An upper level trough that tracked from California into southern Nevada helped to increase moisture along and west of the Continental Divide. Precipitable water values steadily increased to over one inch across New Mexico.
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.
An upper level trough that tracked from California into southern Nevada helped to increase moisture along and west of the Continental Divide. Precipitable water values steadily increased to over one inch across New Mexico. This subtle but significant monsoon moisture surge resulted in widespread thunderstorm activity over much of central and northern New Mexico. Flash flooding was observed over the Las Conchas burn scar.
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 22, 4:46 PM MST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 546 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE ALTHOUGH VFR CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY FORECAST TO PREVAIL... SHORT-LIVED MVFR CIGS/VSBYS ARE LIKELY TO ACCOMPANY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BOTH THIS EVENING AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY. LOW STRATUS CIGS ARE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS OVERNIGHT...BUT CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO PLACE IN KTCC OR KROW TAFS. THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY LIKELY TO AFFECT KABQ TERMINAL BETWEEN 00-02Z...WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND SHORT-LIVED MVFR CIGS/VSBYS. ANOTHER ROBUST ROUND OF CONVECTION ANTICIPATED FRIDAY WITH TIMING MOST LIKELY TO AFFECT KABQ/KSAF TERMINALS AFTER 21Z. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...331 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012... DUE TO A LITTLE MORE SOUTHERLY TRACKING SHORT WAVE AND THE EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER THAT HAS ENVELOPED MUCH OF W HALF OF NM... WILL HAVE TO DRAMATICALLY TRIM BACK THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH... MAINLY ANYTHING N OF CATRON AND W SOCORRO COUNTIES. WILL KEEP THE LITTLE BEAR SCAR AREA ALSO IN THE WATCH. WILL NOT EXTEND NOW OR HOIST ANOTHER ONE YET FOR THU...THE LATTER DUE TO BEING UNSURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH HEATING DESTROYING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS MAY BE AROUND FOR THU. PRETTY GOOD CROP OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS CATRON CO AS OF THIS WRITING AND SOME ACROSS E HALF...BUT NW THIRD OF FCST AREA HAS MASSIVELY UNDERPERFORMED IN THE SHOWER AND STORM DEPARTMENT SO FAR THIS AFTN. HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT AT LEAST SOME ACTIVITY WILL GET GOING OR MOVE INTO THAT PART OF FCST AREA THIS EVE AND OVERNIGHT...BUT SO FAR VERY LITTLE THERE. BUT FARTHER S THE RICH MOISTURE LEVELS WILL ENSURE HEAVY RAINFALL PERFORMANCE BY MOST STORMS THERE WITH UPPER HIGH CENTER GETTING SHOVED KICKING AND SCREAMING TO THE SE FROM ITS EARLIER PERCH BY A DECENT UPPER LOW EASING INTO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA RANGE...A DECENT CHUNK OF DEEP RICH MONSOONAL MOISTURE HAS BEEN DRIFTING INTO THE STATE. AS THE LOW SLOWLY OPENS UP AND SHEARS OUT SOME ON ITS EASTWARD JOURNEY...IT WILL NOT HAVE AS STRONG A DYNAMIC IMPACT ON THE PLENTIFUL MOISTURE OVER NM...AS IT HAS IN AZ...BUT IT SHOULD STILL SQUEEZE OUT PRETTY GOOD RAIN AMOUNTS INTO THU AND TO A LITTLE LESSER DEGREE FRI AS WELL. BY LATE FRI AND ESPEC SAT AS WE GET ON THE BACK SIDE OF WHAT IS LEFT OF THE UPPER TROUGH THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOME DOWNTURN IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM NUMBERS. THERE IS SOME INDICATION THAT A FAIRLY WEAK BACK DOOR FRONT WILL EASE INTO AT LEAST E IF NOT CENTRAL NM LATER SAT OR BY SUN MORN. THIS GIVES SOME POTENTIAL FOR SPOTTY SHOWER AND STORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MAINLY E HALF OF FCST AREA...DESPITE UPPER HIGH COMING BACK AND GIVING US ANOTHER BIG BEAR HUG. WITH THE HIGH AND PRESUMED WARMING ALOFT IT SEEMS LIKE A FEW FCST MODELS MAY BE OVERDOING THE PCPN COVERAGE...BUT TIME WILL TELL. 43 .FIRE WEATHER... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER...NOT EXPECTED THROUGH MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK. MODELS...IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT THROUGH MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK. RIDGE CORE OVER CENTRAL CHIHUAHUA WILL ELONGATE FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC TO SOUTH TEXAS AS SHORTWAVE MOVES OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. RIDGE CORE REFORMING OVER NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND EXPANDING BROADLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE SOUTHERN U.S. BY EARLY MONDAY. SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES EMERGING BY WEDNESDAY...WITH EUROPEAN ECMWF SOLUTION INTRODUCING HIGH AMPLITUDE TROUGH FROM THE CANADIAN ARCTIC DIGGING INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. WHILE DOMESTIC GFS KEEPS RIDGE INTACT SOLIDLY OVER NEW MEXICO. BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN IS A DEFINITE SHIFT OUT OF SUMMER AND INTO A FALL PATTERN...WILL GO WITH A STEADIER GFS SOLUTION FOR NOW WITH EYE TOWARD A MORE COHERENT MIDWEEK STORY NEXT WEEK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. OVERNIGHT...WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WITH SOME HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE...BEST CHANCES CENTRAL AND WEST. GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERY OVERNIGHT WITH WETTING RAIN WELL DISTRIBUTED STATEWIDE. FOR THURSDAY...CLOUD COVER WILL KNOCK A FEW DEGREES OFF MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES THURSDAY...WITH ALL BUT THE EASTERN PLAINS A FEW DEGREES BELOW LATE AUGUST NORMALS. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED OVER THE EAST. UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CROSSING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENT FOR SHOWER COVERAGE AND INTENSITY STATEWIDE...WITH WETTING RAIN POSSIBLE STATEWIDE. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES RUNNING IN THE 30S AND 40S PCT...WITH HIGHER VALUES IN THE NORTH AND WEST. DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS WILL HELP SWING WINDS AROUND TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST...WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS THURSDAY AFTERNOON FROM SANTA ROSA EASTWARD TO THE TEXAS LINE. FAVORABLE VENTILATION CONDITIONS...ALTHOUGH LOCALLY DEGRADED ALONG THE COLORADO BORDER. EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERY OVERNIGHT. FOR FRIDAY...BROAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WITH WETTING RAIN POSSIBLE STATEWIDE. SHORTWAVE TROUGH SQUARELY OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL ENHANCE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WITH SURFACE LOW REMAINING OVER THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE SWINGING WINDS ANOTHER POINT OR TWO TOWARD THE WEST. STEADY TEMPERATURE PROFILES WITH DRYER AIR MOVING IN FROM THE WEST AND NORTHWEST. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES FALLING BACK INTO THE 20S AND 30S PCT WITH MORE MOISTURE LOCALLY NORTH AND WEST. FAVORABLE VENTILATION WITH SOME LOCAL DEGRADATION NEAR SHORTWAVE OVER THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT. FOR SATURDAY...SHORTWAVE TROUGH CROSSING THE EASTERN PLAINS AND EXITING INTO NORTH TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA DURING THE DAY. WITH SUBSIDING AND DRYER AIR MOVING IN FROM THE WEST...REDUCED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ON TAP FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WETTING RAINS WILL BE MOSTLY NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER...WITH SOME HEAVIER STATE LINE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE TEXAS BORDER TOPPING A TENTH OF AN INCH. GENERALLY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ELSEWHERE WITH REDUCED RAINFALL AMOUNTS. GENTLE WARMING TREND WILL BRING MOST SPOTS TO NEAR NORMAL FOR LATE AUGUST...A LITTLE WARMER IN THE EAST. COLD FRONT OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL PENETRATE WESTWARD TO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW ADDING SOME EXTRA SHOWER COVERAGE FOR THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS AND SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. FAVORABLE VENTILATION WITH GOOD TO EXCELLENT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES OVERNIGHT. OUTLOOK...SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...RIDGE CORE OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EXPANDING BROADLY ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. THROUGH TUESDAY. COOLER AIR OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY WITH GENTLE WARMING TREND REDEVELOPING MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE STATEWIDE SUNDAY WILL SHIFT TO FOCUS CENTRAL AND WEST MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH BEST BROAD CHANCES FOR WETTING RAINS MAINLY SUNDAY...WITH REDUCED AREAL COVERAGE OF RAINFALL FOCUSING CENTRAL AND WEST FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES IN THE 30S AND 40S PCT SUNDAY FALLING BACK INTO THE 20S AND 30S PCT BY TUESDAY WITH GOOD TO EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES. GENERALLY FAVORABLE VENTILATION...WITH DEGRADED CONDITIONS OVER THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS DEVELOPING THROUGH TUESDAY. SHY .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOPING AFTER 18Z WED AFTERNOON ON LEADING AND BACK EDGES OF SWATH OF SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NEW MEXICO WITH ISOLD EXCURSIONS TO MVFR AND IFR IN HEAVIER STORMS. TAFS WRITTEN WITH VCTS GROUPS COVERING BEST CHANCE FOR NEARBY THUNDERSTORMS...AND VCSH GROUPS BRACKETING TO SHOW BROADER WINDOW OF SHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDER POSSIBLE. CONVECTION TAPERING OFF SLOWLY AFTER 02Z SUNSET WED EVENING WITH WESTERN SPOTS CONTINUING WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLD THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 06Z TONIGHT WITH POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS INTO THURSDAY MORNING. MT TOP OBSCURATION LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS FROM 03Z ONWARD TONIGHT WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS BY 16Z THURSDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE...VFR FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ508-509-526. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 549 AM MDT WED AUG 22 2012 NMZ501>540-231200- 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- 549 AM MDT WED AUG 22 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING OVER MUCH OF WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...WHERE LOCALIZED AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR. AREAS SURROUNDING THE LAS CONCHAS...WHITEWATER BALDY...LITTLE BEAR...AND WHITE BURN SCARS WILL BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. STORMS IN THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL BE MORE SPARSE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...HOWEVER SOME STRONG AND PERHAPS SEVERE CELLS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN IMPACT MUCH OF THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF NEW MEXICO ON THURSDAY. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF ANY SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT 1.888.386.7637 OR VIA THE WEB AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 52
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 342 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012 NMZ508-222230- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- 342 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN CATRON AND WESTERN SOCORRO COUNTIES THROUGH 430 PM MDT... AT 336 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY...OR ABOUT 16 MILES SOUTH OF DATIL...MOVING EAST AT 22 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...NATIONAL RADIO ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY. HEAVY RAINS WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND IN LOW SPOTS. FAST RUNNING WATER WILL QUICKLY FILL ARROYOS AND DITCHES. && LAT...LON 3419 10745 3375 10745 3367 10800 3402 10791 TIME...MOT...LOC 2142Z 260DEG 23KT 3393 10776 50
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
827 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012
NMZ525-526-230300-
SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-
827 PM MDT WED AUG 22 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY
THROUGH 900 PM MDT...
AT 826 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY 7 MILES WEST OF THREE RIVERS...OR ABOUT 27
MILES SOUTHWEST OF CARRIZOZO...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY.
ADDITIONALLY...REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING DUST ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE.
AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...OSCURO AND HIGHWAY 54.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
&&
LAT...LON 3338 10575 3338 10627 3350 10629 3359 10575
3331 10572 3331 10574
TIME...MOT...LOC 0226Z 268DEG 24KT 3334 10614
34The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:28 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water was reported flowing over Indian Service Roads 601 and 602.
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: 393633.