A strong cold front moved southwestward across central and eastern New Mexico and provided a focus for some dry gusty showers over the northern mountains. These showers interacted with the front and produced strong dry microburst winds around Santa Fe and Los Alamos.
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.
A strong cold front moved southwestward across central and eastern New Mexico and provided a focus for some dry gusty showers over the northern mountains. These showers interacted with the front and produced strong dry microburst winds around Santa Fe and Los Alamos. The combination of the front and dry microburst winds then plowed south and west toward the Albuquerque Metro area where strong gap winds developed behind the boundary. Winds as high as 70mph were reported below Tijeras Canyon on Kirtland Air Force Base.
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 17, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 PM MDT MON SEP 17 2012 .DISCUSSION... THE BOTTOM OF A LONG WAVE TROUGH AXIS WILL CROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN NM ON A SOUTHEASTWARD JOURNEY TONIGHT...WHILE EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW PERSISTS IN THE WAKE OF TODAYS BACK DOOR COLD FRONT ACROSS THE PLAINS. THIS WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...WITH MORE ISOLATED ACTIVITY TRACKING SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT...EXCEPT FOR SOME LINGERING SHOWERS AND MAYBE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM LAS VEGAS TO CARRIZOZO. THE ECMWF SUGGESTS A FEW SHOWERS MAY TRY TO LINGER INTO TUESDAY MORNING IN CHAVES AND SOUTHERN ROOSEVELT COUNTIES...BUT THE NAM...GFS...UKMET AND CANADIAN MODELS ALL END THE PRECIP BY THEN. THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH GAPS IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TONIGHT WITH A MODERATELY GUSTY EAST CANYON WIND. SPEEDS SHOULD PEAK BELOW TIJERAS CANYON AT UP TO 35 MPH. COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY...EXCEPT FOR WARMING TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS WHERE MOST OF THE COLD FRONTS IMPACT OCCURRED TODAY. THROUGH MID WEEK...THE UPPER TROUGH WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN UNITED STATES WHILE A MODEST RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS WILL SUBJECT NM TO DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. AFTER HIGH TEMPERATURES FROM NEAR NORMAL ACROSS NW NM TO AS MUCH AS 8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS ON TUESDAY...READINGS WILL REBOUND AREAWIDE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH HIGHS REACHING FROM NEAR TO AS MUCH AS 11 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. A LEE TROUGH ACROSS THE NE AND E CENTRAL PLAINS WILL PRODUCE THE STRONGEST ANOMALIES IN THOSE AREAS. THE LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK WILL FEATURE PERIODS WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AS BACK DOOR COLD FRONTS DROP INTO THE PLAINS UNDER THE NW FLOW ALOFT. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE TIMING OF THESE FRONTS AND HOW STRONG/WET THEY WILL BE. IN ADDITION...A 500 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTROID IS PROGGED TO DEVELOP OVER SW NM BY FRIDAY. THIS SHOULD ALLOW SOME ELEVATED SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE TO SEEP NORTHWARD INTO WESTERN NM WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING INTO THE WEEKEND. MODELS DEPICT AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING INTO THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AS THE WEEKEND PROGRESSES...AND THIS SHOULD INCREASE THE FLOW OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE INTO THE STATE WITH MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIP POSSIBLY BY SUNDAY. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... A LONG WAVE TROUGH ALOFT AND A BACKDOOR SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL USHER IN SOME WEATHER CHANGES TODAY. THE FRONT WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE INCREASING RH VALUES ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TODAY AND TOMORROW. THIS MOISTURE WILL SPILL INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY ALONG WITH MODERATE GAP WINDS OVERNIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL AID IN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THIS EVENING OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE SANGRES AND NEARBY PLAINS. WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL EXPERIENCE THE LOWEST MINIMUM RH VALUES WHILE VENTILATION WILL BE EXCELLENT THROUGH THIS EVENING IN MANY AREAS WITH GUSTY FRONTAL WINDS IN THE EAST AND SOME BREEZY NORTHWEST CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL TO NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF NM. OVERALL WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY MORNING WITH RH VALUES RECOVERING TO AROUND 75 PERCENT OR BETTER RH VALUES FROM THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE EASTWARD. EXPECT MAX TEMPERATURES TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TUESDAY IN MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. DRIER AIR WILL ALSO MAKE A SUBTLE PUSH BACK EAST...BUT MOISTURE WILL TRY TO MAKE A STAND IN THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. VENTILATION WAS CALCULATED TO BE IN THE POOR CATEGORY IN THE SOUTHERN ROW OF ZONES TOMORROW WHERE VEERING LIGHT SURFACE WINDS AND LOWER MIXING HEIGHTS WILL BE. A LIGHT NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP AS A RIDGE ALOFT DEVELOPS OVER THE REGION DOMINATING THE WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. MAX TEMPERATURES WILL WARM A FEW MORE DEGREES WEDNESDAY...THEN ESSENTIALLY LEVEL OFF THROUGH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WHILE MINIMUM RH DROPS TO THE TEENS IN MOST LOCALES AND PERHAPS THE SINGLE DIGITS IN THE NORTHWEST. LONG RANGE MODELS HINT AT ANOTHER PERHAPS MORE ROBUST BACK DOOR FRONT PUSHING INTO THE NORTHEASTERN NM ON SATURDAY. THIS FRONT WOULD INCREASE CHANCES FOR COOLER AIR INCREASED MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. 01 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT MOVED INTO THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS THIS MORNING AND IS PROGRESSING SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OCCASIONAL GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS TO 35KT WILL BE POSSIBLE...NAMELY IN THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT IS BEGINNING TO INITIATE STORMS OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WHICH SHOULD ROLL SOUTHEAST INTO THE NEARBY SLOPES AND EASTERN PLAINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT...SOME BRIEF MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN ANY THUNDERSTORM DOWNPOURS...OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL. GUSTY GAP/CANYON WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN CENTRAL AREAS OF NM EARLY THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO ADVANCE...BUT GUSTS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW 35KT. 01 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 46 81 47 84 / 0 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 35 74 35 77 / 5 0 0 0 CUBA............................ 40 74 42 78 / 5 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 39 78 39 81 / 0 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 38 72 40 74 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 41 76 41 79 / 0 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 42 74 42 76 / 0 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 47 81 47 83 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 36 71 38 75 / 10 0 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 46 71 48 78 / 10 0 0 0 PECOS........................... 42 69 47 76 / 20 5 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 37 71 42 75 / 20 5 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 31 63 36 67 / 20 5 0 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 29 66 34 71 / 30 5 0 0 TAOS............................ 36 73 39 78 / 20 5 0 0 MORA............................ 38 68 43 76 / 20 5 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 45 77 47 82 / 10 0 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 46 71 49 76 / 10 0 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 46 74 47 80 / 10 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 52 79 52 84 / 5 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 55 78 56 83 / 5 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 52 80 55 86 / 5 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 52 80 54 86 / 5 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 50 77 51 84 / 5 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 53 79 54 85 / 5 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 53 80 55 86 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 45 75 49 80 / 10 0 0 0 TIJERAS......................... 48 79 49 84 / 10 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 42 76 43 84 / 10 0 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 44 72 48 79 / 10 0 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 46 72 48 79 / 10 0 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 49 77 51 81 / 5 0 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 45 65 50 73 / 5 5 5 0 CAPULIN......................... 40 71 49 79 / 10 5 0 0 RATON........................... 38 77 42 83 / 10 5 0 0 SPRINGER........................ 41 75 43 82 / 10 5 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 40 74 46 81 / 20 5 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 45 76 53 86 / 10 0 0 0 ROY............................. 45 72 50 84 / 10 0 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 48 79 52 89 / 20 0 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 49 78 54 90 / 20 0 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 49 79 55 91 / 20 0 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 50 74 54 88 / 20 5 0 5 PORTALES........................ 51 75 54 89 / 20 5 5 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 51 75 55 88 / 20 0 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 56 78 57 91 / 10 5 0 5 PICACHO......................... 51 73 53 85 / 10 5 5 0 ELK............................. 49 68 52 78 / 10 5 5 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 44/01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT MON SEP 17 2012 NMZ501>540-181200- 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- 600 AM MDT MON SEP 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS SUSTAINED AT 20 TO 35 MPH AND GUSTING TO AROUND 45 MPH WILL STRETCH OVER THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS TODAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Fifty-nine mph wind gust reported at a LANL mesonet site from dry shower microburst.
Sixty mph wind gust reported with dry shower microburst.
Intense gap wind flow developed for roughly one hour with peak sustained winds of 43 mph and gusts up to 53 mph.
Seventy mph wind gust recorded on Kirtland Air Force Base below Tijeras 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, September 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: 402963, 402964, 402968, 402969.