Deep moisture, an upper level wave, and weak steering flow across the region allowed locally heavy rainfall to develop producing flash flooding. Torrential rainfall was reported in the Albuquerque Metro area with significant arroyo and roadway flooding.
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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 moisture, an upper level wave, and weak steering flow across the region allowed locally heavy rainfall to develop producing flash flooding. Torrential rainfall was reported in the Albuquerque Metro area with significant arroyo and roadway flooding. Heavy rainfall over the Ramah area created flooded roadways with an officer stranded along reservation road 135.
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 24, 3:50 PM MST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 450 PM MDT TUE JUL 24 2012 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE WEAK UPPER LOW PRESSURE AREAS OVER TX PANHANDLE/SW KS/SE CO WILL DRIFT NORTH AND EVENTUALLY BECOME CAUGHT UP IN STRONGER WLY WINDS OVR THE MIDWEST. A SECOND DISTURBANCE WILL TRACK INTO NW/WCENTRAL NM BEFORE BEFORE 25/12Z. SCT CONVECTION WILL GENLY DRIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST BEFORE 06Z...WITH POTENTIAL FOR ISOLD CONVECTION TO PERSIST OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NM BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z. MTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE OCCASIONALLY OBSCURED DUE TO WDLY SCT MVFR CIGS/VBSYS IN TSRA SFC WND GUSTS 35KT. && .DISCUSSION...309 PM MDT TUE JUL 24 2012... ACTIVE WEATHER CONTINUES AS WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED OVER W AND CNTRL NM. SOME HEAVY RAIN OVER THE LAS CONCHAS BURN SCAR...BUT OVERALL NOT AS MANY HEAVY RAINERS TODAY AS COMPARED TO YESTERDAY. SHORT WAVE IN TX PANHANDLE WILL NOT BE A PLAYER IN OUR WEATHER TONIGHT...BUT SHORT WAVE OVER ERN AZ WILL BE AS IT DRIFTS INTO WRN NM. COULD SEE CONVECTION EXIST WELL INTO THE NIGHT OVER THE WRN ZONES. COULD STILL BE SOME LOCAL FLOODING ISSUES THROUGH THIS EVENING...JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE. BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TO REACH THE FAR NE WED AND COULD HELP FOCUS THUNDERSTORMS THERE IN THE PM. OTHERWISE W AND CNTRL HIGH TERRAIN AGAIN THE PRIME AREAS FOR CONVECTION WED...WITH THE STEERING FLOW FROM N TO S. HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR W BEGINS TO AFFECT NM WITH SOME DRYING IN THE MID LEVELS ACROSS THE FAR NW. BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TO MOVE S AND W WED NIGHT INTO EARLY THU WITH RENEWED MOISTURE. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS EXPECTED OVER ALL BUT THE NW...WHERE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING IN AND SUPPRESSING CONVECTION. ABOVE MENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT TO THE E FRI AND ESPECIALLY OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WE WILL TRANSITION TO A S TO N MONSOONAL FLOW THAT WILL FAVOR THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE STATE FOR THE WEEKEND. CHJ && .FIRE WEATHER... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE DECREASING IN COVERAGE AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES EASTWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND NW PARTS OF THE STATE WITH A DOWNTICK IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS...WHERE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL ENTER WEDNESDAY AND SOME POTENTIALLY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK SOUTHEASTWARD OFF THE SANGRES IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DURING THE AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THURSDAY...THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL FLOW INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY WITH ONLY A LIGHT EAST WIND BELOW CANYONS. BROAD SCALE EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL MAKE THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND EAST SLOPES FAVORED FOR WETTER CONVECTION DURING THE DAY. THEN...FLOW AROUND A MID LEVEL HIGH NEAR THE NM/CO BORDER SHOULD STEER A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONVECTION INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND UP THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE DURING THE EVENING. FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND THE 500 MB HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EASTWARD OVER OKLAHOMA. GFS AND ECMWF INDICATE THAT FRIDAY MAY BRING THE MOST WIDESPREAD CONVECTION OF THE WEEKEND...AS AN EASTERLY WAVE EMBEDDED IN THE RIDGE TRACKS NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE ECMWF DEPICTS FRIDAYS PRECIP SOMEWHAT LIGHTER AND LESS WIDESPREAD THAN THE GFS...BECAUSE IT TRACKS THE WAVE A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH. A TYPICAL MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME IS PROGGED TO EXTEND NORTHWARD ALONG THE NM/AZ BORDER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH THE BEST WETTING PRECIP CHANCES ALONG AND WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. TEMPERATURE-WISE...HIGHS NEAR AN A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL ARE EXPECTED IN THE WEST WEDNESDAY...WITH READINGS UP TO 9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE EAST. AFTER NEAR NORMAL READINGS THURSDAY...HIGHS UP TO 7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WEST FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HIGHS IN THE EAST GRADUALLY RISE UP TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 658 AM MDT TUE JUL 24 2012 NMZ501>540-251300- 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- 658 AM MDT TUE JUL 24 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... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...MOSTLY OCCURRING IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING... WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS WESTERN NEW MEXICO FROM THE GILA REGION NORTH INTO CIBOLA AND MCKINLEY COUNTY AS WELL AS OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED HIGH FLOWS IN...OR EVEN FLASH FLOODING OF...SMALL STREAMS...ARROYOS AND WASHES STILL SHOULD BE IN THE VICINITY OF THE WHITEWATER BALDY...LITTLE BEAR AND LOS CONCHAS BURN SCARS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WILL EXPAND TO INCLUDE THE EASTERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY. THROUGH THIS PERIOD...EXPECT AN ONGOING POTENTIAL FOR HIGH FLOWS OR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IN AND BELOW RECENT FOREST BURN SCARS. 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
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:43 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Reservation Road 135 was completely flooded and impassable near the intersection of Highway 53.
Intersection of El Pueblo Rd and Edith Blvd was washed over with rocks, dirt, and asphalt from a nearby bike path. Several urban arroyos in the region were near maximum capacity.
Lightning ripped a hole through the top of Christ Lutheran Church at Pennsylvania Street and Candelaria Road NE.
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: 385411, 385407, 386018.