An area of enhanced lift aloft helped to generate high-based showers and thunderstorms late on the 21st into the early morning hours of the 22nd. One thunderstorm produced a strong dry microburst, which resulted in a 62 mph gust with no reported rain.
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The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
An area of enhanced lift aloft helped to generate high-based showers and thunderstorms late on the 21st into the early morning hours of the 22nd. One thunderstorm produced a strong dry microburst, which resulted in a 62 mph gust with no reported rain. A few other thunderstorms produced gusts up to 50 mph, but nothing more. No damage was reported due to this gust.
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 21, 10:21 PM MST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1121 PM MDT TUE APR 21 2015 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE LIGHT BREEZES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...BECOMING MODERATELY GUSTY BY THE AFTERNOON WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 25 TO 30 KT AT SOME LOCATIONS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...FAVORING THE NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF NEW MEXICO AS A COLD FRONT SAGS INTO THAT PART OF THE STATE. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY TURN STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY DOWNBURST WINDS AND HAIL. SOME MVFR CEILINGS MAY ALSO DEVELOP INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM REMNANT CLOUDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS WILL ALSO SHIFT MORE EASTERLY OR NORTHEASTERLY AND BECOME BRIEFLY GUSTY BEHIND THE FRONT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...MOSTLY IMPACTING KCAO...KRTN...KTCC...AND PERHAPS KLVS. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...331 PM MDT TUE APR 21 2015... .SYNOPSIS... A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL DROP INTO NORTHEAST AREAS TONIGHT KEEPING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL THEN CROSS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING WITH WIND...RAIN SHOWERS...THUNDERSTORMS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW FAVORING WESTERN AND NORTHERN AREAS. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. AS THE STORM SYSTEM EXITS NORTHEASTWARD FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL KEEP THE WEATHER UNSETTLED ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION... ALONG THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT...WITH A FAVORABLE SHEAR PROFILE ALOFT...A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PLAINS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. IN THE SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS THE ONE THAT LOOKS TO BE THE BEST DEVELOPED WILL BE THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT CROSSES THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN ALOFT WHILE A LEE TROUGH EXTENDS SOUTHWARD FROM A 999 MB SURFACE LOW IN SE CO. THESE INGREDIENTS WILL YIELD BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS AT THE SURFACE ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS ON THURSDAY. GUSTS COULD PEAK NEAR 50 MPH THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NE. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS MAY RETURN TO MANY AREAS FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS ENE FROM GALLUP TO CLAYTON...OR MAYBE A BIT NORTH OF THIS LINE. WIND DIRECTIONS WILL ALSO SHIFT OUT OF THE WEST WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT. BEHIND THE PACIFIC FRONT HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL FALL A FEW TO 6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL IN MOST LOCATIONS ON FRIDAY. HOWEVER...IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING SYSTEM READINGS SHOULD REBOUND A FEW TO 6 DEGREES ON SATURDAY. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... OVERALL TREND WILL BE BREEZIER THROUGH FRIDAY WITH SOME CRITICAL CONDITIONS FAVORING THE THURSDAY AFTERNOON PERIOD. PRETTY GUSTY FAVORING THE EASTERN HALF ON FRIDAY. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES DURING THE WEEKEND WITH ONLY MODERATE AFTERNOON BREEZES. UNCERTAINTY EXISTS FOR NEXT WEEK. OVERALL SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IS LESS TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY DUE TO LESS MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGH SUNDOWN THEN MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WILL DISSIPATE. PERHAPS SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS CONTINUING PASSED MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER. WETTING RAIN IS REALLY NOT IN THE CARDS FOR THE REST OF TODAY. PERHAPS SOME VERY LOCALIZED AREAS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WHERE RH VALUES ARE A BIT HIGHER. THE OVERALL WIND FLOW WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS APPEAR TO BE THURSDAY/FRIDAY. SOUTH/SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/BAJA LOW ON THURSDAY TURNING MORE WESTERLY ON FRIDAY AS THE INITIAL LOW MOVES OVER THE AREA. PRECIPITATION CHANCES APPEAR TO BE THE BEST LATER THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT BUT ORGANIZATION APPEARS TO BE LACKING. CANT RULE OUT SOME WETTING MOISTURE FAVORING THE WESTERN THIRD TO HALF THURSDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE...SPORADIC LIGHTER SHOWERS/STORMS WEDNESDAY/FRIDAY. MODELS STILL SHOW A FAIRLY DECENT MID LEVEL DRY INTRUSION MOVING OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE HIGHER DEWPOINTS AND HUMIDITY MOVES BACK IN ON THURSDAY. A WEAK TO MODERATE BACK DOOR FRONT OR WIND SHIFT WILL PROVIDE MUCH HIGHER RH VALUES ACROSS THE NE PLAINS WEDNESDAY. A FEW HOURS OF SINGLE DIGIT RH READINGS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST HALF ON WEDNESDAY. IT APPEARS THAT THURSDAY HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR A WATCH ISSUANCE...ESPECIALLY THE NE HIGHLANDS/NE PLAINS AND PERHAPS EC PLAINS BASED ON HIGHER INSTABILITY AND COUPLED LOWER RH/STRONGER WIND. WILL HOLD OFF ON THE ISSUANCE AT THIS TIME THOUGH. CRITICAL CONDITIONS REDEVELOP ON THURSDAY AND FAVORING THE EASTERN PLAINS ALTHOUGH HAINES AND TEMP DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL VALUES WILL LOWER. THE GFS/CANADIAN/ECMWF MODELS APPEAR CONSISTENT WITH THEIR DEPICTION OF SATURDAY/SUNDAY ALTHOUGH THE CANADIAN AND ECMWF ARE A BIT DEEPER WITH THE FOLLOWING PACIFIC LOW. THUS HIGHER RH AND LOWER TEMPERATURES AND SOME WETTING RAIN CHANCES. GFS SHOWS SOME WETTING RAIN CHANCES BUT MORE RELEGATED TO THE FAR NORTH...ESPECIALLY NE HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS. THE GFS IS MUCH QUICKER WITH THE EXIT OF THE PACIFIC WAVE ON MONDAY WHILE THE CANADIAN AND ECMWF INDICATE A SLOWER DEPARTURE. NEXT WEEK BECOMES MORE UNCERTAIN DUE TO THE LACK OF CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE LONG RANGE MODELS...PARTICULARLY THE ECMWF AND GFS. THE GFS INDICATES A DRIER/BREEZIER PATTERN WHILE THE ECMWF INDICATES A DRIER/WARMER PATTER WITH PERHAPS A LITTLE LESS BREEZINESS. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 554 AM MDT TUE APR 21 2015 NMZ501>540-221200- 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- 554 AM MDT TUE APR 21 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH INCREASED SURFACE WINDS AND LOW ENOUGH AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY...A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PLAINS WEST TO THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS...ALSO ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AS WELL AS THE MID AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THERE IS ALSO SOME RISK OF BLOWING DUST ACROSS THE LOWER TERRAIN WITH THE STRONGER GUSTS WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 43
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:41 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
ASOS measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2015
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: 562186.