A convectively-induced back door frontal boundary shifted slowly southwest across eastern New Mexico beneath northwest flow aloft. Deep moisture and afternoon heating spawned several strong thunderstorms along this boundary.
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.
A convectively-induced back door frontal boundary shifted slowly southwest across eastern New Mexico beneath northwest flow aloft. Deep moisture and afternoon heating spawned several strong thunderstorms along this boundary. Strong winds were reported at the Tucumcari airport with numerous reports of heavy rainfall, intense lightning, and pea to quarter size hail. Thunderstorms impacted Interstate 40 between Tucumcari and San Jon.
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 13, 2:06 PM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 306 PM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 .DISCUSSION... LOW TOPPED GARDEN VARIETY CROP OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING MOST AREAS THIS AFTERNOON. MAIN FOCUS WILL BE THE NE HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS WHERE STRONG TO A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. BEST COMBINATION OF EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR (40KTS) AND CAPE (~3000J/KG) REMAIN OVER THE FAR EAST- CENTRAL PLAINS IN AND NEAR TUCUMCARI. STORMS WILL LIKELY COME OFF THE NRN SANGRES AND RATON MESA AND MOVE SEWD INTO THE JUICIER AIR. RAIN COOLED AIR OVER NE NM HELPS SEND BACKDOOR FRONT SWWD LATE THIS EVENING. LAST COUPLE OF NAM12 RUNS A TAD WEAKER WITH THE PUSH BUT CONTINUE TO SHOW A WWD PUSH SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT. EAST CANYON WINDS WILL PUSH THE HIGHER SFC DEWPOINT AIR WWD LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. BOUNDARY/FRONT PUSHES UP TO THE WEST-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...SETTING THE STAGE FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODELS NOT AS ROBUST WILL LINE OF STORMS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OR SO OF THE SW MOUNTAINS EXTENDING NORTH TO AROUND MOUNT TAYLOR AND CABEZON AREAS. 18Z NAM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP CONVECTION TO THE WEST AND EAST OF ABQ METRO SO A FAIR SHOT AT THUNDERSTORMS LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING WITH W/NW STEERING FLOW. FAR WEST-CENTRAL AREAS ALONG WITH NW PLATEAU REMAIN DRY AS VERY DRY AIR ALOFT WINS OUT OVER DEVELOPING CUMULUS CLOUDS. SIMILAR SCENARIO APPEARS IN THE OFFING FOR THURSDAY...ALBEIT WITH SLIGHTLY MORE INFLUENCE FROM THE DRY AIR ALOFT OVER A LARGER PORTION OF WEST-CENTRAL AND NW NM...NOSING INTO THE NRN AND CENTRAL RG VALLEY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. DRIER AIR ALOFT OVER WEST AND RG TAKES HOLD FRIDAY...LIMITING CONVECTION TO THE SRN GILA AND ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN. DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TRANSLATING EWD THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN FORCES THE RIDGE AXIS EWD SOMEWHAT SATURDAY...SETTING UP A LOW AND MID-LEVEL (700MB) SLY FLOW OVER THE STATE. AN UPTICK IN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND AS MONSOON MOISTURE RETURNS AND COMBINES WITH A FEW WEAK WIGGLES IN THE NW FLOW ALOFT TO PRODUCE MORE ACTIVITY. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW UPPER LEVEL HIGH CENTER OVER SRN AZ WITH WEAK WAVES MOVING SEWD IN THE NW FLOW ALOFT OVER NRN NM. THIS FLOW WOULD FAVOR THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS EAST AND SEWD OUT ONTO THE PLAINS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. 33 && .FIRE WEATHER... DESPITE THE DRYING DEPICTED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY CLOSE TO WEST CENTRAL/NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO...AT LEAST ISOLD CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE CONTDVD. ALTHOUGH DEWPOINTS HAVE STARTED TO MIX OUT OVER THIS AREA...12Z MODELS INDICATED AN INCREASE IN MID LEVEL THETA E SO COULD POTENTIALLY BE A FEW VIRGA BOMBS AMONG THIS AFTERNOONS CROP. CELLS ALSO SEEM TO BE MOVING AND STEERING FLOW TAKING CELLS OFF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN AND INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE AN EAST WIND INTO THE RGV AT SOME POINT THIS EVENING OR AFTER MIDNIGHT...THOUGH AT THIS TIME DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHETHER THE DRIVER WILL BE WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SOUTHWEST/WESTWARD MOVING BOUNDARY OVER KANSAS AND INTO EAST CENTRAL CO ATTM OR SOMETHING CLOSER TO HOME. GOOD OR GREATER RH RECOVERIES TONIGHT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TREND OF DECREASING DEWPOINTS WEST OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THEREFORE SOME MIN RH VALUES...ESPECIALLY FROM THE CONTDVD WESTWARD AND ESPECIALLY IN THE FAR NORTHWEST CORNER...COULD FALL BELOW 15 PERCENT. SOME MOISTURE MAY ATTEMPT TO KICK BACK INTO THE RGV AT NIGHT BUT MIXES OUT EACH DAY. VENTILATION GOOD TO EXCELLENT OVERALL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...ON WEDNESDAY SOME AREAS OF FAIR AND EVEN POCKETS OF POOR RATES NOTED OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AND SOUTHWEST/LOWER RGV DUE MOST LIKELY TO THE COMBO OF THE BUILDING RIDGE AND ANTICIPATED SURFACE BOUNDARY...WHICH MAY RESULT IN SOME COOLER HIGHS. THE RIDGE AXIS BECOMES ORIENTED FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN/WESTERN CO SOUTH THROUGH ERN AZ BY LATE THIS WEEK. THIS SUPPORTS DECREASING CONVECTION IN THE WEST WHILE KEEPING THE EAST OPEN TO OCCASIONAL FRONTS...WITH ONE FORECAST FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT...AND THEREFORE BETTER CHANCES FOR CONVECTION. THERE CONTINUES TO BE DIFFERENCES IN HOW THE MODELS HANDLE AN APPROACHING UPPER DISTURBANCE LATE THIS WEEKEND. THE 12Z GFS STILL MOSTLY DEFLECTS IT OVER THE RIDGE ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS TO BREAK DOWN THE RIDGE A LITTLE MORE...WHILE THE ECMWF BATTERS DOWN THE RIDGE BUT IT/S NOT TIL EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SUGGESTS SOME DRIER AIR TRYING TO PUSH INTO NORTHWEST NM HOWEVER 12Z MODELS SUGGESTING HIGHER VALUES OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE MIGRATING NEWD ALG CONTDVD NEXT 6 HRS. LOTS OF CU DEVELOPING ATTM SO EXPECT MOST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN TO SEE AT LEAST ISOLD TSRA. ALONG THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN REMNANTS OF WK SFC BNDRY AND WLY STEERING FLOW SHOULD HELP SPREAD TSRA COVERAGE OFF THE MTS AND INTO THE PLAINS. LOW LEVEL ELY WINDS TO PUSH INTO THE RGV THIS EVENING...AND POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR MVFR TO IFR CIGS NE ABD EAST CENTRAL PLAINS AND HIGHLANDS AFT 06Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 59 92 58 93 / 5 5 5 5 DULCE........................... 47 83 46 85 / 10 20 5 10 CUBA............................ 51 87 50 88 / 20 20 10 10 GALLUP.......................... 53 86 53 87 / 5 5 5 5 EL MORRO........................ 49 79 49 81 / 10 5 5 10 GRANTS.......................... 53 84 53 85 / 10 20 5 10 QUEMADO......................... 53 83 54 85 / 10 10 10 10 GLENWOOD........................ 55 88 56 87 / 5 20 10 10 CHAMA........................... 45 74 45 76 / 20 30 10 20 LOS ALAMOS...................... 57 79 56 82 / 20 40 30 20 PECOS........................... 54 75 53 78 / 30 40 30 30 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 51 77 50 78 / 20 20 10 20 RED RIVER....................... 45 69 46 70 / 40 50 30 30 ANGEL FIRE...................... 43 72 43 74 / 30 50 20 30 TAOS............................ 49 80 49 83 / 20 20 10 20 MORA............................ 51 73 51 78 / 40 50 30 40 ESPANOLA........................ 60 84 60 88 / 10 20 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 55 78 55 82 / 30 30 30 10 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 58 82 57 85 / 20 30 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 64 86 63 88 / 10 30 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 66 88 66 90 / 10 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 61 90 66 92 / 10 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 65 89 65 91 / 10 20 10 10 LOS LUNAS....................... 65 89 64 90 / 10 20 10 10 RIO RANCHO...................... 64 89 64 91 / 10 20 10 10 SOCORRO......................... 66 93 66 94 / 10 20 30 20 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 57 82 58 85 / 20 30 30 30 TIJERAS......................... 55 83 56 86 / 20 30 30 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 52 84 51 86 / 20 30 40 30 CLINES CORNERS.................. 56 78 56 82 / 40 40 50 50 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 57 82 57 83 / 30 30 40 40 CARRIZOZO....................... 62 85 62 88 / 20 30 30 30 RUIDOSO......................... 55 77 56 78 / 30 40 40 40 CAPULIN......................... 54 74 54 80 / 50 50 40 40 RATON........................... 55 79 54 83 / 50 50 40 40 SPRINGER........................ 56 80 55 86 / 50 50 40 30 LAS VEGAS....................... 53 76 54 82 / 40 50 40 40 CLAYTON......................... 61 78 62 83 / 50 40 40 40 ROY............................. 58 76 58 83 / 60 50 30 50 CONCHAS......................... 65 83 65 88 / 60 30 40 50 SANTA ROSA...................... 65 84 65 90 / 50 40 40 50 TUCUMCARI....................... 67 86 67 91 / 60 30 40 40 CLOVIS.......................... 65 83 64 87 / 60 40 30 40 PORTALES........................ 66 84 65 89 / 60 40 30 40 FORT SUMNER..................... 67 85 67 90 / 50 30 30 40 ROSWELL......................... 70 92 69 94 / 20 20 20 30 PICACHO......................... 62 87 62 89 / 20 20 20 30 ELK............................. 58 80 59 82 / 30 30 30 40 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 NMZ501>540-141200- ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY- EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY- RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY- SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 600 AM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL BE A FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN...THOUGH A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637 TO REPORT HAIL...HIGH WINDS...AND ANY FLOODING. 34
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 526 PM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 NMZ533-140000- GUADALUPE COUNTY- 526 PM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL GUADALUPE COUNTY THROUGH 600 PM MDT... AT 525 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SANTA ROSA LAKE STATE PARK...OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF SANTA ROSA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...SANTA ROSA AND PUERTO DE LUNA. THIS WILL IMPACT INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 273 AND 290... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3501 10439 3476 10462 3506 10479 3517 10468 TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 304DEG 17KT 3504 10468 SHOEMAKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 529 PM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 NMZ531-532-534-140000- EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- 529 PM MDT TUE AUG 13 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME EASTERN SAN MIGUEL... CENTRAL QUAY AND EXTREME SOUTHERN HARDING COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM MDT... AT 525 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTH OF TUCUMCARI...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS 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...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL QUAY AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3523 10336 3504 10366 3534 10379 3544 10365 TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 318DEG 19KT 3532 10368 SHOEMAKE
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:43 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Tucucmari ASOS reported a 64 mph wind gust at 1645 followed by a peak wind gust of 70 mph at 1646.
Spotter reported pea to quarter size hail.
Trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2013
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: 459785, 460389, 460390.