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:22 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Large rocks were swept onto State Route 48, one mile south of Alto, by rushing water.
Six to 12 inches of water was on several roads northeast of Alto in the Rancho Ruidoso subdivision. Some of the worst hit roadways include County Road D003, Little Creek Road, and Little Creek Hills Road. At least one house and one barn flooded, and several other homes in the area had minor damage.
A 16 year old boy was swept down the Embudo Arroyo by rapid flowing flood waters from near Juan Tabo and Candelaria to Carlisle and Interstate 40. This was a distance of five miles and the water was estimated to be flowing at 35 mph. The boy only received a few cuts and bruises.
At Ranchitos and Eubank, the shoulders of the roads were eroded with a foot of water covering the intersection.
Water accumulated on State Highway 41 with county roads along side the highway impassable.
Multiple dirt roads were washed out in an area called Tramperos. Vehicles were stuck in the mud and high water. The Bartley RAWS near Gascon received over 2 inches of rain in less than 2 hours time.
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: 237157, 237201, 237218, 237239, 237241, 251108.