An active and persistent pattern maintained a heightened threat for flash flooding across much of the state. An upper level high was centered over portions of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.
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 active and persistent pattern maintained a heightened threat for flash flooding across much of the state. An upper level high was centered over portions of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. A disturbance rotating around the upper high slowly shifted from west central to north central areas throughout the overnight hours. Weak steering flow aloft combined with a very moist airmass in place fueled slow-moving thunderstorms that produced very heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Showers and thunderstorms began developing during the late morning hours on the 28th over the Southwest Mountains, the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the West Central Plateau and the Northern Mountains. Coverage expanded and intensified into the afternoon hours with small, heavy rain-producing cells. Activity slowly began to decrease into the evening hours. However, by 3am, a large swath of light to moderate rain with embedded heavy precipitation had developed across the central highlands. Thunderstorms began training over the area from Santa Rosa eastward to near Newkirk. This swath of precipitation slowly moved eastward throughout the early morning hours finally subsiding by 11am the 29th. Due to ground already saturated from the previous days rainfall, significant flooding occurred across portions of Guadalupe and De Baca counties. In particular, major flash flooding was reported within the Alamogordo Creek drainage. River flooding was also reported along the Pecos River near Puerto de Luna. Radar estimated storm total accumulations ranged from 7 to 13 inches in this area. These torrential rains washed out the supports underneath train tracks near Santa Rosa leaving the track suspended in air. Numerous other reports of flooding including asphalt up-ended and roads closed due to flowing water occurred in east central areas.
Converging outflow boundaries from storms in Western New Mexico created enough rotation to produce small rope like funnel clouds as well.
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 Jul 28, 10:49 AM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1149 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE BRIEF LULL PERIOD AROUND MIDDAY BUT LOOK FOR RAPID EXPANSION IN SH/TS COVERAGE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. AREAS THAT ARE SUNNIER NOW WILL SEE THIS INITIAL RAPID EXPANSION BUT SH/TS WILL MOVE INTO OTHER AREAS THE DAY PROGRESSES INTO THE OVERNIGHT. BASED ON CURRENTLY SATELLITE TRENDS AND MODELING...EXPECT SAF/LVS/GUP TO BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY TS. USING VCTS AT ABQ/AEG/FMN/TCC AND ROW. WILL UPDATE ACCORDING TO DVLPMENT AND RADAR TRENDS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. MODELS INDICATE A LONGER DURATION RAIN IMPACT ACROSS THE NORTHEAST/EAST CENTRAL PLAINS SO CARRYING PREVAILING RAIN AFTER THE ATMOSPHERE STABILIZES SOMEWHAT TOWARDS LATE EVENING. ALSO LOOKING AT SOME MVFR CIGS DEVELOPING AFTER THE RAIN ENDS AT MANY LOCATIONS INCLUDING GUP/SAF/LVS/TCC AND ROW. CANT RULE OUT IFR CONDITIONS FOR A TIME BUT HARD TO PINT POINT RIGHT NOW. VERY ACTIVE PERIOD SO EXPECT UPDATES ACCORDINGLY. SOME OF THE CELLS WILL PRODUCE VIS/CIG RESTRICTIONS DUE TO THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE FOUND IN THE ATMOSPHERE THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. && .PREV DISCUSSION...1023 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014... .UPDATE... UPDATED FORECAST TO EXPAND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR WESTERN ZONES. ALSO INCREASED/TWEAKED POPS/QPF FOR TONIGHT GIVEN THE 12Z NAM AND GFS SOLUTIONS...WHICH HAVE LATCHED ONTO A SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER ARIZONA THIS MORNING SWINGING NNE AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER HIGH THROUGH TOMORROW. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORM ORGANIZATION LATER THIS EVENING OUT WEST...WHICH WOULD PROPAGATE NE ACROSS MUCH OF NW NEW MEXICO OVERNIGHT AND PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. THIS ALL IN AN ATMOSPHERE WITH ABOVE NORMAL PWATS FOR LATE JULY. A LATER START IS EXPECTED TODAY GIVEN THIS MORNING'S CLOUD COVER AND TEMPS STILL IN THE 60S AND 70S. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...746 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014... .UPDATE... INCLUDED THE CHUSKA MOUNTAIN ZONE IN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO HIGHLIGHT THE ASSAYII BURN SCAR WHERE THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL BE EQUALLY AS HIGH AS OTHER AREAS. THE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUE ON THE 12Z KABQ SOUNDING WAS 1.13 INCHES OR ABOUT 125 PERCENT OF NORMAL. IT IS THE HIGHEST VALUE SINCE JULY 16TH AND IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE TRENDING UPWARD AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. QUICK CHECK AT THE LATEST HRRR RUN SHOWS THE AREA OF SHOWERS REACHING THE ABQ METRO BETWEEN 8-9AM. EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER AND SHOWERS COULD DELAY STRONG HEATING /UNLIKE YESTERDAY/ FOR CENTRAL AREAS AND WE WILL CLOSELY MONITOR TRENDS. KJ && .PREV DISCUSSION...410 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014... .SYNOPSIS... A VERY ACTIVE MONSOON PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. THE MOST WIDESPREAD HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINS IN THE NEAR TERM ARE EXPECTED OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE...WITH ENHANCED COVERAGE OVER THE GILA REGION AS WELL AS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND AREAS ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. YET ANOTHER SOUTHWARD- MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO BOOST THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL INITIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST LATE TUESDAY...THEN MUCH OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A LITTLE DRIER AIR SHOULD LIMIT STORM COVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. OTHERWISE...AN ACTIVE PATTERN WILL PERSIST INTO THE WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION... INVERTED TROUGH THAT APPROACHED THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHEAST ON SUNDAY APPEARS TO HAVE MADE THE PIVOT NORTH...AND IS BRINGING A SIGNIFICANT SURGE OF DEEP LAYERED MOISTURE INTO SC/SW ZONES EARLY THIS MORNING ON ITS FAVORED EAST FLANK. ORGANIZED BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM NEAR FENCE LAKE/QUEMADO SEWD TO DUNKEN IS SLOWLY FILLING IN AND LIFTING NORTHWARD TO THE SOUTH OF A LARGE-SCALE RIDGE AXIS THAT IS LOOSELY ALIGNED FROM NW TO SE OVER EAST-CENTRAL NM. LARGE MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX SLOWLY BEGINNING TO WEAKEN OVER THE NORTHEAST PLAINS WITH COLDEST CLOUD TOPS NOW DISPLACED WELL EAST OF OUR AREA. AMONG CHALLENGES NEXT 24 HOURS WILL BE GAUGING HOW QUICKLY AIR MASS RECOVERY TAKES PLACE ACROSS CENTRAL/NORTHERN AREAS ESPECIALLY THE NORTHEAST QUARTER...AND HOW MANY WESTERN AND NORTHERN ZONES TO PLACE UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH. FOCUS LATER TODAY/THIS EVENING WILL BE ON THE REMNANT CIRCULATION THAT MODELS GENERALLY DRIFT NORTHWARD NEAR THE NM/AZ BORDER THOUGH LOOKING AT AN EXTENDED WATER VAPOR LOOP THIS FEATURE MAY BE TRACKING A BIT FARTHER EAST THAN WHAT MODELS SUGGEST. ADDITIONALLY... LOW LEVEL EAST OR SOUTHEAST BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO FEED RICH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WESTWARD IN A BROAD UPSLOPE PATTERN THAT WILL ESPECIALLY FAVOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND THE ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS. OVERALL...THE RIDGE ALOFT SHOULD DEFLATE SLIGHTLY TODAY WITH THE NW-SE RIDGE AXIS BECOMING MORE N-S ORIENTED OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO. STEERING FLOW WILL BE FAR MORE ERRATIC BUT DO NOT SEE AS MUCH OF A WESTERLY COMPONENT WITH INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER WAVE NEAR THE AZ LINE. DECIDED TO RE-POST A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST...THOUGH AIR MASS RECOVERY MAY DELAY THINGS THERE TILL LATE. WILL INCLUDE MOST OF THE BURN SCARS IN THE WATCH AS WELL...AND LET THE DAY SHIFT REEVALUATE TRENDS WITH POSSIBLE EXPANSION FOR SOME AREAS ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS. AREAS FROM CLINES CORNERS AND ENCINO TO CORONA LOOK PRIMED...AS DOES THE UPPER GILA AND WC MOUNTAINS. ANOTHER BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD TUE PM INTO WED PM... RECHARGING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY FIELDS FOR MID TO LATE WEEK. T-STORM COVERAGE WILL CONT TO RAMP UP...WITH LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING ACTIVITY LIKELY. EXTENDED RANGE FORECASTS SUPPORT A VERY ACTIVE PATTERN...DESPITE A WESTWARD SHIFT OF THE UPPER HIGH THAT BECOMES CENTERED MORE OVER ARIZONA AND GREAT BASIN. KJ && .FIRE WEATHER... FEW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE TO THE GRIDDED FORECAST. WETTING RAINS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WORK WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BURN SCAR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE STILL POSITIONED OVER THE WESTERN STATES AND CENTERED OVER EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO ALLOWING THE MONSOON PLUME TO NUDGE TO THE EAST OVER EASTERN ARIZONA AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO. FOR TODAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF WETTING RAIN WILL RESULT IN SOME LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SOME RELATIVELY LARGE FOOTPRINTS. FAVORED AREAS INCLUDING THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN...THE NORTHEAST PLAINS AND EAST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. RH RECOVERIES TO BE GOOD TO EXCELLENT. THE RIDGE FLATTENS A BIT ON TUESDAY AS THE CENTER MOVES TO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ROTATING AROUND THE HIGH WILL SHIFT THE FOCUS OF RAIN TO THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AND NORTHEAST... THOUGH ALL ZONES WILL SEE CHANCES FOR WETTING RAIN. NEXT BACK DOOR FRONT IS STILL SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY...AND MODELS ARE EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS FRONT AND GRIDS WERE MODIFIED TO REFLECT THIS. THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS LOOK TO BE FAVORED FOR WETTING RAIN ON WEDNESDAY. THE UPPER HIGH MOVES WEST OF THE STATE BY THURSDAY AND EXTENDED MODELS KEEP IT THERE THOUGH THE WEEKEND. STILL...MOIST EAST TO SOUTHEAST FLOW PERSISTS WITH ANOTHER REINFORCING FRONT ON SATURDAY. THUS... COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH GOOD CHANCES FOR WETTING RAIN WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. 05 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501>515-526>532. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 548 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014 NMZ501>540-291200- 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- 548 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER VERY ACTIVE PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL A GOOD BET OWING TO SLOW CELL MOVEMENT AND COLLIDING OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. THE MOST WIDESPREAD HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS AREAS ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY SPREAD TO THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE STATE ONCE AGAIN THIS EVENING...IMPACTING AREAS THAT RECEIVED FLOODING RAINFALL THIS PAST NIGHT. WHILE THE MAIN THREAT FROM TODAY/S STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN... A FEW STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE AND WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND NIGHTTIME HOURS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLOODING. STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH. THE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PERIOD COULD BE ESPECIALLY ACTIVE AS THE AFFECTS OF SURFACE FRONTS AND WEAK DISTURBANCES ENHANCE STORM DEVELOPMENT. .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. 41
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1014 AM MDT MON JUL 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM FLASH FLOOD 13 E GLADSTONE 36.30N 103.74W
07/27/2014 UNION NM CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1401128
RJOJOLAThe Albuquerque radar (KABX), 198 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
3 flash flood, 3 heavy rain, 1 funnel cloud, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rains washed out 2 roads near Navajo Dam.
Owners of a large ranch south southeast of Newkirk reported an incredible 7.05 inches of rainfall from torrential rains overnight.
Trained spotter reported 3.10 inches of rainfall overnight.
One mile north of House reported 4.25 inches of rainfall and minor flooding.
Five to 6 feet of water from the Alamogordo Creek drainage over Highway 156. Pavement was stripped. Half a mile of fence line was tore out due to the flooding. A bunkhouse located near the water crossing took on water damage and water filled up the basement. Two water retention ponds were over-topped. Part of the Pacific Railroad tracks were left dangling because the base was washed out from the heavy rains.
Water from the Alamogordo Creeek drainage between 3 and 4 feet deep over Highway 84. Around 300 yards wide. Highway shut down by State Police.
Pecos River at Puerto de Luna reached 11.01 feet at 5pm pm on the 29th. This was just barely over flood stage at this point. Farmers and locals in the area said the areal flooding in parts of the area around the Pecos was worse than the previous flooding from September 2013. The county was expected to assess the damage to minor farming structures along the river when the water receeded.
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, July 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: 524605, 524606, 525569, 525570, 525571, 524603, 524607, 525567.