An upper level low and trailing trough extending from Nevada into Arizona and western NM allowed for numerous storms to develop. Storms moved slowly from south to north and trained over the same areas.
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.
An upper level low and trailing trough extending from Nevada into Arizona and western NM allowed for numerous storms to develop. Storms moved slowly from south to north and trained over the same areas. With many areas already seeing saturated ground from previous days of rainfall, the potential for flash flooding was exacerbated. Isolated cells began to develop during the late morning hours and increased in coverage and intensity by early afternoon. By 2pm strong cells had developed over the Tajique and Bandelier areas. Cells back-built over the Tajique area, with multiple hours of moderate to sometimes heavy rain.
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 4, 10:13 AM MST, 3 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1113 AM MDT MON AUG 4 2014 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION THROUGH 05/03Z WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM AND SPREADING INTO NE NM...WITH CELLS SLOWLY DRIFTING TO THE NORTHEAST. OCCASIONAL MT OBSCURATIONS IN LOCAL MVFR CIGS/VSBYS IN TSRA SFC WND GUSTS 35KT. CONVECTION EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF WITH LINGERING -SHRA THEREAFTER. && .PREV DISCUSSION...339 AM MDT MON AUG 4 2014... .SYNOPSIS... ONE MORE ACTIVE DAY FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ON TAP TODAY BEFORE A WARMING AND DRYING TREND DEVELOPS OVER THE REGION. A WELL DEVELOPED UPPER LEVEL WAVE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL INTERACT WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE OVER THE AREA TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM TO 10 PM TODAY. DRY AIR WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO TUESDAY WHILE A FEW STORMS STILL FIRE UP OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE WARMER AND POTENTIALLY MUCH DRIER...HOWEVER MODEL GUIDANCE IS STILL CONFLICTING ON THE OVERALL PATTERN. THIS MAY GIVE A BREAK FROM THE FLOODING EXPERIENCED OVER THE AREA THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS. && .DISCUSSION... THE LATEST SUITE OF SATELLITE IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING SHOWS A WELL DEFINED UPPER LEVEL WAVE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. DEEP MOISTURE RICH SOUTHERLY FLOW IS IN PLACE OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN NM WITH GENERALLY LIGHT STEERING FLOW. A DRY SLOT ON THE BACK EDGE OF THE UPPER WAVE IS EXPECTED TO ENHANCE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AS THE WAVE SHIFTS EAST. PWAT VALUES ARE PROGGED BY THE NAM TO INCREASE THRU THE DAY AND THIS ALONG WITH THE DRY INTRUSION APPROACHING FROM THE WEST IS TRADITIONALLY A VERY GOOD PATTERN FOR HEAVY RAIN. THE 06Z NAM BUFKIT HEAVY PRECIP TOOL INDICATES THAT THE MEAN BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW WILL ACT UPSTREAM OF SOUTH TO NORTH DEVELOPING LINES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. THIS WILL FAVOR TRAINING CELLS OVER AREAS THAT ARE SATURATED...SO WILL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY FROM THE AZ BORDER EAST TO THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL TAPER OFF ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AS MID AND UPPER LEVEL DRYING SHIFTS EAST FROM AZ. TUESDAY WILL BE A WARMER DAY FOR WESTERN NM WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS PROGGED TO FALL INTO THE 40S. RECYCLING AND WESTERLY STEERING FLOW WILL FAVOR A FEW STORMS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN. WEDNESDAY WILL TREND SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER FOR THE ENTIRE AREA AS THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN DRIES CONSIDERABLY. DIFFERENCES ARISE THURSDAY WITH THE GFS AND ECMWF. THE GFS SLIDES THE UPPER HIGH EASTWARD AND ALLOWS FOR ANOTHER 700-500MB MOIST LAYER TO SLIDE BACK NORTH INTO WESTERN NM THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. THE ECMWF DEVELOPS THE HIGH OVERHEAD WITH A DRY INTRUSION OVER MUCH OF WESTERN NM. SURFACE DEWPOINT VALUES WITH THE ECMWF FALL INTO THE 30S FOR THE WEST...SO BIG DIFFERENCES IN OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL RESULT DEPENDING ON GUIDANCE. AT THIS TIME...FAVORED THE FARTHER WEST POSITION OF THE UPPER HIGH AND KEPT THE WEST MAINLY DRY. GUYER && .FIRE WEATHER... SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD BE SCATTERED TO AT TIMES NUMEROUS TODAY INTO TONIGHT WITH LOCALLY HEAVY...EVEN TORRENTIAL...RAINFALL BETWEEN THE CENTRAL MTN CHAIN AND THE AZ STATE LINE. MUCH OF THIS AREA HAS BEEN PLACED IN A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTN AND EVE AS THE MAIN MONSOON PLUME IS IN THE PROCESS OF SHIFTING OVER WEST AND CENTRAL NM. NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO BOTH WINDS AND RH EXPECTED THROUGH AT LEAST THE NEXT 7 DAYS ACROSS THE FCST AREA. HOWEVER DEWPOINTS WILL BE LOWERING SOME AFTER TODAY...MAINLY NW THIRD STARTING LATE TONIGHT OR TUE AND MORE AREAS THAN NOT WED BEFORE STARTING TO CREEP BACK UP ACROSS SOUTH OR SW AND PERHAPS W CENTRAL AREAS BY THU OR FRI AS SOME MONSOONAL MOISTURE TRIES TO MAKE INROADS AGAIN FOR A LITTLE WHILE THERE. AFTN TEMPS SHOULD TREND BACK BACK TOWARD AVERAGE AND EVEN A LITTLE ABOVE IN SOME SPOTS...BUT WITH GENERALLY LOWER DEWPOINTS TUE NIGHT AND PERHAPS WED NIGHT... NIGHTTIME LOW TEMPS MAY ACTUALLY DROP A BIT. SOME MARGINALLY CRITICAL MINIMUM RH VALUES MAY BE REALIZED ACROSS THE NW QUARTER...MAINLY NW PLATEAU REGION...TUE INTO WED AND PERHAPS THU. WIND SPEEDS THOUGH ARE NOT EXPECTED TO JOIN THE MARGINALLY CRITICAL RH VALUES IN THAT AREA. PREVAILING WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE...GENERALLY THE STRONGEST ACROSS SOME SECTIONS OF NE NM...BUT OF COURSE ERRATIC AND OCCASIONALLY STRONG GUSTS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY LOCALIZED THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOWS. FAR EAST CENTRAL AND SE PLAINS SHOULD BE BY FAR THE LEAST ACTIVE RAINWISE TODAY...THOUGH SOME ACTIVITY MAY FILL IN A LITTLE FARTHER EAST LATER TODAY AND TUE THAN WAS THE CASE SUN. MOIST PLUME WILL WEAKEN SOME AND SHIFT A LITTLE FARTHER EAST TUE AS ALSO A LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH ENCOURAGES MODERATELY BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE NE MONDAY. THIS SURFACE TROUGH WEAKENS A LITTLE TUE WHILE THE MOISTURE KEEPS SHIFTING EAST...WHILE BECOMING AT LEAST A LITTLE MORE DIFFUSE. THE NW THIRD OR EVEN HALF OF THE STATE SHOULD SEE THE MOST PRONOUNCED DECREASE IN SHOWERS AND STORMS TUE AND PERHAPS AN EVEN LARGER AREA WED. A WEAK WIND SHIFT STILL LOOKS LIKE A POSSIBILITY ACROSS SOME PORTION OF THE NE LATER WED INTO THU...BUT APPEARS MORE LACKING IN THE MOISTURE DEPARTMENT THAN MOST BACK DOOR INTRUSIONS HAVE SO FAR THIS SUMMER. THERE MAY BE SLIGHT TO MODERATE UPTICK IN SHOWER AND STORM POTENTIAL ACROSS WEST AND MAYBE CENTRAL AREAS LATE WEEK...BUT OVERALL THE SOMEWHAT DRIER PATTERN WILL LIKELY HOLD THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH JUST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS. 43 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ504>508-511-512-514-517>522-524. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 533 AM MDT MON AUG 4 2014 NMZ501>540-051200- 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- 533 AM MDT MON AUG 4 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO AND PRODUCE LOCALIZED AREAS OF TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THROUGH THIS EVENING. THIS ACTIVITY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRAIN REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME AREAS...THUS LEADING TO RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN JUST ONE HOURS TIME. AREAS THAT HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING...AS WELL AS IN URBAN DRAINAGES AND OVER WILDFIRE BURN SCAR AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL TAPER OFF TUESDAY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS STILL POSSIBLE. THIS MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING... ESPECIALLY OVER AND NEAR RECENT AND OLDER BURN SCARS. ONLY ISOLATED STORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. THE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH VERY LOCALIZED AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. GUYER
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:58 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Water rose 5 to 6 feet in the Frijoles Creek at the Bandalier National Monument Visitors Center.
Santa Fe police reported that a lightning strike downed a power line and started a small brush fire at 1945 Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe. The fire is shown in a YouTube video burning for nearly 10 minutes before fire officials extinguished the blaze.
Three buildings had water flow into them including the dining hall, the tabernacle and the gymnasium at the Inlow Baptist youth camp.
Manager at the Inlow Baptist Youth Camp reported that they measured 4.2 inches of rain.
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: 525719, 526075, 525722, 525724.