A warm, dry, and unstable airmass combined with a weak mid level moist layer produced a well defined and large dust devil or landspout tornado hybrid over the Estancia Valley. Numerous pictures were obtained of this feature which garnered signature local media coverage.
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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 warm, dry, and unstable airmass combined with a weak mid level moist layer produced a well defined and large dust devil or landspout tornado hybrid over the Estancia Valley. Numerous pictures were obtained of this feature which garnered signature local media coverage.
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 9, 5:00 PM MST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 PM MDT THU MAY 9 2013 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE SCT TO ISOLD -SHRA AND -TSRA WILL CONTINUE UNTIL A COUPLE HOURS AFTER SUNSET ACROSS N...CENTRAL AND W AREAS THIS EVENING. A COLD FRONT DROPPING S THROUGH THE STATE WILL PRODUCE A GUSTY WIND SHIFT AREAWIDE OVERNIGHT...EXCEPT FOR N AREAS WHERE WINDS HAVE ALREADY SHIFTED AND BECOME GUSTY. THE STRONGER FRONTAL PUSH WILL BE ON THE E PLAINS...AND AN UPPER LOW W OF NM WILL DRAW THE FRONT THROUGH GAPS IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AS A GUSTY E CANYON WIND TONIGHT. THE LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS KABQ GUSTS WILL STAY UNDER 35 KT...HOWEVER THERE IS A FAIR CHANCE THAT AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING WILL BE NEEDED AT THE SUNPORT FOR G40KT WITHIN A FEW HOURS AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE FRONT WILL INTRODUCE ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SCT TO NUMEROUS -SHRA/-TSRA ON FRI. ALL TAF SITES WILL HAVE A CHANCE FOR -TSRA FRI AFTN/EVENING...ESPECIALLY KLVS AND KSAF. 44 && .PREV DISCUSSION...302 PM MDT THU MAY 9 2013... UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS SLIDING EVER SO SLOWLY SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES THIS AFTERNOON. BEST CHANCES FOR SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS STILL APPEARS TO BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING WHEN THE TROUGH DEFORMATION AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD AND THE SHEAR BETWEEN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE AND NORTHEAST FLOW ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE TROUGH CREATE LARGE SCALE LIFT WHICH WILL COINCIDE WITH PEAK INSTABILITY DUE TO DAYTIME HEATING. TROUGH/DEFORMATION AXIS ALONG WITH SLIGHT COOLING ALOFT WILL LIKELY KEEP ISOLATED SHOWERS GOING OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS. BACKDOOR FRONT GETS INTO THE MIX THIS EVENING...HELPING TO KEEP SHOWERS GOING OVERNIGHT IN THE EASTERN PLAINS. EAST WIND IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY LIKELY TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT...HELPING TO SET THE STAGE FOR INCREASED SURFACE MOISTURE FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM FRIDAY. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF SOMEWHAT ON QPF AMOUNTS BUT STILL GENERATE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...WITH FOCUS ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND OVER THE HIGHER PEAKS OF THE GILA. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT AN UPPER LEVEL CLOSED CIRCULATION DEVELOPS ONCE AGAIN OVER THE BAJA AS A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE DEVELOPS OVER THE WRN CONUS. GOOD AGREEMENT OVERALL BTWN THE GFS/NAM/ECMWF INDICATING ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE IN PLACE FOR MAINLY SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY MOUNTAINS...THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. NO REAL REGIONAL OR LARGE SCALE FORCING TO PICK UP BUT WITH GENERAL NORTH TO NORTHEAST FLOW ALOFT...SUSPECT SEVERAL WEAK BACKDOOR SURGES WILL HELP INITIATE CONVECTION OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS SUNDAY AND MONDAY. HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE EVENTUALLY FOLDS OVER AND FORMS WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TYPICAL LATE MAY TO EARLY JUNEISH TYPE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN... WITH A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE/BUBBLE OVER THE SOUTHWEST US AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES. THE ONE CAVEAT IS THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED UPPER LEVEL LOW/CIRCULATION OVER THE BAJA REMAINS INTACT AND DRIFTS NORTHWARD AGAIN INTO SOUTHWEST NM TOWARD MID WEEK...POSSIBLY GENERATING A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE GILA AND SACRAMENTO MTNS MID WEEK. 33 .FIRE WEATHER... LOTS OF SHOWER ACTIVITY AROUND BUT LIMITED ON RAINFALL WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF WETTING RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECONDARY BACK DOOR COLD FRONTAL SURGE ACROSS THE EAST TONIGHT. SOME ISOLD STORMS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST/NORTHCENTRAL TIER WILL BRING BRIEF PERIODS OF MODERATE AND SOMETIMES HEAVY RAIN. THE STAGE IS STILL SET FOR A STRONG FIRE WEATHER SLOWING EVENT PEAKING OUT ON FRIDAY BUT LASTING INTO THE WEEKEND. THIS PERIOD WILL GENERALLY BE CHARACTERIZED WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE SEASONABLE HUMIDITY. HAINES VALUES WILL BE TEMPERED AND WIND FLOWS DONT LOOK TO BE ALL THAT STRONG EXCEPT FOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TONIGHT...INCLUDING GAP WINDS ALONG THE CENTRAL MTNS. DID INCLUDE SOME GAP WIND EFFECTS...AS WELL AS MTN TOP EASTERLY GUSTS FRIDAY NIGHT. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING A BIT FURTHER WEST AND SOUTH WITH THE MEAN UPPER LEVEL LOW LOCATION THE PAST 24 TO 48 HOURS SO THIS IMPACTS SOME OF THE EVENT CHARACTERISTICS. WETTING RAIN CHANCES MOST PROLIFIC ALONG THE FRONT RANGE ON FRIDAY. RECYCLING OF MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WETTING RAIN CHANCES WILL DIMINISH SOME DUE TO THE GRADUAL WARMING AND DRYING TREND. DID NOTICE THAT THE MODELS ARE BRINGING A WEAKER MID LEVEL DRY INTRUSION INTO THE NORTHWEST THIRD TO HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA AS THE WEEKEND PROGRESSES THUS CONTINUED THE TREND THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT STARTED AND DRIED DEWPOINTS BELOW GUIDANCE NUMBERS UP THAT WAY. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME A BIT MORE UNSTABLE ON SUNDAY WITH A RETURN TO HAINES 5 VALUES ACROSS THE WEST. THE GFS AND ECMWF CONTINUE THE DRYING AND WARMING TREND FOR MONDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE INTERIOR WEST KEEPING THE UPPER LOW FURTHER SOUTH OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY SHOULD BECOME NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL BY A FEW DEGREES. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE MORE IN LINE WITH BRINGING THE ORIGINAL UPPER WAVE THAT WILL RESIDE OVER MEXICO IN THE COMING DAYS BACK OVER THE STATE TUESDAY WITH RESIDUAL DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW ON WEDNESDAY. THUS...SOME SPOT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY WITH SOME ENHANCED DRY SLOTTING MID WEEK. CONFIDENCE IS SOMEWHAT TENUOUS WITH THIS SOLUTION DUE TO THE LACK OF RUN TO RUN MODEL CONTINUITY. GFS AND ECMWF A BIT MORE IN LINE WITH SOME SORT OF RIDGING LATER IN THE WEEK AS THE JET STREAM REMAINS ACTIVE FURTHER NORTH. THIS MEANS ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND MUCH LOWER HUMIDITY VALUES. AGAIN...MODELS HAVE JUMPED AROUND WITH THIS SCENARIO SO NOT GOING TO HANG MY HAT ON ANYTHING AT THIS TIME. CONFIDENCE IS LOW TO MODERATE FOR MOST OF NEXT WEEK. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 600 AM MDT THU MAY 9 2013 NMZ501>540-101200- 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 THU MAY 9 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... A PAIR OF BACK DOOR COLD FRONTS WILL BRING MOISTURE AND MODEST INSTABILITY TO THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONG TO PERHAPS SEVERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP...POTENTIALLY PRODUCING STRONG OR DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS 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 MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. 34
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
446 PM MDT THU MAY 9 2013
NMZ534>536-092315-
CURRY COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-
446 PM MDT THU MAY 9 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME NORTHWESTERN ROOSEVELT...
CENTRAL QUAY AND WESTERN CURRY COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM MDT...
AT 442 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES
NORTHWEST OF WHEATLAND TO 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF RANCHVALE TO 6 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MELROSE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING DUST WITH VISIBILITY
DOWN BELOW ONE HALF OF A MILE ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
AREAS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...WHEATLAND...GRADY...AND
FORREST.
&&
LAT...LON 3502 10325 3467 10333 3443 10352 3447 10375
3475 10355 3505 10350
TIME...MOT...LOC 2244Z 299DEG 6KT 3498 10344 3466 10351
3438 10372
GUYERThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
A large dust devil or landspout tornado tore through open rangeland from near Estancia to Moriarty producing significant local media attention. No damage was reported.
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: 441557.