Moisture and weak instability present across the eastern plains combined with afternoon heating to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few of these thunderstorms became locally severe with large hail and gusty winds.
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.
Moisture and weak instability present across the eastern plains combined with afternoon heating to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few of these thunderstorms became locally severe with large hail and gusty winds. Virga descending from thunderstorm anvils spreading over Roswell produced wind gusts up to 70 mph and significant blowing dust. Heavy rainfall was also reported with these storms across the northeast plains. Accumulating hail along Interstate 25 near Highway 64 created a rollover accident.
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 24, 10:51 AM MST, 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1151 AM MDT FRI MAY 24 2013 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE MAIN IMPACT WINDOW FOR AVIATION CONCERNS WILL BE LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING FOR EASTERN NM. CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM WILL BE UNDER VFR AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WITH PERHAPS SOME LATE DAY VIRGA AROUND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. CONFIDENCE IS MODERATELY HIGH THAT THERE WILL BE SCATTERED TO PERHAPS NMRS SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN AFT 22Z. GREATEST THREAT AREA FOR STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE STORMS BASED ON ENSEMBLE OF HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS AND SPC WILL BE OVER THE NE PLAINS FROM NEAR KRTN AND KLVS EAST TO THE TX STATE LINE...HOWEVER SOME MODELS SUGGEST NEARLY ALL OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL BE UNDER SOME THREAT. MODELS DO DISAGREE WITH HOW LONG PRECIP WILL LINGER OVER THE EAST AND WHETHER OR NOT AN MVFR LOW CLOUD LAYER WILL SET UP FROM THE PECOS RIVER VALLEY EASTWARD. GREATEST CONFIDENCE TO HOLD PREDOMINANT GROUP FOR BKN025 IN TAFS IS AT KTCC AND KROW. GUYER && .PREV DISCUSSION...332 AM MDT FRI MAY 24 2013... CONVECTIVELY INFLUENCED LOW LEVEL GULF MOISTURE SURGE MAKING ROADS RATHER FAR WESTWARD INTO THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY LATE LAST NIGHT. DEWPOINT HERE AT THE SUNPORT JUMPED FROM 5F TO 41F IN AN HOUR AND CURRENTLY STANDS AT 49F. EXPECTING THE INCREASED LOW LEVEL GULF MOISTURE OVER THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO MIX OUT BY MID TO LATE MORNING BUT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATIVE OF MORE THAN JUST A VERY SHALLOW PUSH...POSSIBLY BEING ENOUGH TO GET A HIGH BASED SHOWER OR TWO GOING AS FAR WEST AS THE WEST-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. SLIGHTLY FARTHER EAST ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WHERE DEEPER MOISTURE HAS PUSHED UP AGAINST THE EAST SLOPES...A FEW STORMS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE AT PRODUCING WETTING RAINS. MODELS INDICATING FAVORED AREA FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH- CENTRAL MOUNTAINS EASTWARD INTO CHAVES COUNTY. STRONG SURFACE CONVERGENCE OVER THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS THE FAVORED AREA FOR STRONGER STORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE EASTERN PLAINS...IN GENERAL...THE FAVORITE AREA FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING STORMS. SIMILAR WEATHER SCENARIO ON TAP FOR SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER WESTWARD PUSH OF GULF MOISTURE INTO THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND POSSIBLY AS FAR WEST AS THE DIVIDE...WITH SLIGHTLY BETTER THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR THE JEMEZ...SANDIA...MANZANO AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL START TO DRY THINGS OUT FROM THE WEST. STRONG LEE SIDE TROUGHING ALONG WITH AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHOULD MAKE FOR A BREEZY TO WINDY AND VERY WARM MEMORIAL DAY. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON HIGH TEMPERATURES SOMEWHAT FOR BOTH DAYS BUT STILL COMING IN WITH TEMPS ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES FOR LATE MAY. MEDIUM RANGE GLOBAL WEATHER PREDICTION MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT AN UNSEASONABLY DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW/TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE STATE TUESDAY AND PASS SLOWLY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. CONTINUED TO TREND THE FORECAST IN THE COOLER AND 'WETTER' DIRECTION AS A RESULT OF THE CONTINUED CONSENSUS. 33 .FIRE WEATHER... ...NEAR CRITICAL TO CRITICAL CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND... A TALE OF TWO AIRMASSES TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE DRYLINE PUSHING A TAD FURTHER EAST EACH DAY. POOR HUMIDITY RECOVERIES AND SINGLE DIGIT MINIMUMS WILL CHARACTERIZE CENTRAL AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHILE GULF MOISTURE CONTINUES OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AND ACTS AS FUEL FOR WETTING THUNDERSTORMS. IN BETWEEN THESE TWO STRONGLY CONTRASTED AIRMASSES... GENERALLY ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR DRY LIGHTNING THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY. MIXING HEIGHTS WILL BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL CENTRAL AND WEST TODAY...BUT WEAKER WINDS ALOFT WILL NOT SUPPORT SURFACE WINDS STAYING ABOVE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. SPOTTY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND SATURDAY CENTRAL AND WEST...BUT SHOULD BE SHORT-LIVED AND NOT WIDESPREAD. WETTING RAINS ARE EXPECTED EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TODAY AND SATURDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS AND OVER THE ADJACENT HIGHLANDS. HOWEVER...WETTING RAINS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD DUE TO THE DISCRETE NATURE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST. WINDS ALOFT PICK-UP A TAD ON SUNDAY AND THE DRYLINE IS FORECAST TO SLIDE FURTHER EAST...BRINGING CRITICAL HUMIDITIES TO NEAR THE TEXAS BORDER. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR MUCH OF THE AREA SUNDAY...WITH THE HIGHEST CONFIDENCE CURRENTLY ACROSS ZONES 103...104 AND 107. INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS WINDS ALOFT INCREASE AND AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES. HOWEVER...FORECAST CONFIDENCE TRENDS DOWN DURING THIS PERIOD...AS MEDIUM RANGE MODEL DIFFERENCES SHOW UP WITH THE APPROACHING TROUGH. THE 00Z GFS IS SHOWING GOOD RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY WITH AN OPEN WAVE TROUGH AND STRONGER WINDS ALOFT OVER OUR AREA...WHILE THE 00Z ECMWF IS CONTINUING THE TREND FROM THE 12Z RUN SHOWING A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER CENTRAL AZ BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. THE CLOSED LOW SOLUTION DOES HAVE SOME SUPPORT FROM SOME OF THE GEFS MEMBERS...SO WON'T DISCOUNT IT. SO...RELATIVELY HIGH CONFIDENCE ON CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MONDAY...DECREASING CONFIDENCE TUESDAY...THEN AT LEAST SOME HOPE FOR WETTING RAINS GOING INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. 11 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 542 AM MDT FRI MAY 24 2013 NMZ501>540-251200- 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- 542 AM MDT FRI MAY 24 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... THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER... THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR THE EASTERN AND NORTHEASTERN PLAINS DUE TO STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. 33
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 224 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:18 UTC.
4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime to penny size hail 2 miles south southwest of Philmont Scout Ranch.
Nickel size reported with rain 11 miles west southwest of Maxwell.
Mixture of golf ball and pea size hail reported at the NRA Whittington Center.
Golf ball size hail reported near intersection of highway 82 and state road 13.
Roswell tower confirmed strong winds, dust devils, and blowing dust with virga bomb descending from anvil of distant thunderstorm. No damage noted to tower, terminal, or aircrafts at airport.
Near zero visibility at times due to blowing dust along Highway 285 south of Roswell between mileposts 5 and 10.
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: 442212, 442213, 442218, 442410, 442220, 442209.