A strong back door cold front plunged down the eastern plains throughout the day on May 1. Very gusty winds developed behind this feature.
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 back door cold front plunged down the eastern plains throughout the day on May 1. Very gusty winds developed behind this feature. Significant wind speeds were focused in the northeast and eastern portions of the state throughout the day with the front stalling out along the east central plains in the afternoon. Close to sunset the front began its second surge south and west across the state. During the evening hours into the early morning hours many location in the upper Tularosa valley and the south central mountains hit high wind criteria. In the areas where the highest wind was recorded forecast 3-hour pressure changes were 17-20 mb, and the locations pin pointed by these changes are where the highest winds occurred.
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 May 1, 2:04 PM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 304 PM MDT WED MAY 1 2013 .DISCUSSION... A STRONG BACK DOOR COLD FRONT PLUNGED SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS TODAY AND WILL SURGE WESTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED MAINLY BELOW CANYONS OPENING INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY FROM THE EAST OVERNIGHT. IN ADDITION...STRONG NORTH NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WITH GUSTS PEAKING NEAR 60 MPH ALONG NEW MEXICOS EASTERN BORDER. THE EAST CANYON WIND IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THURSDAY WITH SOME EASTERLY BREEZES LINGERING INTO THURSDAY EVENING. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE ONGOING WIND ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS...EXCEPT FOR SANTA FE WHERE THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL BE REPLACED BY A WIND ADVISORY BASED ON RECENT MODEL TRENDS. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL ALSO CROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS IN NW FLOW ALOFT TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THIS UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL BRING WITH THEM ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR GENERALLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT FARTHER SOUTH ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS NEAR THE CO BORDER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. THIS WILL IMPACT I-25 OVER RATON PASS. LIGHTER AMOUNTS UP TO 1 INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE AT LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE NE HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS NEAR THE CO BORDER. THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING WITH IT FRIGID AIR. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY WILL VARY FROM 22 TO 32 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...AND 10 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FARTHER WEST...EXCEPT FOR ONLY A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL IN THE SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY. MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL HAVE RECORD AND NEAR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT...THEN THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL HAVE RECORD AND NEAR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES THURSDAY NIGHT AS WINDS CALM DOWN AND SKIES CLEAR. WILL ISSUE FREEZE AND HARD FREEZE WARNINGS FOR MOST OF THE AREA EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TONIGHT...AS WELL AS A FREEZE WARNING FOR THE NW PLATEAU. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL EXPERIENCE A LATE SEASON FREEZE THURSDAY NIGHT...WE WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING ADDITIONAL FREEZE HIGHLIGHTS BECAUSE THE CURRENT NPW IS OVERLY COMPLICATED ALREADY. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL FEATURE WARMING TEMPERATURES AS A RIDGE IS INDUCED OVER NM BY AN UPPER LOW DEVELOPING OVER CALIFORNIA AND A CLOSED LOW DEVELOPING NORTHEAST OF NM. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO RISE AND GENERALLY DRY WEATHER TO DEVELOP. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE STILL AT ODDS ON WHETHER OR NOT THE UPPER LOW OVER CA WILL EJECT EASTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. THE GFS CONTINUES TO STALL THE SYSTEM OVER THE WEST COAST...WHILE THE ECMWF IS MORE PROGRESSIVE. IF THE ECMWF IS CORRECT...THEN THE PROGRESSIVE TRACK OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD BRING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE COMING WORK WEEK. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ONGOING OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM...STRONG WINDS OVER EASTERN NM AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY...AND DRY GUSTY SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS THRU THE NEXT WEEK. MIN RH VALUES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS WITHIN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WILL CONTINUE THRU EARLY THIS EVENING UNTIL THE GAP WIND DEVELOPS AND USHERS IN STRONG EAST WINDS...WHICH AT FIRST MAY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CRITICAL FIRE WX CONDITIONS FOR AN HOUR OR TWO. RECOVERIES ACROSS THE EAST WILL BE EXCELLENT BEHIND THE FRONT WITH EVEN LOW CLOUDS...LIGHT SHOWERS AND A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE HIGH TERRAIN ALONG THE COLORADO BORDER. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THURSDAY ALLOWING GAP WINDS TO TAPER THRU THE DAY. MIN RH VALUES WILL TREND MUCH LOWER FOR THE EAST AS DRIER AIR SLIDES IN FROM THE NORTH. VENT RATES WILL DETERIORATE TOWARD THE POOR CATEGORY OUT WEST. TEMPS THRU THIS PERIOD WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL ALL AREAS...ESPECIALLY THE EAST. FRIDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION DAY WITH LIGHTER NW FLOW AND SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS HOWEVER READINGS WILL STILL BE BELOW NORMAL. VENT RATES WILL REMAIN POOR OR TREND TO FAIR FOR THE WEST. A WEAK BACK DOOR FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SNEAK INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS SATURDAY WITH ONLY SLIGHT MOISTURE INCREASES...PRIMARILY IN THE FORM OF BETTER RECOVERIES FOR SUNDAY MORNING. SUNDAY WILL BE A NEAR REPEAT OF SATURDAY BUT WITH SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS AGAIN...AND INCREASING UPPER LEVEL WINDS. SOME MID LEVEL MOISTURE WILL SNEAK NORTH INTO THE AREA INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME GUSTY VIRGA NEAR THE HIGH TERRAIN. MONDAY WILL BE THE BEST CHANCE FOR DRY GUSTY SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM FOR AREAS AROUND THE HIGH TERRAIN AS A MOISTURE IMPULSE EJECTS ACROSS NM AHEAD OF A DEVELOPING UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. BEYOND TUESDAY...EXTENDED GUIDANCE ATTEMPTS TO REALLY RAMP UP THE MOISTURE ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS AS RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE DEEPENING UPPER LOW TO OUR WEST. SOME MID LEVEL MOISTURE COULD REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN FOR MORE GUSTY VIRGA SHOWERS. TEMPS WILL TREND BACK TO NEAR NORMAL ALL AREAS THRU THIS PERIOD AND WINDS APPEAR TO BE GENERALLY LIGHT WITH SOME OCCASIONAL LOCAL BREEZES. GUYER/21 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE THE MAIN IMPACT AREA FOR AVIATION OVER THE NEXT 24 HRS WILL BE OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NM. WESTERN NM WILL SEE GUSTY NW WINDS CONTINUE THRU EARLY THIS EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF AFT SUNSET. SOME PATCHY BLDU IS LIKELY AROUND KFMN DURING PEAK WINDS WITH BKN CIGS NEAR 025 POSSIBLE FOR AN HOUR OR TWO. FOR THE EAST...A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPED SOUTH THIS MORNING WITH NORTH WINDS VEERING TO THE SOUTHEAST BY MID AFTERNOON. THE LOW CLOUD BANK IS DRAPED FROM RATON EAST TO CLAYTON AND THIS WILL RUSH SOUTH AFT SUNSET WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTH NORTHEAST ONCE AGAIN. FOCUS AREA FOR LOW CLOUDS CIGS NEAR 010 WITH PERHAPS SOME MVFR VSBYS TO 4 OR 5SM WILL BE ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MTS. SOME -SHRA/SN WILL ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLORADO BORDER AS WELL AFT SUNSET AND PERSIST THRU SUNRISE. THE OTHER BIG STORY WILL BE AN INTENSE BURST OF GAP WINDS INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY BTWN 01-03Z AS THE COLD FRONT SURGES BACK TO THE WEST. EASTERLY GAP WINDS WILL PEAK NEAR 40KTS AND AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING IS LIKELY FOR KABQ. CONFIDENCE IS LOWEST ON THE STRENGTH AND DIRECTION FOR KSAF. CLOUDS WILL CLEAR FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS AFT 15Z...WITH PERHAPS SOME LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE SE PLAINS. GUYER/21 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 29 61 29 69 / 0 0 0 0 DULCE........................... 23 55 20 65 / 10 0 0 0 CUBA............................ 24 58 21 65 / 5 0 0 0 GALLUP.......................... 25 59 16 67 / 0 0 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 22 54 18 63 / 0 0 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 27 57 21 68 / 0 0 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 32 60 27 68 / 0 0 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 32 73 27 70 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 25 50 20 59 / 10 5 0 0 LOS ALAMOS...................... 36 48 27 59 / 10 5 0 0 PECOS........................... 32 46 24 55 / 10 10 0 0 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 25 49 19 61 / 20 10 0 0 RED RIVER....................... 17 38 21 51 / 30 10 0 0 ANGEL FIRE...................... 18 42 13 55 / 40 20 0 0 TAOS............................ 26 51 18 61 / 20 5 0 0 MORA............................ 25 41 19 57 / 30 10 0 0 ESPANOLA........................ 34 55 27 67 / 10 5 0 0 SANTA FE........................ 37 51 28 59 / 10 5 0 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 36 54 28 63 / 10 5 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 43 56 32 65 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 42 56 35 66 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 41 57 31 67 / 0 0 0 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 40 61 35 70 / 0 0 0 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 40 58 31 67 / 5 0 0 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 39 60 33 69 / 0 0 0 0 SOCORRO......................... 41 62 31 71 / 0 0 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 31 54 26 63 / 10 0 0 0 TIJERAS......................... 34 57 27 66 / 10 0 0 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 31 47 26 60 / 10 5 0 0 CLINES CORNERS.................. 22 45 21 59 / 10 5 0 0 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 29 48 24 61 / 10 5 0 0 CARRIZOZO....................... 35 53 28 64 / 5 5 0 0 RUIDOSO......................... 24 41 21 56 / 10 5 0 0 CAPULIN......................... 16 35 19 55 / 50 10 5 0 RATON........................... 21 39 21 59 / 50 10 5 0 SPRINGER........................ 22 40 20 60 / 30 10 0 0 LAS VEGAS....................... 21 41 18 58 / 20 10 0 0 CLAYTON......................... 23 43 22 59 / 40 10 0 0 ROY............................. 23 40 24 58 / 20 10 0 0 CONCHAS......................... 31 48 25 65 / 20 10 0 0 SANTA ROSA...................... 30 49 25 66 / 10 10 0 0 TUCUMCARI....................... 31 48 24 64 / 20 10 0 0 CLOVIS.......................... 30 46 26 62 / 30 20 0 0 PORTALES........................ 30 49 26 63 / 40 20 0 0 FORT SUMNER..................... 32 48 27 63 / 20 10 0 0 ROSWELL......................... 36 50 31 67 / 20 10 5 0 PICACHO......................... 32 46 27 65 / 20 20 5 0 ELK............................. 31 44 24 62 / 20 20 5 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ101-102-106. FREEZE WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 11 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ501-522-524-532>537-539-540. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ519-520-525. WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ533-537>540. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ530-531-534>536. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501>506-510>516-530-531-534>536. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ527>529-532. HARD FREEZE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 PM MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ523-528>531. WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON MDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ518. && 44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 519 AM MDT WED MAY 1 2013 NMZ501>540-021130- 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- 519 AM MDT WED MAY 1 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG LATE SEASON COLD FRONT PLUNGING SOUTHWARD WILL DROP TEMPERATURES TO WELL BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES BY TONIGHT... ESPECIALLY ON THE EASTERN PLAINS. STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING UP TO AROUND 60 MPH AT TIMES WILL ACCOMPANY THE BLAST OF CHILLY AIR IN THE EAST...WITH THE HIGHEST WINDS EXPECTED TO OCCUR LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IMPACTS WILL DEVELOP AND EXPAND ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO WHERE 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED NEAR RATON PASS AND JOHNSON MESA. ELSEWHERE...THE WESTERN SEGMENT OF THE SOUTHWARD MOVING COLD FRONT WILL GENERATE GUSTY WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR NORTHWEST AND MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS THE COLD AIR DEEPENS EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...LOCALLY STRONG EAST CANYON WINDS WILL DEVELOP ALONG PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND UPPER TULAROSA BASIN WHERE GUSTS UP TO 55 OR 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE BELOW CANYONS AND FAVORED GAPS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. VISIBILITIES WILL BE LOCALLY REDUCED IN BLOWING DUST AND TRAVEL MAY BE IMPEDED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED HIGH WIND AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY EAST CANYON WINDS THURSDAY MORNING WILL GRADUALLY WANE BY LATE MORNING OR MIDDAY. LOCALIZED BLOWING DUST IMPACTS MAY BE ENCOUNTERED THURSDAY MORNING ALONG PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND UPPER TULAROSA BASIN. THEREAFTER...HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT 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. 41
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Both the AWOS and ASOS in Clovis reported high sustained winds throughout the evening and overnight hours.
Mesonet sites from this zone reached criteria near high wind with Mesonet sites in neighboring zones hitting high wind criteria throughout the late evening into overnight hours.
Multiple Mesonet sites from this zone hit wind gusts ranging from 50mph-65mph during the early morning hours of the second.
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, May 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: 438297, 438300, 438298.