Low level moisture lingering over the state interacted with a weak upper level disturbance and produced heavy rainfall and isolated large hail over portions of northern New Mexico. Nickel size hail was reported near Raton along with heavy rainfall.
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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.
Low level moisture lingering over the state interacted with a weak upper level disturbance and produced heavy rainfall and isolated large hail over portions of northern New Mexico. Nickel size hail was reported near Raton along with heavy rainfall.
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 Sep 19, 10:47 AM MST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1147 AM MDT THU SEP 19 2013 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE DRIER AIR WILL KEEP CONDITIONS IN THE VFR CATEGORY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL SITES THROUGH TODAY. ISOLD TO SCT TS/SH WILL AFFECT THE EASTERN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA. CANT RULE OUT EFFECTS TO LVS/TCC AND ROW. USED VCTS AND VCSH TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. WILL UPDATE ONCE CELLS REFORM AND CAN GET A GAGE FOR WHICH TERMINAL SITE WILL HAVE DIRECT IMPACTS. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL SWING DOWN FROM THE NORTH TONIGHT. MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THIS FRONTAL PUSH. LVS/ROW AND TCC WILL BE IMPACTED. PRIOR TO THE MAIN FRONTAL PUSH...SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE NORTHEAST THIRD TO HALF OF THE STATE. THIS ACTIVITY COULD PROVIDE MVFR CONDITIONS. THUS A BUSY OVERNIGHT PERIOD EXPECTED. 50 && .PREV DISCUSSION...324 AM MDT THU SEP 19 2013... AT 09Z...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST ACROSS THE MIDDLE/LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS IN ADVANCE OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER UT/AZ. THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS IN THE PROCESS OF PHASING WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING EAST OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND IS PULLING MOISTURE NORTHWARD FROM HURRICANE MANUEL IN THE FAR EASTERN PACIFIC. THIS TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL BE A NEAR-MISS FOR MOST OF NM AND MAINLY IMPACT TX AND THE FAR SE PLAINS OF NM LATER TODAY AND FRIDAY. THE MAIN THREAT AREA FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A BACKDOOR FRONT DROPS IN AND PROVIDES A FOCUS. A RIDGE ALOFT WILL BUILD AND SHIFT EAST OVER NM FRIDAY BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. AT THE SAME TIME...THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL MAKE SW PROGRESS AND WASH-OUT BETWEEN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...RECHARGING MOISTURE A BIT AND HELPING TO KEEP PWATS ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHORT-LIVED BREEZY EAST CANYON/GAP WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE WESTWARD MOVING FRONT. RAIN CHANCES WILL TREND UP A BIT ON SUNDAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS EAST OF NM AND STRONGER WESTERLIES PUNCH BACK IN WITH THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY...MAINLY NORTH...GIVEN FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR PROFILES. DRY AIR FORECAST TO PUNCH IN BEHIND SUNDAY'S UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND HANG AROUND FOR A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT...AND MORE POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES TOWARD THE LATER HALF OF NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURE TRENDS WILL GENERALLY BE NEUTRAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND... WITH HIGHS NEAR NORMAL AND LOWS ABOVE NORMAL. HIGHS LOOK TO TREND UP A FEW DEGREES NEXT WEEK WITH DRY AIR IN PLACE LEADING TO MORE SUNSHINE AND NO RAIN-COOLING FOR A CHANGE. 11 .FIRE WEATHER... STRONG SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL PLAINS WILL COLLIDE WITH A BACKDOOR FRONT OVER SOUTHEAST COLORADO TO MAKE THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AND HIGHLANDS THE FAVORED AREA FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DRIER MID LEVEL AIR WILL WIN OUT THIS AFTERNOON OVER WEST-CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO WITH ONLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. BACKDOOR FRONT WILL SLIDE SOUTH THROUGH THE EASTERN PLAINS TONIGHT...THEN THROUGH/OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN FRIDAY MORNING. COOLER AIR FILTERING INTO THE ERN PLAINS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL MAKE SHOWERS AND STORMS HARD TO COME BY OVER THE PLAINS. FAVORED AREA FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL BE OVER THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS...PARTICULARLY IN THE PECOS WILDERNESS/WATERSHED AREA AS THE SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS COMBINE WITH WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TO GET A STRONG STORM OR TWO GOING THERE. ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...ISOLATED LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND STORM ARE EXPECTED. RESIDUAL MOISTURE ALONG WITH SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE ANOTHER ROUND OF AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALL MOUNTAINS...WEST-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND NW PLATEAU SATURDAY. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT PASSED THROUGH YESTERDAY/WEDNESDAY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NM SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BRINGING SCATTERED STORMS FORECAST AREAWIDE...ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG STORMS OVER THE NORTH WHERE WIND SHEAR AND A FAVORABLE TEMPERATURE PROFILE ARE FORECAST TO BE SUCH THAT A FEW STORMS WITH LARGE/PLENTIFUL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. CONDITIONS DRY OUT FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW BECOMES WESTERLY. VENTILATION RATES WILL TREND UPWARD AS WELL WITH THE INCREASING WEST AND SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT. 33 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 500 AM MDT THU SEP 19 2013 NMZ501>540-201200- 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- 500 AM MDT THU SEP 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST PLAINS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...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 IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 11
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1243 PM MDT THU SEP 19 2013
NMZ527-528-191915-
FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-
1243 PM MDT THU SEP 19 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN COLFAX COUNTY THROUGH
115 PM MDT...
AT 1242 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR RATON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...RATON...SUGARITE CANYON STATE
PARK...SUGARITE AND RATON CREWS AIRPORT.
MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND
PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE
AREA.
&&
LAT...LON 3687 10411 3662 10455 3694 10466 3701 10451
3700 10440
TIME...MOT...LOC 1844Z 311DEG 7KT 3691 10450
43
43The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 177 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:50 UTC.
1 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Nickel size hail reported at the Raton Fire Department between 1250pm and 1259pm.
Funnel cloud spotted by truck driver on Interstate 25.
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, September 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: 469741, 469742.