Abundant moisture in place over the area on deep southeasterly flow interacted with a strong upper level low pressure system that dropped south out of Colorado. The richest atmospheric moisture available for the entire summer period was present over the area.
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.
Abundant moisture in place over the area on deep southeasterly flow interacted with a strong upper level low pressure system that dropped south out of Colorado. The richest atmospheric moisture available for the entire summer period was present over the area. Storms developed by mid to late afternoon on the 1st over northern New Mexico then pushed very slowly south through the evening and predawn hours on the 2nd. The first area of torrential rainfall impacted the area around Embudo and Pilar. Storms developed over the Albuquerque Metro Area during the late evening and produced flash flood emergency-level flooding within the area from UNM campus into downtown on a busy Friday night. Numerous water rescues were reported. Several businesses reported water inside with just about the entire area of Central Avenue closed. Mud and rock slides created numerous lane closures around area roadways. An overnight deluge washed out ballasts along a portion of the Rail Runner tracks within Waldo Canyon, resulting in suspended service for the entire day Sunday.
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 Aug 1, 4:57 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 557 PM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE UPPER HIGH CENTER TO MEANDER OVER NEW MEXICO NEXT 24 HOURS. LOW LEVEL EASTERLY GRADIENT PERSISTING...WHICH WILL LEAD TO A LIGHT OR PERHAPS BRIEFLY MODERATE EASTERLY WIND BELOW CANYONS INTO THE RGV. SCT TO NMRS SHRA AND ISOLATED TSRA WITH SCT MVFR CIGS/VSBYS SFC AND WND GUSTS TO 35KT BEFORE 02/06Z...WILL OCCASIONALLY OBSCURE HIGHER TERRAIN OVER NORTHERN AND WESTERN NM. TSRA TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST ONTO THE EASTERN PLAINS THROUGH THE NIGHT. MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS WITH BR...WITH ISOLD IFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE EAST SLOPES CENTRAL MT CHAIN AFT 02/06Z. MOST LIKELY AT KLVS...KAXX...KSKX AND KRTN. && .PREV DISCUSSION...311 PM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014... .SYNOPSIS... A COMPLICATED WEATHER SCENARIO IS IN PLACE OVER NEW MEXICO...ONE WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND A FEW DISTURBANCES ALOFT THAT WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER A LARGE SWATH OF THE STATE. MANY OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY WHILE PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND THIS WILL LEAD TO A HEIGHTENED RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING. THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE HIGHEST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER A LARGE PORTION OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...MAINLY BETWEEN THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND AREAS JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN OF THE STATE. ON SATURDAY THE FOCUS FOR STORMS COULD SHIFT MORE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN PARTS OF NEW MEXICO. THE PATTERN WILL REMAIN FAIRLY ACTIVE GOING INTO SUNDAY WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS FAVORING THE WESTERN HALF OF NEW MEXICO. A GRADUAL DAY-BY-DAY DECREASE IN SHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY IS THEN EXPECTED THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... A WET AND COMPLEX PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO POSE MONUMENTAL CHALLENGES TO THE FORECAST...NAMELY WITH REGARDS TO LOCATION OF FLASH FLOODING. THERE ARE SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL FEATURES OF INTEREST INCLUDING A SHORT WAVE TROUGH OVER COLORADO THAT WILL BE TRACKING INTO NORTHEASTERN NM THIS EVENING. OTHER FEATURES THAT ARE MORE SUBTLE ARE A WEAK CONVECTIVELY-INDUCED PERTURBATION WORKING INTO SOUTHEASTERN NM WHILE PRESSURE FALLS AND A CIRCULATION ARE STARTING TO APPEAR OVER THE BAJA PENINSULA...A SOON TO BE SUBTROPICAL LOW. NO BLATANT SURFACE FEATURES ARE CURRENTLY BEING ANALYZED...AND DEWPOINTS ARE FAIRLY HOMOGENEOUS...JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT WHERE REMNANT CLOUD COVER AND SHOWERS ARE FINALLY DISSIPATING FROM LAST NIGHT'S ACTIVITY. PWATS ARE ALSO HEALTHY WITH ABQ BALLOON RELEASE SHOWING 1.11 INCH THIS MORNING WHILE EPZ SHOWED AN IMPRESSIVE 1.60 INCHES...MOISTURE WHICH COULD SEEP NORTHWARD INTO SATURDAY AS STEERING WINDS FLIP MORE SOUTHERLY. ORIENTATION AND TIMING OF THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH SEEMS TO STILL OUTLINE THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. STEERING FLOW IS GOING TO BE VARIABLE OVER THE FORECAST AREA...BUT MUCH THE NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE AREA WILL GENERALLY SEE A NW TO SE MOVEMENT...OCCASIONALLY MOVING AT 10 TO 15 KT. THIS COULD BE FAST ENOUGH TO LIMIT SOME FLOODING...BUT TRAINING CELLS AND SATURATED SOILS FOR MANY AREAS WILL COUNTERACT THIS. OTHER AREAS WILL SEE SLOWER AND MORE VARIABLE STORM MOVEMENT. AS THE NORTHERN WAVE DIGS FARTHER INTO NM...SOME SUBTLE DRYING AND SUBSIDENCE MAY BUILD INTO THE MID LEVELS BEHIND THE SYSTEM...LOWERING STORM POTENTIAL IN THE FAR NORTH CENTRAL ZONES AFTER MIDNIGHT. OTHER AREAS FARTHER SOUTH MAY REMAIN QUITE ACTIVE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS SATURDAY. FORECAST MODELS DEPICT THE SUBTROPICAL LOW CLOSING OFF AND BECOMING WELL-DEFINED OVER FAR SW AZ ON SATURDAY WITH NO OTHER BLATANT SHORTWAVE TROUGHS EVIDENT OVER NM...PENDING TONIGHT'S CONVECTION. THIS WILL LEAVE A VERY WEAKENED AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER NM WITH A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA RETAINING HIGH MOISTURE/PWATS...ESPECIALLY IN CENTRAL TO SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN AREAS. THIS WOULD LIKELY BE THE FOCUS AREA FOR FLASH FLOODING...AND ANOTHER WATCH COULD BE ISSUED BY THE NIGHT SHIFT. WHILE THE EASTERN PLAINS RETAIN SOME HIGHER MOISTURE...THE LI'S INDICATE ONLY MARGINAL INSTABILITY...THUS STORM COVERAGE SHOULD BE LESS IN THE EASTERN TIER OF ZONES. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL WELL SHORT OF NORMAL AGAIN...GENERALLY 5 TO 12 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. SUNDAY WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HINGE ON WHAT TRANSPIRES SATURDAY...BUT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL LOW INUNDATING SOUTHERN CA AND WESTERN AZ...THE PLUME OF MOISTURE SHOULD STAND ITS GROUND OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF NM. THUS...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS POPS HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO THE SUNDAY FORECAST IN MOST WESTERN ZONES WITH CONTINUED BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. AS THE SUBTROPICAL LOW PUSHES NORTHWARD INTO NV ON MONDAY...MOISTURE WILL LAY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF NM AND SLIGHTLY BEYOND WITH DECENT COVERAGE OF STORMS EXPECTED. THIS ESSENTIALLY IS THE CASE MONDAY AND INTO TUESDAY WITH A WEAK CENTROID OF HIGH PRESSURE FLOATING AROUND EAST CENTRAL NM...ROUGHLY NEAR VAUGHN. NO DRAMATIC MOISTURE SURGES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK...SO THE DAY-TO-DAY RECYCLING OF MOISTURE MAY GRADUALLY SUBTRACT FROM THE SOURCE OR AT LEAST DIMINISH THE COVERAGE OF STORMS. 52 && .FIRE WEATHER... THE WET PATTERN CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A TRANSITION IN THE LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS...NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH NEW MEXICO...STILL FORECAST FOR THIS WEEKEND AS ONE OR MORE DISTURBANCES MIGRATE NORTH AND AROUND THE WESTERN BORDER OF THE RIDGE. LOW LEVEL EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO ASSIST STORM DEVELOPMENT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY ON AND AROUND WILDFIRE BURN SCARS. THE FEATURED AREA TONIGHT FOR THE HIGHEST POPS WILL BE FROM THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TO THE PECOS RIVER VALLEY...WHERE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. BETTER RAIN CHANCES SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL EXIST FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WESTWARD TO THE ARIZONA BORDER AS THE EASTERN PLAINS TRANSITION TO A LESS FAVORABLE FLOW PATTERN AND A MORE STABLE REGIME. CONVECTION MONDAY SHOULD ALSO FAVOR THE NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WEST TO THE ARIZONA BORDER. OVERNIGHT RH RECOVERIES WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXCELLENT INTO NEXT WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND BUT WILL SLOWLY CLIMB TOWARDS NORMAL BY THE MIDDLE OF WEEK. POOR TO FAIR VENTILATION WILL BE FOUND ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WEST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND FAR EASTERN PLAINS SATURDAY...WITH AREAS OF POOR VENTILATION FEATURED ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL SUNDAY. VENT RATES TREND TOWARDS SOME IMPROVEMENT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. EXTENDED FORECAST MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A STRONGER TROUGH WILL PUSH INTO THE GREAT BASIN MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK...BRINGING A DRIER WESTERLY FLOW TO WESTERN AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. DEWPOINTS TREND DOWNWARD ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHWEST THIRD...AND AFTERNOON SOUTHWEST BREEZES COULD PICK UP ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. THE 12Z GFS IS STRONGER WITH THE UPPER TROUGH BUT EVENTUALLY REBUILDS THE RIDGE OVER NEW MEXICO BY 240HRS...WHILE THE 12Z ECMWF APPEARS A BIT MORE BULLISH WITH THE RIDGE. EITHER WAY...THE MONSOON DOESN/T APPEAR TO BE OVER JUST YET...ALTHOUGH IT MAY TAPER DOWN A BIT FROM WHAT/S EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ504-506>529-533-539-540. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 602 AM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014 NMZ501>540-021200- 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- 602 AM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL INTERACT WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO PRODUCE A BETTER RISK OF FLASH FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THAN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO HAS SEEN IN THE PAST FEW DAYS. THE GREATEST RISK WILL BE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND EASTWARD TO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. MUCH OF THE ENERGY FROM THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT PASSES SOUTH AND SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NEW MEXICO TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOULD SHIFT WESTWARD OVER SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY BRINGING THE BEST CHANCE OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING TO THE SOUTHERN TIER OF MOUNTAINS AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING SHOULD THEN FAVOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REGION TO THE ARIZONA BORDER SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS A SLOW MOVING SUBTROPICAL WAVE MIGRATES NORTHWARD WEST OF NEW MEXICO...THEN EASTWARD NORTH OF NEW MEXICO...STEERING A ROBUST MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME OVERHEAD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND ANY FLOODING THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 348 PM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014 NMZ503-012230- FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- 348 PM MDT FRI AUG 1 2014 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER FAR NORTHEAST SAN JUAN COUNTY... AT 345 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL ONE HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER 8 MILES NORTH OF NAVAJO LAKE STATE PARK. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 12 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE CARRACAS MESA RECREATION AREA AND NEGRO CANYON RECREATION AREA. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. && LAT...LON 3697 10727 3674 10742 3689 10765 3700 10759 TIME...MOT...LOC 2147Z 295DEG 12KT 3693 10754 50
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:27 UTC.
7 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
New Mexico DOT reported NM75 closed from Dixon to Penasco due to flooding.
Mudslide along the access road to Interstate 25 near Mountain Rd. Damage estimated for landscaping property loss.
Three cars were abandoned in 9 feet of flood water at Central Ave and the 1st Street bridge. Drivers were rescued and swam to safety. Flood water were reported flowing through the Q Burger restaurant at 3rd and Central. The torrent of water toppled a tree at Coal and Walter. Four other vehicles were abandoned in flood waters at Lomas and Broadway. A photo posted from local media showed the Vietnam Memorial park completely inundated with flood water. A local school also reported water inside the facility. A large sink hole developed at the intersection of MLKJ and Broadway. The entire intersection was destroyed. Several underground parking garages around the Convention Center were inundated with water several feet deep.
Photo posted to Twitter showed a water rescue at a vehicle completely submerged in 9 feet of flood waters at Central Ave and the 1st Street bridge.
Video posted to Twitter showed a torrent of water an estimated 1 foot deep flowing down Central Ave near Interstate 25. Construction barrels were floating down the sidewalk. Damages estimated for construction material losses.
Landscape material rockslide across 1 lane of southbound access road to Interstate 25 between Central Ave and Lomas Blvd. Two lanes closed.
New Mexico DOT reported an overnight deluge caused ballasts under portions of the Rail Runner line within Waldo Canyon to wash out. Service was suspended for the entire day on Saturday for repairs.
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, August 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: 524877, 524879, 524878, 524882, 524880, 524881, 524876.