Isolated thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall over and near Bandelier National Monument resulting in flash flooding in Frijoles Canyon. Several foot bridges constructed after significant flash flooding in 2011 were washed out and two people were stranded.
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.
Isolated thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall over and near Bandelier National Monument resulting in flash flooding in Frijoles Canyon. Several foot bridges constructed after significant flash flooding in 2011 were washed out and two people were stranded.
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 16, 11:49 AM MST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED...CORRECTED TYPO IN AVATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1255 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 04Z TO 06Z TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS TO INITIALLY FAVOR THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AND EXTREME EASTERN PORTION OF CWA. STEERING FLOW QUITE VARIABLE ACROSS THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WILL MOVE TO THE EAST...SO CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT KLVS. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WEST WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH OR NORTHEAST AND CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THUNDERSTORMS WILL INITIALLY IMPACT KGUP AND POSSIBLY KABQ AND KSAF A LITTLE LATER...AROUND 21Z OR 22Z. IN THE EXTREME EAST...MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE SOUTH BUT COVERAGE WILL BE LESS. EXPECT MVFR TO LOCALLY IFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES NEAR THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. MOUNTAIN TOP OBSCURATIONS POSSIBLE AS WELL. SHOWERS AND BOUNDARY INDUCED THUNDERSTORMS TO GRADUALLY DISSIPATE THROUGH AROUND 06Z TO 10Z. ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY IN STORE FOR TUESDAY. 05 && .PREV DISCUSSION...638 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012... DECIDED TO ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE BURN SCARS OF CATRON COUNTY...WHERE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL REACH A LITTLE OVER AN INCH THIS AFTERNOON. THIS MEANS THAT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RAIN AT RATES OVER 1 INCH PER HOUR. CONSIDERED ALSO ISSUING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE BURN SCARS OF THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS...BUT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WONT BE QUITE AS HIGH THERE. IN ADDITION...MODELS AGREE ON GENERALLY HIGHER QPF ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TODAY. 44 .PREV DISCUSSION...316 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012... TODAY AND TUESDAY...THE MID LEVEL CENTER OF ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION THAT HAS BEEN OVER NM WILL SHIFT SOUTHWARD OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. MEANWHILE...A CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL SLIDE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD ALONG THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. THIS WILL TILT THE MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME...WHICH HAS BEEN OVER AZ THE LAST FEW DAYS...OVER NM WITH A SIGNIFICANT UPTICK IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AREAWIDE. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL CLIMB TO AROUND AN INCH...ENABLING SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. ALL OF THE CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION WILL CAUSE HIGH TEMPERATURES TO FALL...WITH READINGS UP TO 11 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE WEST...UP TO 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL CENTRAL AREAS...AND NEAR TO A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE PLAINS. WEDNESDAY...THE MID LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION OVER NORTHERN MEXICO WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD OVER WEST CENTRAL NM AS AN EASTERLY WAVE NUDGES WESTWARD FROM SOUTH TEXAS. THIS WILL PULL SOME DRIER AIR INTO NW NM AND WETTER AIR INTO EASTERN NM FROM THE SOUTHEAST. AS A RESULT...A SHARPER THETA E AXIS WILL ALIGN FROM AROUND SILVER CITY AND EL PASO TO TUCUMCARI AND CLAYTON. PWAT VALUES WILL CLIMB OVER AN INCH ALONG AND ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WITH A POTENTIAL FOCUS FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. FLASH FLOODING WILL BE A CONCERN WITHIN AND BELOW LINCOLN COUNTY BURN SCARS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...LOOK FOR SE FLOW TO SPREAD OVER THE FORECAST AREA AS THE EASTERLY WAVE SLOWLY CROSSES NORTHERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN NM. A LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ZONE WILL BE FOUND ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WHERE THE MOST NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DEVELOP. DESPITE THE SE FLOW...SOME DRIER AIR WILL ENTER THE EAST CENTRAL AND NE PLAINS DURING THIS PERIOD...WITH ONLY SPOTTY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THERE. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO VARY FROM NEAR TO A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AREAWIDE WED THROUGH FRI. THE COMING WEEKEND WILL FEATURE THE 500 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER AROUND MO AND A CLOSED UPPER LOW OFF THE CA COAST. THIS WILL KEEP A MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM...AS WELL AS AZ. THIS PATTERN COULD RESULT IN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL... ESPECIALLY IF AN EASTERLY WAVE CAN GET CAUGHT UP IN THE FLOW AND TRACK NORTHWARD INTO NM. DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES MAY RISE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL IN THE EAST...WHILE REMAINING GENERALLY WITHIN 3 DEGREES OF NORMAL CENTRAL AND WEST. 44 .FIRE WEATHER... THE MOIST INSTABILITY PLUME WILL SHIFT EAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS DELIVERING GREATER CHANCES FOR MORE WIDESPREAD WETTING RAINFALL OVER NM. A BRIEF DRYING PERIOD IS EXPECTED OVER FAR WESTERN NM WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE PLUME MOVES BACK WEST OVER WESTERN NM THRU THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST CYCLE. PWAT VALUES WILL APPROACH 1 INCH TODAY FOR WESTERN NM WITH STEERING FLOW FROM WSW TO ENE NEAR 10-15 MPH. PWAT VALUES REMAIN UNCHANGED TUESDAY WHILE STEERING FLOW BECOMES MORE WNW TO ESE 10-15 MPH. THE WEAKEST STORM MOTIONS AND HIGHEST PWAT VALUES OF 1-1.2 INCHES APPEAR TO BE WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY AND FOCUSED OVER CENTRAL NM...THUS POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HVY RAIN OVER BURN SCARS INCREASING THRU THIS PERIOD. MOISTURE VALUES WILL REMAIN NEAR TO ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY THRU THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK HOWEVER THE GREATEST COVERAGE MAY SHIFT INTO FAR WESTERN NM AND ARIZONA. MAX TEMPERATURES THRU THE PERIOD WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BLW NORMAL WHILE MIN TEMPS AVERAGE 5 TO 10F ABV NORMAL. HAINES VALUES WILL BE LOW FOR MOST AREAS. RH RECOVERIES WILL TREND VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT FROM THE CENTRAL MTS WEST AND FAIR TO GOOD FOR EASTERN NM. MIN RH VALUES WILL AVERAGE THE 20S OVER VALLEY AREAS AND THE EASTERN PLAINS TO THE 30S AND 40S OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN. GUYER && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ508-509. && 44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 551 AM MDT MON JUL 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- 551 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME WILL TILT OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO TODAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM SOME THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE TO THE ARIZONA BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR FLASH FLOODING TO DEVELOP WITHIN AND BELOW RECENTLY BURNED FORESTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE IN CATRON COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME WILL REMAIN OVER NEW MEXICO THIS WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR MINOR FLOODING TO DEVELOP...AND FOR FLASH FLOODING WITHIN AND BELOW ALL RECENTLY BURNED FORESTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... TO REPORT FLASH FLOODING...CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SELECT THE STORM REPORT LINK ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE...WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ABQ...OR CALL US AT 888.386.7637. 44
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:11 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several foot bridges washed out at Bandelier National Monument and two people stranded within Frijoles Canyon.
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, July 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: 383437.