An upper level ridge shifted eastward toward southwestern New Mexico in response to a short wave trough moving into the Pacific Northwest. A moist and unstable airmass over New Mexico led to an uptick in shower and thunderstorm development throughout the day.
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 level ridge shifted eastward toward southwestern New Mexico in response to a short wave trough moving into the Pacific Northwest. A moist and unstable airmass over New Mexico led to an uptick in shower and thunderstorm development throughout the day. Storms pushed east-southeast off the higher terrain producing some locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds. One storm in particular that impacted areas near Los Alamos produced strong winds. Additionally, heavy rain from a cluster of storms along U.S. 491 in San Juan County produced significant flash flooding.
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 5, 2:20 PM MST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 320 PM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 .DISCUSSION... VERY FEW CHANGES MADE TO THE GOING FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON. UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS SHIFTING EAST OVER ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON...AND APPEARS THERE IS A WEAK DISTURBANCE ROUNDING THE NORTHEASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH. WITH MOISTURE IN PLACE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NM THIS AFTERNOON AS EXPECTED. STORM MOTION IS MUCH SLOWER AND MORE SOUTHEASTERLY TODAY THAN YESTERDAY...THOUGH VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT...OR PERHAPS SLIGHTLY SOUTHWESTERLY...HAS BEEN NOTED ACROSS THE SW. THIS SLOWER STORM MOTION WILL RESULT IN HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS IN ISOLATED LOCALES...INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BURN SCAR AREAS. MORE STORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NE NM THIS AFTN/EVE DUE TO THE WEAK DISTURBANCE AND STORMS MOVING MORE TO THE SOUTHEAST. UPPER HIGH STILL EXPECTED TO BE SQUARELY OVER NM ON SATURDAY. STORM MOTIONS WILL BE SLOW...AND VARYING DEPENDING ON LOCATION. ANOTHER WEAK DISTURBANCE MAY ROUND THE HIGH ACROSS N/NE NM PROMPTING ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE NE. OTHERWISE...STORMS WILL TEND TO HUG THE HIGH TERRAIN DUE TO LITTLE STEERING FLOW. ALL EYES ON WHERE THE HIGH WILL PROPAGATE EARLY NEXT WEEK. STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL ELONGATE ON SUNDAY...THOUGH THE CENTROID MAY BE EAST OF NM...ALLOWING SOME MOISTURE UP OVER CENTRAL/WESTERN NM. HIGH WILL REMAIN ELONGATED MONDAY...THOUGH WHERE THE CENTROID WILL BE LOCATED REMAINS UP FOR GRABS DEPENDING ON MODEL OF CHOICE. BY WEDNESDAY...HOWEVER...MODELS TEND TO HAVE THE HIGH CONSOLIDATING OVER NW NM...PREVENTING BETTER MOISTURE FROM TRACKING NORTHWARD FROM OLD MEXICO. ADDITIONALLY...MODELS KEEP THE BACK DOOR FRONT IN COLORADO ON WEDNESDAY THAT WAS PROGGED TO MOVE INTO NE NM YESTERDAY. LOOKS LIKE THE HIGH WILL SHIFT NORTH OVER COLORADO DURING THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK. REGARDLESS OF THE UPPER HIGH POSITION...MOISTURE WILL RECYCLE WITH DAILY ROUNDS OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...THOUGH COVERAGE LOOKS TO DECREASE SLIGHTLY DAY TO DAY UNLESS MOISTURE IS REPLACED IN SOME WAY. STORM MOTIONS WILL GENERALLY BE SLOW...RESULTING IN POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. 34 && .FIRE WEATHER... UPPER LEVEL HIGH CONTINUES TO DRIFT TO THE EAST AS LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS ALONG THE WEST COAST...CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER THE ARIZONA NEW MEXICO BORDER. THUS THIS AFTERNOONS THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN ZONES WHILE THOSE IN THE WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN ARE NEARLY STATIONARY OR MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST. SPOTTY AREAS OF WETTING RAIN WILL LINGER DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...GENERALLY OVER THE NORTHEAST AND WESTERN ZONES. RH RECOVERIES TO BE GOOD TO EXCELLENT EXCEPT ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU WHERE RECOVERIES WILL BE FAIR. VERY LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND. THE HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT TO THE EAST TO BE CENTERED OVER NEW MEXICO. WETTING RAIN WILL FAVOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN. WITH SLOWER STEERING FLOWS THE CENTRAL VALLEY SHOULD SEE A DECREASE IN WETTING RAIN. EXTREME NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST ZONES WILL ALSO SEE FEWER STORMS. TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE A FEW DEGREES MOST LOCATIONS ON SATURDAY WITH LITTLE CHANGE ON SUNDAY. LITTLE CHANGE IN RH RECOVERIES WITH GOOD TO EXCELLENT VALUES EXCEPT FOR FAIR RECOVERIES IN THE NORTHWEST. DECREASING WINDS ACROSS THE WEST ON SUNDAY WILL RESULT IN SOME AREAS OF POOR TO FAIR VENTILATION. EXTENDED MODELS ELONGATE THE HIGH EARLY INTO NEXT WEEK AND MOST SOLUTIONS AGREE WITH A DRIFT TO THE NORTH AS WELL. ADDITIONALLY... AN EASTERLY WAVE LOOKS TO ROTATE AROUND THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH AND OVER MEXICO. HIGH DOESNT BUILD FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST TO TRANSPORT THE MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO NEW MEXICO HOWEVER. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE WILL REMAIN TO SUPPORT DAILY ROUNDS OF WETTING RAIN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH A GRADUAL TREND DOWN IN COVERAGE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAINES WILL INCREASE DURING THIS TIME ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST. 05 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE ACTIVE CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH A CHANGE IN STEERING FLOW FROM PREVIOUS DAYS. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TO INITIALLY BE GREATEST OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN HIGHER TERRAIN. ACROSS THE NORTH...THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 15 MPH SUCH THAT COVERAGE WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. THINKING IT WILL REACH THE KTCC AREA LATE AFTERNOON AND VCTS WAS INCLUDED THERE. OVER THE SOUTHWEST AREA...STEERING FLOW WILL BE TO THE SOUTH OR SOUTHEAST BUT AT A SLOWER RATE...5 TO 10 MPH. LESS COVERAGE EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHEAST AT THIS TIME. PLENTY OF ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE IS IN PLACE AND LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE AFTER 03Z WITH SHOWERS LINGERING THROUGH AROUND 12Z. OUTSIDE ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. 05 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 66 94 64 94 / 20 10 10 10 DULCE........................... 51 89 49 88 / 20 20 20 30 CUBA............................ 55 91 55 91 / 30 30 20 40 GALLUP.......................... 60 88 56 89 / 20 30 20 20 EL MORRO........................ 53 82 51 84 / 30 50 30 50 GRANTS.......................... 58 88 56 89 / 30 30 20 40 QUEMADO......................... 58 85 58 87 / 40 40 30 50 GLENWOOD........................ 56 90 55 92 / 30 30 20 30 CHAMA........................... 49 81 49 80 / 30 40 30 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 62 86 64 85 / 40 30 40 30 PECOS........................... 61 83 62 81 / 40 50 30 50 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 55 81 58 80 / 30 30 40 40 RED RIVER....................... 47 75 47 73 / 40 50 40 60 ANGEL FIRE...................... 41 79 40 76 / 40 50 40 60 TAOS............................ 55 88 55 87 / 30 30 40 30 MORA............................ 55 82 56 79 / 40 50 40 50 ESPANOLA........................ 62 90 63 89 / 30 20 40 30 SANTA FE........................ 64 86 64 85 / 40 30 30 40 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 63 91 63 89 / 40 20 40 30 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 69 92 69 91 / 30 20 20 30 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 70 93 71 92 / 30 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 68 94 69 93 / 30 20 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 67 93 68 92 / 30 20 20 20 LOS LUNAS....................... 68 95 67 94 / 30 20 20 20 RIO RANCHO...................... 67 95 67 94 / 30 20 20 20 SOCORRO......................... 68 99 66 99 / 30 20 20 30 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 61 92 62 91 / 40 30 30 40 TIJERAS......................... 62 91 64 90 / 40 20 20 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 57 89 59 87 / 40 30 30 40 CLINES CORNERS.................. 59 87 61 85 / 50 40 30 60 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 61 88 62 87 / 40 30 30 50 CARRIZOZO....................... 64 91 64 90 / 30 30 30 30 RUIDOSO......................... 57 81 58 80 / 40 50 40 50 CAPULIN......................... 59 84 60 82 / 40 40 40 30 RATON........................... 58 90 59 88 / 40 50 40 30 SPRINGER........................ 58 90 58 87 / 40 50 40 30 LAS VEGAS....................... 58 87 57 84 / 40 50 40 40 CLAYTON......................... 64 93 67 92 / 30 30 30 30 ROY............................. 63 89 65 87 / 40 40 40 30 CONCHAS......................... 68 95 68 93 / 30 30 30 20 SANTA ROSA...................... 67 96 69 93 / 30 30 30 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 71 97 70 97 / 30 30 30 10 CLOVIS.......................... 64 92 66 92 / 20 20 20 10 PORTALES........................ 65 92 66 92 / 20 20 20 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 68 94 68 93 / 30 30 30 20 ROSWELL......................... 67 97 69 96 / 20 20 20 20 PICACHO......................... 62 91 63 90 / 30 30 30 20 ELK............................. 60 84 61 84 / 50 50 50 40 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 34
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 541 AM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 NMZ501>540-061200- 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- 541 AM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATER TODAY INTO THE EVENING...FAVORING A BROAD CORRIDOR FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO. STEERING WINDS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER AND MORE VARIABLE ACROSS THE WEST...AND VERTICAL WIND PROFILES WILL NOT BE NEAR AS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AS COMPARED TO RECENT DAYS. HOWEVER... A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES...WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND BRIEF BUT INTENSE DOWNPOURS. RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND THREE-QUARTER INCH PER HOUR COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING OVER OR NEAR BURN SCARS. STORMS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS BETWEEN 200 PM AND 1000 PM BEFORE DIMINISHING AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW...AS STRONGER AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ISOLATED IN NATURE. HOWEVER...SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. IN URBAN AREAS OR REGIONS OF COMPLEX TERRAIN...RAIN AT THIS RATE CAN EASILY PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING AND POSSIBLY FLASH FLOODING. WITHIN RECENTLY BURNED FORESTS IT COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING THAT SPREADS QUICKLY TO LOWER ELEVATIONS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REMEMBER TO CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-888-386-7637 TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...HAIL AND/OR DAMAGING WINDS. 41
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
148 PM MDT FRI JUL 05 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0740 PM FLASH FLOOD MOGOLLON 33.40N 108.79W
07/04/2013 CATRON NM PARK/FOREST SRVC
BURSUM ROAD-NM 159 CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING AND BURN SCAR
DEBRIS FROM MM 2 TO MM 25.
&&
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1301221
JLPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 325 PM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 NMZ511-519-521-052200- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS- 325 PM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL BERNALILLO...CENTRAL VALENCIA AND SOUTHERN SANDOVAL COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM MDT... AT 318 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BERNALILLO TO LOS LUNAS...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...LOS LUNAS...ALBUQUERQUE... ISLETA PUEBLO...LOS CHAVEZ...BOSQUE FARMS AND ALGODONES. THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING NEW MEXICO HIGHWAYS... INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 141 AND 162... INTERSTATE 25 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 197 AND 248... BLOWING DUST ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS CAN REDUCE VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. && LAT...LON 3538 10642 3471 10675 3477 10707 3544 10674 TIME...MOT...LOC 2124Z 289DEG 16KT 3529 10654 3479 10679 SHOEMAKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 448 PM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 NMZ512-513-516-052315- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 448 PM MDT FRI JUL 5 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL TAOS AND EXTREME WESTERN COLFAX COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM MDT... AT 443 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF ARROYO HONDO...OR ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF QUESTA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. HAIL MAY ACCUMULATE ON ROADS...CREATING TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...QUESTA...ARROYO HONDO...ARROYO SECO...TAOS PUEBLO...RED RIVER...CERRO...SAN CRISTOBAL...LAMA... VALDEZ AND EL PRADO. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. HEAVY RAINS WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND IN LOW SPOTS. FAST RUNNING WATER WILL QUICKLY FILL ARROYOS AND DITCHES. && LAT...LON 3675 10533 3637 10549 3661 10589 3677 10578 TIME...MOT...LOC 2247Z 298DEG 7KT 3665 10573 SHOEMAKE
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet site recorded a 58mph wind gust as an isolated cell moved from NW to the SE across the area.
A local news station reported that heavy rains Friday night caused part of U.S. 491 to collapse creating a sinkhole. The rain was reported to have damaged a culvert that ran underneath the roadway leading to the collapse. U.S. 491 was closed in both directions between Sheep Springs and Naschitti for several days after the event.
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: 451203, 453081.