A lightning-caused wildfire that started near the San Pedro Parks Wilderness area southeast of Coyote, New Mexico on the 25th burned for nearly 3 weeks. The fire smoldered for several days before blowing up on the 29th.
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.
A lightning-caused wildfire that started near the San Pedro Parks Wilderness area southeast of Coyote, New Mexico on the 25th burned for nearly 3 weeks. The fire smoldered for several days before blowing up on the 29th. Hikers and campers within the wilderness were forced to flee the fire otherwise no evacuations were noted. A total of 4 minor structures were destroyed and 1 damaged. The fire consumed around 3626 acres.
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 Jun 25, 4:27 PM MST, 5 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 527 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE WLY FLOW ALF SLOWLY INCREASING NEXT 24 HOURS AS UPPER TROF MOVES INTO GREAT BASIN AND SFC LEE TROF DEVELOPS. CENTRAL MT CHAIN WWD AOA SCT150. CENTRAL MT CHAIN EASTWARD SCT-BKN140 ISOLD TSRA G40KT UNTIL AROUND 04Z THEN AOA SCT150, EXCEPTION MAY BE THE PECOS VALLEY FROM KROW SWD WHERE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY PUSH NORTHWARD...RESULTING IN POTENTIAL FOR MVFR CIGS 06Z-15Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION...309 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014... .SYNOPSIS... A DRY AIR MASS AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL LIMIT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. BREEZIER WINDS FRIDAY AFTERNOON COULD LEAD TO A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. AFTER THE DISTURBANCE MOVES EAST OF THE AREA FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD OVER THE AREA THROUGH NEXT WEEK. SUNDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PERIOD AS HIGHS REACH WELL ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS ACROSS THE STATE. CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. && .DISCUSSION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN THIS EVENING AND MOVE EAST WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE DRYLINE. THE LATEST HRRR GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE NE PLAINS AS THE FAVORED LOCATION FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...SO MAINTAINED LOW END CHANCE POPS. BASED ON SPC MESOSCALE DISCUSSION AND LATEST LAPS READINGS...A FEW SEVERE TSTMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS THE FAR NE PLAINS WHERE BETTER INSTABILITY AND SHEAR EXIST. A DRY AIR MASS INDICATED BY THE CIRA BLENDED TPW PERCENT OF NORMAL AHEAD OF AN INCOMING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL CONTINUE TO SCOUR OUT MOISTURE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THE DRYLINE SETTING UP ALONG THE NM/TX BORDER EACH DAY. MODELS HINT THAT THE DISTURBANCE MAY DIP FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO SET OFF A FEW STORMS OVER THE NORTHERN MTS FRIDAY...BUT BEST CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL REMAIN ALONG THE DRYLINE. STRENGTHENING WINDS ALOFT WILL TRANSLATE TO BREEZIER CONDITIONS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH CRITICAL FIRE WX CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. A FIRE WX WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR FRIDAY. HIGH TEMPS WILL GRADUALLY COOL WEST TO EAST THROUGH FRIDAY AS PRESSURE HEIGHTS FALL WITH THE DISTURBANCE. AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES EAST OF THE AREA SATURDAY...UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN BUILDING OVER THE AREA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. A WEAK BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NE PLAINS SATURDAY MORNING AND DEVELOP A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NE PLAINS SATURDAY EVENING. THIS THINKING IS IN LINE WITH THE HIGH RES NAM MODEL THAT PICKS UP ON POTENTIAL MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW THAT THE GFS AND ECMWF CURRENTLY LACK. OTHERWISE...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL WARM THROUGH THE WEEKEND...BECOMING WELL ABOVE NORMAL AREA WIDE BY SUNDAY. CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WILL SLOWLY INCREASE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH BUILDS OVERHEAD. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE EASTERN PLAINS LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING...INCREASING MOISTURE AND BECOME THE FOCUS FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...MODELS GENERALLY AGREE THAT MOISTURE WILL SLOWLY WORK INTO THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE HIGH MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ITS LATE IN THE MODEL RUNS...BUT THIS MAY BE THE FIRST SIGNS OF MONSOON LIKE ACTIVITY ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. HOPEFULLY THIS TREND HOLDS IN ENSUING MODEL RUNS. && .FIRE WEATHER... CURRENTLY HAVE A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS. CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE EVENING DIMINISHING BEFORE MIDNIGHT. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL TREND WITHIN A DEGREE OR TWO FROM THIS MORNINGS READINGS STAYING ABOVE NORMAL AREA WIDE. RH RECOVERIES WILL BE FAIR ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN AREAS AND WILL BE GOOD TO EXCELLENT ACROSS THE EAST. INTO THURSDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH AND EASTWARD INTO CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA WITH THE SUB TROPICAL HIGH ELONGATED INTO NORTHERN MEXICO. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DRASTICALLY DECREASE WITH VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY EXPECTED AND ANYTHING THAT DOES FORM WILL BE RELEGATED TO THE FAR NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL MODERATE ACROSS THE WEST AND WILL TREND UP ELSEWHERE. READINGS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 7 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE STATE IN RESPONSE TO THE INCOMING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. WINDS ACROSS THE WEST AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WILL SEE GUSTS INTO THE 20S THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. MIN RH VALUES WILL BE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AREA WIDE WITH TEENS AND LOW 20S ALONG THE FAR EASTERN BORDER WHERE MOISTURE IS STAYING PUT. SPOTTY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN HIGHLANDS AND THE CHUSKA MOUNTAINS WITH SOME SUPER HAINES VALUES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. VENTILATION RATES WILL BE EXCELLENT WITH HIGH HAINES VALES AREA WIDE. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO WITH A LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH INTENSIFYING ACROSS EASTERN AREAS OF THE STATE. OVERNIGHT RH RECOVERIES WILL BE FAIR AREA WIDE WITH CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL LOWS TO START OFF YOUR DAY. DURING THE DAY FRIDAY...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AS WELL AS ALONG THE EASTERN BORDER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL BE BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE WEST AND ABOVE NORMAL CENTRAL AND EASTERN AREAS WHERE TRIPLE DIGIT READINGS ARE FORECAST. WINDS WILL INCREASE FURTHER ACROSS ALL AREAS...MOST PRONOUNCED AGAIN ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS. THE DRYLINE WILL BEGIN TO MOVE OUT OF THE STATE WITH MOISTURE DECREASING ACROSS THE EAST. MIN RH VALUES WILL AGAIN BE DISMAL WITH TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS AREA WIDE. COMBINATION OF THE WINDS...LOW HUMIDITIES AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO MULTIPLE HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. HAVE ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR ZONES 103 AND 107 THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING HOURS. CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO SHOWING UP IN ZONES 104 AND 108 BUT HAVE NOT INCLUDED THEM IN THE WATCH AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF PRECIPITATION OF LATE. VENTILATION RATES WILL BE EXCELLENT AREA WIDE. A WARMING AND DRYING TREND WILL ENSUE INTO THE WEEKEND WITH WINDS SUBSIDING SOMEWHAT BEHIND THE TROUGH PASSAGE. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK WEEK WITH MINIMAL CHANCES OF RAIN. THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH BUILDS THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK BECOMING MORE PRONOUNCED OVER THE STATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. A LOW LEVEL MOISTURE PULL LOOKS TO BEGIN TO SET UP DURING THIS TIME THROUGH THE WORK WEEK. 21 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ103-107. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 521 AM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 NMZ501>540-261200- 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- 521 AM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS...ALTHOUGH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HOT...DRY AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE A CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER SCENARIO ON THURSDAY ACROSS THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/HIGHLANDS. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO FORECAST ON FRIDAY...BUT WITH MORE WIND AND THE POTENTIAL FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE NORTHEAST PLAINS DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. 11
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 700 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 NMZ515-527-528-260130- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- 700 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL COLFAX COUNTY THROUGH 730 PM MDT... AT 657 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF CIMARRON...OR ABOUT 24 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPRINGER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL COLFAX COUNTY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. && LAT...LON 3666 10457 3641 10470 3654 10504 3673 10493 TIME...MOT...LOC 0101Z 288DEG 11KT 3662 10486
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 731 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 NMZ528-260200- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- 731 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL COLFAX COUNTY THROUGH 800 PM MDT... AT 728 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES EAST OF CIMARRON...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF SPRINGER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...SPRINGER...SPRINGER LAKE AND MIAMI. THIS WILL IMPACT INTERSTATE 25 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 413 AND 421... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. && LAT...LON 3640 10452 3624 10487 3653 10490 3661 10470 TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 335DEG 20KT 3648 10475
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
841 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014
NMZ528-260315-
FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
841 PM MDT WED JUN 25 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN MORA AND SOUTHERN
COLFAX COUNTIES THROUGH 915 PM MDT...
AT 839 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF SPRINGER...MOVING SOUTH AT 20
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...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EXTREME
SOUTHERN COLFAX AND NORTHEASTERN MORA COUNTIES.
THIS WILL IMPACT INTERSTATE 25 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 394 AND 413...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
&&
LAT...LON 3620 10443 3619 10444 3616 10441 3613 10441
3609 10471 3633 10476 3639 10454
TIME...MOT...LOC 0242Z 341DEG 16KT 3627 104611 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Diego fire destroyed 4 minor structure and damaged one. Total acres burned was near 3626. No information was available on the structural damages.
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, June 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: 517746.