The upper level high was positioned from northern Arizona southeast across west central New Mexico. A backdoor cold front that made its way into the state the previous night was the main focus for thunderstorm development.
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.
The upper level high was positioned from northern Arizona southeast across west central New Mexico. A backdoor cold front that made its way into the state the previous night was the main focus for thunderstorm development. Abundant low and mid level monsoonal moisture and instability with precipitable water values of 100 to 125 percent of normal further enhanced convective activity. Locally heavy rainfall was observed with radar estimated rainfall rates up to 5 inches per hour. Numerous locations within Sandoval and Santa Fe counties reported strong gusty winds, large hail, and flash flooding. The New Mexico Rail Runner was stranded near Pena Blanca as significant flash flooding developed beneath a rail bridge and within nearby low lying areas. This event garnered significant local media and social media attention.
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 Aug 16, 2:23 PM MST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.
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
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 534 AM MDT THU AUG 16 2012 NMZ501>540-171200- 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- 534 AM MDT THU AUG 16 2012 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...AS ANOTHER BACK DOOR COLD FRONT HEADS FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TODAY AND TONIGHT...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WIND...SMALL HAIL...AND THE THREAT FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY WITHIN AND BELOW RECENTLY BURNED FORESTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER... AN EASTERLY SURFACE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING IN GULF MOISTURE AND SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE THREAT FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN EASTWARD. DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE STATE FROM THE GREAT BASIN ON MONDAY...LIMITING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SOMEWHAT MONDAY...AND TO MAINLY MOUNTAINS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 33
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
204 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012
NMZ512-513-515-162015-
EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS
ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
204 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN TAOS AND WESTERN COLFAX
COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM MDT...
AT 200 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK...OR ABOUT 22
MILES EAST OF TAOS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...ANGEL FIRE.
&&
LAT...LON 3644 10497 3633 10514 3633 10531 3652 10539
3660 10526 3660 10510
TIME...MOT...LOC 2005Z 337DEG 9KT 3646 10519
GUYERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 231 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012 NMZ512-515-162100- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 231 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN TAOS AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN COLFAX COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM MDT... AT 230 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTH OF BLACK LAKE...OR ABOUT 17 MILES EAST OF TAOS...MOVING SOUTH AT 5-10 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...BLACK LAKE. && LAT...LON 3628 10513 3627 10533 3637 10535 3639 10523 TIME...MOT...LOC 2030Z 345DEG 7KT 3633 10529 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
524 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012
NMZ518-170000-
SANTA FE METRO AREA-
524 PM MDT THU AUG 16 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN SANTA FE AND EXTREME
EASTERN SANDOVAL COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM MDT...
AT 524 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LA BAJADA...OR ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF
BERNALILLO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...CERRILLOS HILLS STATE PARK AND
MADRID.
THIS WILL IMPACT INTERSTATE 25 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 255 AND 268...
&&
LAT...LON 3550 10608 3541 10615 3539 10632 3548 10641
3556 10635 3556 10627
TIME...MOT...LOC 2324Z 304DEG 6KT 3549 10627
44The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. Traffic flow was significantly impacted along Interstate 25 as visibilities were dramatically reduced.
A slow-moving thunderstorm produced a major downpour and wind gusts estimated near 60 mph. Reduced visibilities in blowing dust were also observed.
The New Mexico Rail Runner suspended operations around 6pm as a southbound train was stranded near Pena Blanca due to flash flooding beneath a large rail bridge. There was significant flash flooding observed in nearby low lying areas along the rail tracks. This event garnered significant local media attention and numerous You Tube videos were posted capturing the dramatic flooding around the area.
Quarter size hail reported in Golden.
Golfball sized hail stones were reported 6 miles north of Edgewood.
A seven inch diameter tree limb knocked down 6 miles north of Edgewood.
Hwy 344 just north of Frost Rd was under 3-4 feet of fast-moving water. At least one vehicle was trapped that required local fire department assistance.
Water and debris significantly impacted State Road 313 near Sandia Wash a few miles north of Sandia Pueblo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2012
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: 392070, 392071, 393036, 392066, 392068, 392069, 392097, 392118.