An active spring weather scenario unfolded across northern and central New Mexico on the 5th and 6th as gusty winds, mountain snow, and valley showers and thunderstorms impacted the region. Unstable northwest flow and sufficient moisture over the region produced persistent snow showers over the northern high terrain.
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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.
An active spring weather scenario unfolded across northern and central New Mexico on the 5th and 6th as gusty winds, mountain snow, and valley showers and thunderstorms impacted the region. Unstable northwest flow and sufficient moisture over the region produced persistent snow showers over the northern high terrain. Seven to 9 inches of fresh snow was reported around Amalia, Red River and Taos Ski Valley. A man photographing a dust devil near Moriarty was grazed by a lightning strike from a dry thunderstorm. No reports of high winds were received.
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 Apr 5, 2:06 PM MST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 306 PM MDT SAT APR 5 2014 .SYNOPSIS... BATCHES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS EVENING WITH PRECIPITATION TURNING MORE SHOWERY AND FOCUSING IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE STATE AFTER MIDNIGHT. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING...AND ANY SHOWERS OR STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. WITH ONE DISTURBANCE ALOFT MOVING EAST OF NEW MEXICO LATE SUNDAY...ANOTHER ONE WILL APPROACH THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE WHILE A SURFACE COLD FRONT SPILLS INTO THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE. THIS WILL KEEP A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO ALONG WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH SUNDAY AND MONDAY. A WARMER DRIER PATTERN WILL THEN PREVAIL THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS CURRENTLY WORKING INTO WESTERN NM...WITH ONE VORTICITY LOBE NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND ANOTHER TRAILING ONE BACK IN SOUTHERN NV AND CA. STEEP LAPSE RATES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED THIS AFTERNOON...HELPING SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TAKE SHAPE UNDER THE DYNAMICS ALOFT. A COUPLE OF PROLIFIC DUST DEVILS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED WITHIN THE ABQ METRO AREA...A TESTAMENT TO THE STRONG DIFFERENTIAL SURFACE HEATING AND BOUNDARY LAYER TO MID LAYER INSTABILITY...AND SURFACE BREEZES HAVE BEEN GUSTY AND ERRATIC...ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF PASSING SHOWERS/STORMS. PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST AS BEST DYNAMICS SHIFT AND DIURNAL HEATING IS LOST. SOME MINIMAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN PEAKS OVERNIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL GENERALLY STAY EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY ON SUNDAY...ASIDE FROM SOME ACTIVITY OVER THE JEMEZ/SAN JUAN/TUSAS PEAKS. FORCING ALOFT WILL COME FROM ADDITIONAL NORTHERN STREAM PVA. SOME THUNDER WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS FORECAST MODELS INDICATE NEGATIVE LIFTED INDICES. THE BACK DOOR FRONT WILL ALSO SPILL INTO THE PLAINS WITH SOME ENHANCEMENT TO GUSTS NEAR AND IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE BOUNDARY. ELSEWHERE...MOST OF THE CENTRAL TO WESTERN ZONES WILL ALSO SEE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE BRISK NORTHWEST FLOW IN THE WAKE OF TODAY'S TROUGH. A FEW LOCATIONS FROM CLINES CORNERS TO ABQ TO FARMINGTON MAY FLIRT WITH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS TO BE TOO MARGINAL OF AN EVENT TO HOIST ANY HIGHLIGHT. FLOW ALOFT WILL STAY DEFINED BY A STOUT MERIDIONAL COMPONENT INTO MONDAY WITH ADDITIONAL PERTURBATIONS SLIDING INTO EASTERN NM...AND A SECOND REINFORCEMENT OF THE BACK DOOR FRONT WILL ALSO SPILL INTO THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE FAR EAST WITH GENERALLY JUST BREEZY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. TEMPERATURES WILL ONCE AGAIN BE UNABLE TO RISE TO AVERAGE. THE PATTERN SHIFTS TO A DRY AND WARMER ONE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS A RIDGE ALOFT SWELLS OVER NM AND THEN FLATTENS. TEMPERATURES WILL MEET SEASONAL AVERAGES TUESDAY AND EXCEED THEM BY SEVERAL DEGREES WEDNESDAY. STRONGER BREEZES APPEAR LIKELY BY THURSDAY AS THE FLOW ALOFT TURNS FULLY ZONAL WITH A BIT OF A TIGHTENED GRADIENT ALOFT. THERE IS ANOTHER CLOSED LOW UPSTREAM...BUT FORECAST MODELS HAVE LARGE DISCREPANCIES ON TIMING AND THUS THE FRIDAY AND BEYOND PERIOD HAVE MUCH UNCERTAINTY. 52 && .FIRE WEATHER... A BRIEF MOISTENING PERIOD WITH BELOW NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES TO PERSIST INTO MONDAY BEFORE A SUBSTANTIAL DRYING/WARMING STRETCH NEXT WEEK WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. DESPITE MOISTURE ADVECTION AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PUSHING EAST INTO NEW MEXICO...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE DIPPING INTO THE 20S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...EVEN EXCEEDING CRITICAL THRESHOLDS IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. TOP-DOWN MOISTENING OF THE ATMOSPHERE WITH CONVECTION INCREASING IN COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON WILL RESULT IN SOME WETTING PRECIPITATION...THOUGH WILL BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND LIKELY CONFINED TO THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. SEVERAL LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE BEEN NOTED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN TAOS AND CLINES CORNERS. CHANCES FOR WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT AS THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO THE NORTHEAST QUARTER WITH THE UPPER TROUGH PUSHING ACROSS NEW MEXICO. MORE SPECIFICALLY...THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS...RATON RIDGE AND JOHNSON MESA LOOK TO BENEFIT FROM WETTING PRECIPITATION. GOING INTO SUNDAY...SOME DRYING FORECAST FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WEST...BUT MOISTENING/COOING CONTINUES EAST WITH THE BACKDOOR PORTION OF THE COLD FRONT AND CHANCES FOR WETTING PRECIPITATION...AGAIN FAVORING THE NORTHEAST QUARTER. A COUPLE HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FROM THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WEST INCLUDING FWZ101 SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BUT HIGHS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW NORMAL AND HAINES VALUES WILL GENERALLY BE 3-4 OVER THOSE AREAS. THE WARMING/DRYING TREND TO BEGIN MONDAY...BUT TEMPERATURES WON'T REACH BACK ABOVE NORMAL UNTIL TUESDAY WHEN A MID LEVEL DRY INTRUSION ASSOCIATED WITH A LONGWAVE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS EAST INTO NEW MEXICO. SIGNIFICANT WARMING/DRYING FORECAST NEXT WEEK AS TEMPERATURES TREND TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL BY WED/THU AND THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES RATHER UNSTABLE WITH THE RIDGE BREAKING DOWN AND GIVING WAY TO MODERATE WESTERLIES. HAINES VALUES OF 5-6 ARE FORECAST BOTH WEDNEDSAY AND THURSDAY WITH MANY HOURS OF SINGLE DIGIT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...BUT WINDS MAY HAVE A HARD TIME REACHING CRITICAL THRESHOLDS. OUR WIND SPEED FORECAST...ALTHOUGH GENERALLY AT OR ABOVE THE LATEST MOS GUIDANCE...MAY BE UNDERDONE GIVEN THE DEEP LAYER MIXING EXPECTED WED/THU. JUST +2 TO +4 MPH MORE OF WIND WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BOTH DAYS. FORECAST CONFIDENCE DECREASES RATHER SIGNIFICANTLY TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND WITH THE LATEST ECMWF AND GFS SOLUTIONS NOW VERY DIFFERENT WITH THE TIMING/EVOLUTION OF THE UPPER LOW ON APPROACH. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY POP-UP FRIDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND INTO THE WEEKEND. OF NOTE...NEITHER MODEL ESTABLISHES MUCH OF A MOISTURE TAP IN ADVANCE OF THE UPPER LOW...SO THE ODDS OF THE SYSTEM BEING A WETTING-ONE LOOK LOW FOR NOW. 11 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE VFR TERMINALS FORECAST TO PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT 24HRS... ALTHOUGH SHORT-LIVED MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH SHOWERS LATER TODAY AND OVERNIGHT. TERMINALS MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED ARE KSAF...KLVS AND KTCC. A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE LIKELY...BUT PROBABILITIES TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IN TAFS. SCATTERED SHOWERS...AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM LIKELY NEAR KLVS BY MID DAY SUNDAY. LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL SHIFT FROM SW TO WNW BEHIND A COLD FRONT TODAY...THEN INCREASE OUT OF THE NW SUNDAY. 11 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 33 59 33 63 / 20 5 0 0 DULCE........................... 24 51 24 59 / 50 20 10 0 CUBA............................ 27 54 26 58 / 30 20 10 0 GALLUP.......................... 31 57 28 61 / 10 5 0 0 EL MORRO........................ 23 54 24 57 / 30 5 0 0 GRANTS.......................... 28 57 27 60 / 20 5 0 0 QUEMADO......................... 28 54 28 60 / 20 5 0 0 GLENWOOD........................ 29 67 30 71 / 5 5 0 0 CHAMA........................... 20 45 17 49 / 50 30 20 5 LOS ALAMOS...................... 31 52 31 54 / 30 10 10 0 PECOS........................... 29 55 29 58 / 30 30 30 10 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 22 50 21 53 / 50 30 20 10 RED RIVER....................... 18 38 18 41 / 60 50 30 20 ANGEL FIRE...................... 17 44 19 47 / 60 60 50 20 TAOS............................ 24 50 24 54 / 40 20 10 5 MORA............................ 27 48 27 53 / 50 60 40 10 ESPANOLA........................ 30 59 30 63 / 30 10 5 0 SANTA FE........................ 30 54 30 57 / 20 10 10 0 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 30 57 31 60 / 10 10 10 0 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 36 60 36 64 / 10 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 39 62 38 65 / 10 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 33 64 33 67 / 10 5 5 0 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 35 64 34 67 / 10 5 5 0 LOS LUNAS....................... 34 66 32 69 / 10 5 5 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 37 63 37 66 / 10 5 5 0 SOCORRO......................... 39 66 40 70 / 5 5 0 0 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 30 56 28 58 / 20 20 10 0 TIJERAS......................... 34 59 34 61 / 20 10 5 0 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 28 57 27 60 / 20 10 10 5 CLINES CORNERS.................. 30 53 28 57 / 30 20 20 5 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 34 58 33 61 / 10 5 5 5 CARRIZOZO....................... 35 62 34 65 / 5 5 5 5 RUIDOSO......................... 31 56 31 59 / 10 5 5 5 CAPULIN......................... 29 48 29 55 / 70 50 40 20 RATON........................... 31 53 31 57 / 60 50 40 20 SPRINGER........................ 32 55 30 59 / 50 50 30 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 30 53 29 58 / 30 40 40 10 CLAYTON......................... 36 56 34 58 / 60 30 30 10 ROY............................. 34 55 35 58 / 40 40 30 10 CONCHAS......................... 39 61 39 65 / 40 30 30 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 37 60 37 65 / 20 20 20 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 38 62 41 66 / 40 30 30 10 CLOVIS.......................... 37 58 38 63 / 30 20 20 10 PORTALES........................ 40 61 41 65 / 30 20 20 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 40 62 41 65 / 20 20 20 10 ROSWELL......................... 42 69 41 71 / 10 5 10 5 PICACHO......................... 41 64 38 67 / 5 5 5 5 ELK............................. 36 60 35 63 / 5 5 5 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 52
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 517 AM MDT SAT APR 5 2014 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- 517 AM MDT SAT APR 5 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLOW MOVING STORM WILL BRING OCCASIONAL SNOW TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW INCHES ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE ABOVE 8000 FEET. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD OCCUR JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. ANY STORMS FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO THE ARIZONA BORDER WILL PRODUCE LITTLE OR NO RAIN BUT STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A LITTLE MORE SNOW WILL FALL OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE NORTHEAST SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 40
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:01 UTC.
2 heavy snow, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous observations including ski sites and SNOTELs reported between 7 and 9 inches of snow, including Red River and Taos Ski Valley. Difficult driving conditions were also reported across a large area of the northern higher terrain.
A man was grazed by a lightning strike 10 feet away while photographing a dust devil near Moriarty. The man survived the shock however no details on the extent of his injuries was reported.
CoCoRaHS observer in Amalia reported 9 inches of snow. Difficult driving conditions were also reported across a large area of the northern higher terrain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2014
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: 500299, 500300, 500302.