An upper high was parked squarely over New Mexico. Overnight showers across the Gila region in southwestern NM were responsible for significant rainfall amounts across the Whitewater-Baldy burn scar.
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 high was parked squarely over New Mexico. Overnight showers across the Gila region in southwestern NM were responsible for significant rainfall amounts across the Whitewater-Baldy burn scar. This caused some flooding with debris deposits along roads in the area. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms developed over the higher terrain then drifted over the plains and adjacent highlands. Storm motions were generally very slow to the north or northeast. Flooding developed at Los Alamos National Labs as an isolated thunderstorm formed directly overhead and remained nearly stationary for an extended period of time. There was also a lightning injury reported from another isolated storm near Santa Fe.
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 12, 2:24 AM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 324 AM MDT FRI JUL 12 2013 .DISCUSSION... CONVECTION ONGOING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FOR THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED WITHIN THE MONSOONAL MOISTURE PLUME ALONG AND WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE. LOOKING FOR AN UPTICK TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...WITH ALL BUT THE EASTERN PLAINS GETTING IN ON THE ACTION. STORM MOTION WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST TODAY...WITH SOME SLOW MOVING STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES. THE ABQ METRO MAY SEE SOME STORMS BY LATE DAY...BUT WILL NEED THE HELP OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. THE UPPER HIGH CENTER IS MOVING NORTHEAST OUT OF NEW MEXICO AND WILL BE CENTERED OVER KANSAS BY 12Z SATURDAY. A RIDGE AXIS WILL EXTEND SW OVER CO/NM...WHICH WILL FOCUS THE MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME FURTHER WEST OVER AZ AND WESTERN NM. ON SUNDAY...THE UPPER HIGH WILL BUILD BACK OVER NM/AZ AS THE WELL-ADVERTISED EASTERLY WAVE APPROACHES FROM OVER THE U.S. SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE 00Z MEDIUM RANGE MODEL SOLUTIONS AGREE ON A CLOSED EASTERLY WAVE MOVING INTO NM ON MONDAY...THEN GRADUALLY OPENING-UP AND HANGING AROUND THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. RAIN CHANCES WILL RAMP-UP LATE SUNDAY WITH INCREASING PWATS AND DECREASING PRESSURE HEIGHTS. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOW PWATS AT KABQ SURGING OVER 1.2 INCHES SUNDAY NIGHT...APPROACHING +2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL FOR JULY. EASTERLY FLOW IN THE LOW LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL PROVIDE UPSLOPE OVER THE HIGHLANDS AND EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WHICH WILL BE FAVORED FOR SOAKING RAINS BEGINNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY. NEXT WEEK IS LOOKING WETTER AND WETTER WITH EACH MODEL RUN AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING LOOKS TO BE TRENDING UP... ESPECIALLY OVER BURN SCARS. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY NEXT WEEK GIVEN RAIN COOLING AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER. IN FACT...HIGHS BY MONDAY WILL BE 5 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES LOOK TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK AS THE UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS NORTH AND EAST OF NM. 11 && .FIRE WEATHER... VERY ACTIVE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM PERIOD APPEARING MORE LIKELY FOR NEXT WEEK AS STRONG EASTERLY WAVE MOVES THROUGH NM. CENTER OF UPPER LEVEL HIGH SHIFTS SLIGHTLY EASTWARD TODAY. MORE OF A CLASSIC SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM SCENARIO EXPECTED TODAY AS SKIES THIS MORNING START OUT MOSTLY SUNNY TO PARTLY SUNNY...TEMPERATURES CLIMB NICELY AND STEERING WINDS ARE FROM A MORE COMMON DIRECTION...SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY. UPPER HIGH STARTS TO ELONGATE BACK SOUTHWESTWARD TOWARD NM SATURDAY...ALLOWING FOR DRIER AIR ALOFT TO BEGIN TO PUSH UP FROM WEST TX. SATURDAY APPEARS TO BE THE LEAST OF ACTIVE DAY FOR QUITE SOMETIME GIVEN THE LATEST WEATHER PREDICTION MODEL SOLUTIONS. ALL OPERATIONAL MODELS NOW COMING INTO VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH REGARD TO A REMARKABLY STRONG EASTERLY WAVE MOVING TOWARD AND EVENTUALLY MOVING SLOWLY WESTWARD ACROSS THE STATE LATE IN THE WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK. THE FLOW ALOFT IN BETWEEN OUR TYPICAL RESIDENT...THE UPPER LEVEL FOUR CORNERS HIGH...AND THE APPROACHING ELY WAVE BECOMES MODERATE NORTHERLY...RESULTING IN A STRONG BACKDOOR FRONT PUSHING SOUTHWARD THROUGH ERN NM SUNDAY AFTERNOON...HELPING TO PRODUCE SHOWERS AND STORMS FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WESTWARD DURING THE EVENING. THE ELY WAVE MOVES OVER THE STATE MONDAY...PROVIDING DEEP GULF MOISTURE AND COOLING TEMPERATURES ALOFT THAT ARE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS AREAWIDE WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED VERY HEAVY RAINFALL A GOOD BET. MODELS ARE IN VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT AGREEMENT THAT THE ELY WAVE WILL STALL OVER NM DURING THE WEEK. IF THIS SCENARIO PANS OUT...ALL EYES WILL FOCUS ON FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL IN RECENT BURN SCARS...ESPECIALLY DUE TO RECENT HEAVY RAINS HAVING ALREADY SATURATED THE SOIL/ASH AND CAUSED MUDSLIDES. STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR THINGS TO CHANGE BUT CONFIDENCE IS BEGINNING TO RISE FOR THIS QUITE SOGGY AND LONG LIVED MID JULY EVENT. IT/S ABOUT TIME. 33 && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE MAIN UPPER HIGH CENTER TO SHIFT SLOWLY INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS NEXT 24 HOURS. OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM CONVECTION OVER THE JEMEZ MTS HAS SPAWNED ADDITIONAL CONVECTION INTO THE MIDDLE RGV...WHICH MAY PERSIST UNTIL AROUND D8Z. ISOLD BUT HEAVY RAIN MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED MVFR TO BRIEFLY IFR CIGS/VSBYS AND MT OBSCURATIONS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 90 65 90 65 / 30 30 20 30 DULCE........................... 83 53 85 54 / 40 30 40 30 CUBA............................ 86 55 87 58 / 60 50 50 40 GALLUP.......................... 85 58 87 59 / 40 30 30 30 EL MORRO........................ 83 54 84 55 / 40 30 30 30 GRANTS.......................... 85 58 87 59 / 50 40 30 30 QUEMADO......................... 85 58 86 59 / 50 40 30 30 GLENWOOD........................ 88 58 89 60 / 40 30 30 30 CHAMA........................... 76 52 78 52 / 60 40 50 50 LOS ALAMOS...................... 84 61 85 64 / 30 30 30 30 PECOS........................... 83 60 84 63 / 40 40 40 30 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 83 55 84 57 / 40 30 30 30 RED RIVER....................... 75 48 76 48 / 60 40 50 40 ANGEL FIRE...................... 77 44 78 46 / 50 40 50 40 TAOS............................ 85 55 86 56 / 40 30 20 20 MORA............................ 79 56 81 58 / 50 40 40 30 ESPANOLA........................ 86 61 89 62 / 20 30 20 20 SANTA FE........................ 85 62 86 64 / 30 30 30 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 88 61 89 62 / 20 30 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 89 69 90 70 / 20 30 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 90 70 91 71 / 20 30 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 92 68 93 68 / 20 30 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 91 69 92 70 / 20 30 10 10 LOS LUNAS....................... 93 67 93 67 / 20 30 10 10 RIO RANCHO...................... 90 69 92 69 / 20 30 20 10 SOCORRO......................... 95 68 96 68 / 20 20 20 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 87 61 88 62 / 30 30 20 20 TIJERAS......................... 88 63 89 65 / 20 30 20 20 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 85 60 86 61 / 30 30 30 20 CLINES CORNERS.................. 84 61 85 63 / 30 30 20 10 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 86 63 87 63 / 30 30 10 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 89 67 91 65 / 20 20 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 82 58 83 57 / 30 30 20 10 CAPULIN......................... 86 59 87 59 / 20 40 30 20 RATON........................... 91 60 91 60 / 40 30 20 20 SPRINGER........................ 90 61 90 61 / 30 30 20 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 84 60 85 59 / 30 40 20 10 CLAYTON......................... 94 70 96 69 / 10 10 5 5 ROY............................. 90 67 91 67 / 10 20 5 5 CONCHAS......................... 94 72 95 69 / 10 10 5 5 SANTA ROSA...................... 93 71 95 71 / 10 20 5 5 TUCUMCARI....................... 97 74 99 72 / 10 10 5 5 CLOVIS.......................... 92 69 94 68 / 10 10 5 5 PORTALES........................ 93 70 95 69 / 10 10 5 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 93 72 95 71 / 10 10 5 5 ROSWELL......................... 96 73 97 70 / 10 10 5 5 PICACHO......................... 91 66 93 64 / 10 20 5 5 ELK............................. 87 63 88 62 / 20 20 10 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 529 AM MDT THU JUL 11 2013 NMZ501>540-121200- 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- 529 AM MDT THU JUL 11 2013 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 THUNDERSTORMS TODAY MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED HEAVY DOWNPOURS WITH AN INCREASED THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. BEST CHANCES WILL BE OVER THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. THIS INCLUDES BURN SCAR AREAS IN THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND JEMEZ RANGES..AND IN SOUTHERN CATRON COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER... THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT EACH DAY MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED HEAVY DOWNPOURS WITH AN INCREASED THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. BEST CHANCES FOR HEAVIER THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH SATURDAY. LOCAL DOWNPOURS WILL PRODUCE AN INCREASED RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING OVER BURN SCARS... ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHERN CATRON AND LINCOLN COUNTIES...AND OVER THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO AND JEMEZ RANGES. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT MEASURED RAINFALL AMOUNTS... RAINFALL IMPACTS...AND OBSERVED HAIL SIZES THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 11
The Tucson radar (KEMX), 236 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:02 UTC.
1 flood, 1 funnel cloud, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Morning rainfall that ranged from 1 to nearly 3 in some areas around the burn scar caused heavy flows in creeks in the area which in turn deposited debris on roads. Roads were closed until the Department of Transportation could clear them.
Photos of a small funnel cloud over the Grants area were received from the public.
Power outages as well as flooding in the basement at Los Alamos National Labs were reported. An isolated strong cell formed over the area and stayed generally stationary for 2 hours. Rainfall amounts over 1.5 were recorded at sites across LANL.
The Santa Fe New Mexican ran story about lightning hitting a large cottonwood tree in the Santa Fe Plaza. The bolt hit the tree and sent branches flying into a nearby crowd of people that were gathered in downtown for weekend festivities. Newspaper reporting that at least one man was injured from flying debris while another had breathing problems for a short time.
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, July 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: 453722, 454152, 453717, 453709.