A strong easterly push of low level moisture over eastern New Mexico interacted with an upper level trough ejecting out of the southern Rockies to produce numerous showers and thunderstorms over the eastern plains. Strong to severe thunderstorms erupted along the dryline over the high plains and moved southeast into eastern New Mexico.
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.
A strong easterly push of low level moisture over eastern New Mexico interacted with an upper level trough ejecting out of the southern Rockies to produce numerous showers and thunderstorms over the eastern plains. Strong to severe thunderstorms erupted along the dryline over the high plains and moved southeast into eastern New Mexico. Several reports of large hail were received from Colfax County southeast to De Baca and Roosevelt counties. Heavy rainfall falling on saturated grounds within Clovis produced urban flooding of low lying areas and playa lakes. The strongest storms rolled through Roosevelt County where golf ball size hail and even a tornado was reported around Milnesand. No damage or injuries were reported.
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 May 29, 2:16 PM MST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 316 PM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015 .SYNOPSIS... THE WARMING AND DRYING TREND CONTINUES TODAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOCUSING ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE AREA WHERE A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY RESULTING IN GUSTY EAST CANYON/GAP WINDS IN THE RIO GRANDE AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEYS. SOME COOLING SATURDAY BEHIND THE FRONT ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WILL RESULT IN A DOWNTREND IN THUNDERSTORMS THERE...BUT MOISTURE MOVING IN BEHIND THE FRONT WILL RESULT IN A ROUND OF LATE DAY THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS. THE WARMING TREND RESUMES SUNDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE ABOVE NORMAL NEXT WEEK AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS OVERHEAD AND DRY AIR MOVES IN BEHIND IT LEADING TO A SEVERAL DAYS WITH LITTLE TO NO CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS. && .DISCUSSION... ROUND OF CONVECTION ONGOING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS INTO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. HOWEVER...SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY IS NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS YESTERDAY WITH DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES 5-10 DEGREES LOWER...BUT WITH MUCH IMPROVED DIRECTIONAL SHEAR SEVERE STORMS ARE IMMINENT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WAS JUST ISSUED FOR MUCH OF THE EAST. THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR INITIATION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. THE 18Z NAM IS SHOWING A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO AND NE NEW MEXICO OVERNIGHT WITH RENEWED CHANCES FOR STORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS/HIGHLANDS. THE BACKDOOR FRONT IS STILL FORECAST TO PUSH THROUGH THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TONIGHT...RESULTING IN GUSTY EAST CANYON/GAP WINDS IN THE RIO GRANDE AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEYS. WINDS ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. WESTWARD LOW LAYER MOISTURE TRANSPORT IN THE FRONTAL LAYER THROUGH SATURDAY WILL RESULT IN A LATE-DEVELOPING ROUND OF STORMS ALONG THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN HIGHER TERRAIN WITH MOVEMENT OFF TO THE SOUTH OR SOUTHEAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OVER THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH 500MB HEIGHTS REACHING UP TO 588-589DAM...WHICH WILL BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO BRING-ON A RENEWED WARMING TREND. SLOW-MOVING DAYTIME HEATING TRIGGERED STORMS ARE FORECAST SUNDAY AND MONDAY...FOLLOWING NORMAL DIURNAL TRENDS. HIGHS WILL ACTUALLY BE ABOVE NORMAL MOST AREAS MONDAY THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY AS THE RIDGE AXIS SHIFT EAST AND DRY WESTERLIES PUNCH IN...WITH A BROAD LOW AMPLITUDE TROUGHING PATTERN OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. NEXT WEEK WILL CERTAINLY FEEL MORE SEASONAL THAN WHAT WE SAW FOR MUCH OF MAY. 11 && .FIRE WEATHER... DRIER CONDITIONS WITH ISOLATED HIGHER BASED SHOWERS/STORMS WILL IMPACT WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS REST OF TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WOULD BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THIS ACTIVITY. DRYLINE STORMS OF THE WETTER VARIETY WOULD BE FOUND ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD GO WELL INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND ACTUALLY ENHANCE IN SPATIAL COVERAGE DUE TO A BACK DOOR COLD FRONTAL PLUNGE. HIGHER DEWPOINTS AND HUMIDITY WILL GET PUSHED WESTWARD OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE FRONTAL PUSH AND MAKE IT TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...PERHAPS A BIT FURTHER. THE HIGHER MOISTURE WILL SET THE STAGE FOR SOME WETTING RAIN POSSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE DIVIDE AND CENTRAL MTNS AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS ON SATURDAY. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE HIGHER ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS COMPARED TO TODAYS RESULTS. TEMPS WILL ALSO COOL AND BE NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL ALONG AND WEST OF THE DIVIDE AND BELOW NORMAL TO THE EAST OF THE DIVIDE. THE SURFACE WIND FLOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE TOO STRONG EXCEPT FOR NEAR THE CENTRAL MTN GAPS DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS STILL DEPICTED TO BUILD OVER THE AREA SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. MOISTURE TRAPPED WITHIN THE RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY MIX OUT IN THE FORM OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL TREND DRIER AS THE DAYS PROGRESS AND LOOK FOR SMALL FOOTPRINTS OF MARGINALLY WETTING RAIN BY MONDAY. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WOULD REMAIN A CONCERN. THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE MUCH LESS BY TUESDAY. BOTH THE ECMWF/GFS SUPPORT THIS TREND. ECMWF IS A BIT MORE BULLISH FOR DRYLINE STORMS ACROSS THE EAST ON TUESDAY HOWEVER. THE SURFACE WIND GRADIENT SHOULD PICK UP DURING THE EARLIER HALF OF NEXT WEEK AS THE RIDGE GRADUALLY BREAKS DOWN AND ALLOWS THE WINDS ALOFT TO STRENGTHEN. ABUNDANT MIXING HEIGHTS SHOULD LEAD TO DEEP MIXING AND PROVIDE GUSTIER WIND FLOWS...ESPECIALLY TUES/WED. WENT A LITTLE ABOVE MODEL GUIDANCE FOR THIS PERIOD. DRY SLOTTING WILL ALSO LOWER SURFACE HUMIDITY VALUES AND PROVIDE SEVERAL HOURS OF SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS. LOCALIZED STRONG WIND/LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGHER HAINES VALUES WILL START TO SHOW UP DURING THIS PERIOD ALTHOUGH FUEL CONDITIONS ARENT TOO BAD...ESPECIALLY WITH AN INFLUX OF GREENUP. CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE TO HIGH BASED ON THE RECENT TRENDS IN THE MODELS BUT THIS WOULD BE A PATTERN CHANGE OF SORTS. ANOTHER PACIFIC TROUGH MAY SHARPEN UP TO THE WEST DURING LATE NEXT WEEK AND COULD PROVIDE ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS/STORMS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. ECMWF MODELS APPEARS TO BE MORE BULLISH FOR THAT TREND VERSUS THE GFS BUT WILL MONITOR. STORMS COULD INITIALLY START OUT ON THE DRIER SIDE ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS. 50 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE MAIN AVIATION THREAT IN THE NEAR TERM WILL BE DEVELOPING SH/TS BETWEEN GUP AND ABQ/AEG BY MID AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO THE EARLY/MID EVENING. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE HIT AND MISS AND PROVIDE GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. USING VCSH TO CAPTURE THIS ACTIVITY AND MAY NEED TO UPDATE WITH TEMPO SH TO INDICATE THE GUSTY WINDS. SIMILAR SCENARIO FOR SAF. STRONGER STORMS WILL GET GOING ACROSS THE NE THIS AFTERNOON AND CIGS WILL BE A BIT LOWER WITH LTGN/OUTFLOW WIND BEING THE MAIN IMPACT. AS THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT STRENGTHENS LATER TODAY...LOWER CIGS AND VIS RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE DUE TO RAINFALL AND THE STRONGER NATURE TO THE STORMS. LVS/TCC AND EVENTUALLY ROW WILL SEE THESE POSSIBILITIES. RESIDUAL LOWER CIGS AND PERHAPS EVEN IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT LVS LATE TONIGHT. TCC/ROW COULD SEE MVFR CIGS FOLLOWING THE PRECIPITATION BUT NOT AS LIKELY. AWW WIND FROM THE EAST SHOULD IMPACT ABQ SHORTLY AFTER 6Z. THINK THE FRONTAL PUSH WILL ADVANCE A LITTLE QUICKER THAN MODELS THINK DUE TO TS/SH COLD POOL IMPACT. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 47 84 52 87 / 0 5 5 5 DULCE........................... 37 78 39 80 / 10 5 10 10 CUBA............................ 44 77 45 81 / 5 10 10 30 GALLUP.......................... 41 81 44 85 / 0 5 10 10 EL MORRO........................ 42 78 45 83 / 0 10 20 10 GRANTS.......................... 44 78 45 82 / 5 10 20 20 QUEMADO......................... 46 78 47 81 / 0 5 10 10 GLENWOOD........................ 52 86 53 86 / 0 5 10 20 CHAMA........................... 36 73 38 75 / 20 10 20 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 48 74 48 79 / 10 50 20 50 PECOS........................... 47 71 46 78 / 40 50 20 40 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 38 72 40 78 / 30 20 30 30 RED RIVER....................... 35 65 37 70 / 60 20 40 50 ANGEL FIRE...................... 36 67 38 74 / 50 40 20 50 TAOS............................ 39 74 41 78 / 10 10 20 20 MORA............................ 42 68 43 76 / 50 40 20 40 ESPANOLA........................ 47 76 48 82 / 10 10 20 10 SANTA FE........................ 48 73 48 79 / 20 30 20 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 49 75 49 82 / 10 10 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 56 78 56 83 / 20 20 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 59 79 58 84 / 10 10 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 54 80 54 86 / 10 10 20 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 55 79 55 85 / 10 10 20 10 LOS LUNAS....................... 55 81 55 87 / 10 10 20 10 RIO RANCHO...................... 54 78 54 84 / 10 10 20 10 SOCORRO......................... 56 84 56 87 / 5 10 20 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 50 73 51 81 / 20 20 20 10 TIJERAS......................... 49 74 51 84 / 20 20 20 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 46 72 47 80 / 20 30 20 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 45 69 48 79 / 50 20 20 20 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 50 74 49 80 / 20 30 30 30 CARRIZOZO....................... 52 76 52 81 / 10 10 20 10 RUIDOSO......................... 48 68 47 75 / 40 50 40 40 CAPULIN......................... 45 68 48 79 / 70 30 20 30 RATON........................... 46 71 46 81 / 70 30 20 20 SPRINGER........................ 47 70 47 81 / 60 20 20 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 43 66 46 78 / 50 20 20 20 CLAYTON......................... 49 70 52 81 / 60 20 10 10 ROY............................. 47 69 50 81 / 40 20 10 10 CONCHAS......................... 53 73 55 85 / 50 20 10 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 53 72 54 85 / 40 20 10 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 54 74 56 85 / 60 20 10 5 CLOVIS.......................... 54 71 54 80 / 60 30 10 5 PORTALES........................ 55 72 55 81 / 60 30 10 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 55 73 56 83 / 50 30 10 10 ROSWELL......................... 59 77 59 84 / 50 30 10 5 PICACHO......................... 54 72 54 80 / 50 30 20 20 ELK............................. 50 72 52 77 / 40 50 40 30 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 515 AM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015 NMZ501>540-301200- 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 CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/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- 515 AM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL SAG INTO EASTERN NEW MEXICO WHERE THE DRYLINE AND A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL RESIDE. EXPECT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO WITH MANY STORMS TURNING STRONG TO SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SHIFT WESTWARD INTO THE WEEKEND THROUGH MONDAY. SOME STORMS MAY TURN STRONG AND PERHAPS SEVERE BETWEEN THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE OF WESTERN NEW MEXICO AND THE HIGH PLAINS JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAIL...GUSTY DOWNBURST WINDS...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY HAIL OR STRONG WIND GUSTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT STORM REPORTS AND PHOTOS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR VIA TWITTER USING THE HASHTAG N M W X. 52
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
939 AM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM HAIL 6 ENE CLAYTON 36.48N 103.07W
05/28/2015 E0.88 INCH UNION NM TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1502239
JFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1107 AM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM HAIL 11 NNW SEDAN 36.28N 103.22W
05/28/2015 E1.75 INCH UNION NM TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1502240
JFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
132 PM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015
NMZ528-292015-
FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
132 PM MDT FRI MAY 29 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN MORA COUNTY...
AT 132 PM MDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR WAGON MOUND...MOVING
EAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND DIME SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WAGON MOUND.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 25 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 378 AND 396.
LAT...LON 3612 10443 3578 10460 3578 10470 3593 10488
3594 10487 3595 10485 3600 10483 3603 10485
3603 10489 3604 10491 3607 10488 3607 10489
3614 10484
TIME...MOT...LOC 1932Z 292DEG 19KT 3603 10480
50The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 198 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:18 UTC.
6 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Twitter report indicated quarter size hail accumulated to a depth of about 1.5 inches near Abbott.
Chaser reported nickel size hail.
Chaser reported quarter size hail along state road 294.
Spotter reported nickel sized hail.
Public reported nickel size hail.
A public spotter posted a picture on Twitter of hail estimated to be the size of a golf ball, perhaps even larger.
Up to 2 feet of water on portions of Echols Avenue as well as along Cameo Street. The Dennis Chaves Park Lake was overflowing onto 14th Street which lead to several cars stalling out.
Numerous reports of elephant trunk tornado on the ground between Milnesand and Lingo. No damage or injuries reported.
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 historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 2015Warnings in New Mexico, May 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: 568459, 568453, 568455, 568454, 568456, 568457, 568452, 568442.