East Canyon winds resulted in wind gusts exceeding 58 mph at the mouth of Embudo Canyon for several hours.
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.
East Canyon winds resulted in wind gusts exceeding 58 mph at the mouth of Embudo Canyon for several hours.
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 2, 7:21 PM MST, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 821 PM MDT THU SEP 2 2010 ...EAST CANYON WIND EVENT UNDERWAY... .UPDATE... STRONG BACKDOOR COLD FRONT HAS SEEPED THROUGH THE GAPS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED. WINDS HAVE ALREADY TURNED TO THE EAST AT KABQ AND POINTS TO THE NORTH. DECIDED TO BUMP UP STARTING TIME FOR THE WIND ADVISORY TO 03Z AND CONTINUE THE PRODUCT AS FORECAST THROUGH 12Z. THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT CAN TWEAK THE END TIME IF WIND SPEEDS ARE FASTER TO DIMINISH. WITH THE FASTER START TIME...PEAK WINDS COULD ALSO OCCUR TOWARD MIDNIGHT OR SHORTLY AFTER AS OPPOSED TO 09Z. NEW NPW HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT. NEW ZONES AND PFM OUT SHORTLY. KW && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 PM MDT THU SEP 2 2010... A ROBUST BACK DOOR COLD FRONT PUSHED DOWN THE FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES THIS MORNING AND ENTERED NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS THIS AFTERNOON. MODERATE GAPS WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING AS THIS COLD FRONT PROCEEDS WESTWARD INTO ARIZONA. ACCORDINGLY...A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AFFECTED AREAS IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. A DRY AND STABLE AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER THE CWA. KABQ 12Z SOUNDING MEASURED 0.35 INCHES PWAT AND +4.8 LI. GOES SATELLITE WATER VAPOR AND SOUNDER IMAGERY TELL THE SAME STORY...WITH A DRY SLOT AND LOW PWAT VALUES ACROSS OUR CWA AND INDEED THE ENTIRE SOUTHWEST. THE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE RESIDES IN WEST TEXAS AND NORTHWESTERN MEXICO. MODEL FORECASTS DEPICT LITTLE SURFACE MOISTURE ADVECTION WITH THIS COLD FRONT...EXCEPT ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. SO...CONVECTION AND ACCUMULATING RAINFALL WILL BE LIMITED TO SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF LINCOLN COUNTY IN AND AROUND THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS AND EXTREME SOUTHERN CHAVES COUNTY TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE CWA PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED...EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTHWEST AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WHERE ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH AFTERNOON. FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES SHOULD DROP FROM 5 TO 10 DEGREES ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...WITH A POTENTIAL TO DROP FROM 15 TO 20 DEGREES ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. SUNDAY AND MONDAY A DRY WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN AND MUTE PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE CWA. ON TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AN UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE TROUGH DIGS SOUTH THROUGH OREGON AND CALIFORNIA GENERATING SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WIND ALOFT ENHANCING MOISTURE ADVECTION...AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH A FOCUS ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. BENNETT .AVIATION... COLD FRONT PLUNGING SOUTHWARD INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO WILL MOVE SOUTH AND BULGE WESTWARD AGAINST THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN BY 03Z THIS EVENING. ACCELERATED EASTERLY WINDS THROUGH CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN GAPS WILL PRODUCE GUSTS TO 45 KT WITH WINDS PEAKING BETWEEN 08Z AND 13Z FRIDAY MORNING. CIGS MAY DROP TO AREAS OF MVFR AGAINST CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN EAST SLOPES FROM 03Z ONWARD FRIDAY MORNING...WITH CIGS LIFTING AFTER 15Z. TAFS AT LVS...ROW...TCC... SAF...AND ABQ WILL CARRY SCT AT UPPER MVFR LEVELS...WITH POSSIBILITY OF BKN/OVC AT TIMES THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. ELSEWHERE...AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TODAY MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF TCC TO SRR LINE WITH FOCUS SHIFTING TO WESTERN AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO ON FRIDAY. SHY NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. SHY .FIRE WEATHER... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER NOT EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK. FORECAST MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO MONDAY...WITH SOME DIFFERENCES EMERGING IN TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF UPSTREAM TROUGH FEATURES FROM TUESDAY ONWARD. FOR TONIGHT...COLD FRONT PLUNGING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS WILL BULGE WESTWARD AGAINST CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN SLOPES OVERNIGHT...WITH ACCELERATED GAP FLOW REACHING 55 MPH ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY...CHUPADERA MESA...AND BELOW CANYONS IN THE SANDIA AND MANZANO RANGE. EVENING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TRIGGERED BY SOUTHBOUND FRONT COLLISION WITH GREATEST IN PLACE MOISTURE CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEAST ENDS OF THE STATE. GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TO THE EAST AND NORTH...WITH FAIR TO GOOD AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVER SOUTH AND WEST. BEST RECOVERIES OVER SLOPES AND SUMMITS. FOR FRIDAY...COLD FRONT PUSHED SOUTHWARD OVER MEXICO BORDER...AND MOVING WEST OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MORNING EASTERLY GUSTS OVER SLOPES AND THROUGH GAPS IN CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL DECREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WESTBOUND COLD FRONT WILL MEET MOISTURE OVER THE UPPER GILA REGION AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS TO SHIFT FOCUS OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. 5 TO 10 DEGREE TEMPERATURE DROPS BEHIND COLD FRONT WILL RETURN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TO NORMAL OR A FEW DEGREES SHORT...WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL OVER THE WEST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES MAINLY IN THE 20S AND UPPER TEENS PCT...WITH RH BOTTOMING IN THE 30S PCT OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER. GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERY OVERNIGHT IN COOLER AIR MASS. FOR SATURDAY...RIDGE CORE ALOFT SETTING UP WEST OF NEW MEXICO TO LIMIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TO ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE UPPER GILA REGION AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. STALLED COLD FRONT NEAR THE ARIZONA BORDER WILL RETURN EASTWARD IN BROAD WARMING TREND AS LOW LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS TO THE SOUTH. SOME BREEZY WINDS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL REMAIN BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLDS AS HUMIDITIES FALL BROADLY INTO THE TEENS AND 20S PCT DURING THE AFTERNOON AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RETURN TO ABOVE NORMAL TERRITORY. FAIR TO GOOD HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT...WITH EXCELLENT RECOVERIES OVER THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS. FOR SUNDAY...RIDGE CORE TRANSLATING EASTWARD AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SWINGS EASTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AS UPSTREAM TROUGH AMPLIFIES RAPIDLY OVER THE WEST COAST. GRADUAL BACKING OF WINDS ALOFT TO SOUTHWEST AS SURFACE LOW DEEPENS OVER EASTERN COLORADO. LOW LEVEL WINDS MOSTLY SOUTHWEST WITH MINIMUM HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS AND LOW 20S PCT...AND ISOLATED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ONCE AGAIN OVER THE UPPER GILA REGION AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. CONTINUED GENTLE WARMING TREND WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES 3 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FAIR TO GOOD OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERY OVERNIGHT. OUTLOOK...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...INCREASING SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT AS WEST COAST TROUGH AMPLIFIES THROUGH MIDWEEK. EUROPEAN FORECAST MODELS MOVE THIS FEATURE EASTWARD ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH MIDWEEK...WHILE DOMESTIC GFS SOLUTION MAINTAINS TROUGH STATIONARY OVER THE WEST COAST LEAVING NEW MEXICO IN SOUTHWEST FLOW. DIFFERENCES A CHALLENGE TO RESOLVE THIS FAR IN ADVANCE...WILL OPT FOR A BLEND FOR NOW AND WATCH FUTURE RUNS FOR BETTER AGREEMENT. BLENDED SOLUTION BROADLY INCREASES NORTHBOUND MOISTURE MOVEMENT INTO NEW MEXICO...WITH INCREASED SHOWER COVERAGE IN THE WEST MONDAY EXPANDING ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH MIDWEEK. SURFACE LOW DEEPENING OVER TEXAS PANHANDLE MAY USHER SOME COOLER AIR SOUTHWARD MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH RETURN FLOW FROM THE SOUTH REESTABLISHED BY MIDWEEK. STEADY TEMPERATURE PROFILE AWAY FROM COOLER AIR...WITH GRADUAL INCREASE IN MOISTURE BOOSTING MINIMUM HUMIDITIES FROM TEENS AND 20S PCT MONDAY TO 20S AND 30S PCT WEDNESDAY. SHY && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS UPDATE... FARMINGTON...................... 55 87 53 89 / 0 5 5 0 DULCE........................... 42 79 43 83 / 0 5 5 0 CUBA............................ 46 80 45 84 / 0 5 5 5 GALLUP.......................... 45 82 48 86 / 0 5 10 5 EL MORRO........................ 48 80 48 81 / 0 10 10 10 GRANTS.......................... 50 81 48 84 / 0 5 10 10 QUEMADO......................... 47 81 48 82 / 0 20 20 10 GLENWOOD........................ 56 85 57 86 / 0 20 10 20 CHAMA........................... 40 75 39 80 / 5 5 5 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 50 77 49 82 / 5 5 5 5 PECOS........................... 45 75 48 84 / 0 5 5 5 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 41 76 43 82 / 5 5 5 5 RED RIVER....................... 36 70 36 73 / 5 5 5 5 ANGEL FIRE...................... 35 72 33 74 / 5 10 5 5 TAOS............................ 47 78 44 84 / 5 5 5 5 MORA............................ 45 74 44 81 / 5 5 5 5 ESPANOLA........................ 50 83 49 88 / 0 5 5 5 SANTA FE........................ 48 78 49 84 / 0 5 5 5 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 51 81 53 86 / 0 5 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 59 83 58 86 / 0 5 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 61 85 62 88 / 0 5 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 58 86 58 89 / 0 5 5 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 60 85 59 88 / 0 5 5 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 56 87 56 90 / 0 5 5 5 RIO RANCHO...................... 58 84 59 88 / 0 5 5 5 SOCORRO......................... 60 86 59 89 / 0 5 10 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 50 76 49 81 / 0 5 5 5 TIJERAS......................... 54 80 52 85 / 0 5 5 5 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 49 79 49 86 / 5 5 5 5 CLINES CORNERS.................. 49 74 52 83 / 5 5 5 5 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 54 80 54 84 / 10 10 5 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 57 83 57 86 / 20 10 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 51 74 53 79 / 30 20 10 10 CAPULIN......................... 43 75 48 83 / 0 5 5 5 RATON........................... 43 79 47 87 / 0 5 5 5 SPRINGER........................ 47 80 50 88 / 0 5 5 5 LAS VEGAS....................... 45 75 50 84 / 0 5 5 5 CLAYTON......................... 50 81 56 88 / 0 5 0 5 ROY............................. 51 77 55 84 / 0 5 5 5 CONCHAS......................... 56 84 60 93 / 0 5 0 5 SANTA ROSA...................... 56 82 56 91 / 0 5 5 5 TUCUMCARI....................... 54 83 59 91 / 5 5 0 5 CLOVIS.......................... 54 80 56 85 / 20 5 0 5 PORTALES........................ 55 81 56 87 / 30 5 0 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 58 82 58 89 / 10 5 0 5 ROSWELL......................... 63 79 60 89 / 30 10 0 5 PICACHO......................... 59 76 58 88 / 30 20 5 10 ELK............................. 56 74 55 82 / 30 20 10 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ519>521. && 17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT THU SEP 2 2010 NMZ501>540-031200- ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY- EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY- RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY- SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 600 AM MDT THU SEP 2 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT EAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL DEVELOP WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFOREMENTIONED EAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS MAY OCCUR AROUND SUNRISE. WINDS WILL TAPER OFF BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 34
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
As the east canyon wind came through the gaps of the central mountain chain during the early morning hours, a Davis weather station recorded a 64 mph wind gust at the mouth of Embudo Canyon at an elevation of 5925 feet. Other gusts exceeding 58 mph were recorded for nearly a 3 hour period.
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, September 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: 249631.