An enhanced jet stream created enough lift and destabilization along with just enough moisture for isolated showers and thunderstorms across western and northern New Mexico. Significant dry air below the convection limited rain potential but allowed for a few storms to produce strong microburst outflow winds.
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 enhanced jet stream created enough lift and destabilization along with just enough moisture for isolated showers and thunderstorms across western and northern New Mexico. Significant dry air below the convection limited rain potential but allowed for a few storms to produce strong microburst outflow winds. One such microburst hit the southern valley portion of Albuquerque, causing a tramopline to be lifted on top of a power pole. Other notable reported microbursts include a 58 mph wind gust at the Roswell International Airport, a 56 mph wind gust at the Taos airport, and a 55 mph wind gust in Moriarty. No other damages or impacts 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 Sep 15, 11:07 AM MST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1207 PM MDT TUE SEP 15 2015 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE ISOLATED TO AT TIMES SCATTERED SHRA AND TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER MAINLY THE NORTHWEST TWO THIRDS OF NM THROUGH THE AFTN AND INTO EARLY EVE. GUSTY DOWNBURST WINDS BETWEEN 30 AND 45 KTS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH ANY TSRA. TAF SITES MOST LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED WILL BE GUP...FMN...AEG...ABQ...SAF AND TO A SLIGHTLY LESSER DEGREE LVS. THERE IS A SMALL RISK THAT THE STRONGEST TSRA MAY BRIEFLY GENERATE MVFR CIGS AND MT OBSCURATIONS. DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND MORE STRONGLY INTO THE STATE TOWARD SUNSET AND THEREAFTER MITIGATING SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION EXPECT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO TO AROUND 30 KT IMPACTING SCATTERED AREAS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. THESE WINDS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE AFTER SUNSET. 43 && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 AM MDT TUE SEP 15 2015... .SYNOPSIS... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY LITTLE MEASURABLE RAIN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WITH A GRADUAL DRYING TREND IN PLACE. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE NEAR NORMAL WEST AND ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL EAST. IN ADDITION... BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY PRIOR TO A BACKDOOR FRONT ARRIVING LATE FRIDAY. THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL RECHARGE MOISTURE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA LEADING TO RENEWED CHANCES FOR RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND DOWN SOME BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT WILL RESUME A WARMING AND DRYING TREND LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... PWATS TRENDED UP TO ABOVE NORMAL FOR MID SEPTEMBER YESTERDAY...BUT WILL BEGIN A SLOW DOWNWARD TREND TODAY. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH... EVIDENT IN THE LATEST WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY...IS MOVING TOWARD THE FOUR CORNERS AND RESULTING IN NOCTURNAL CONVECTION ACROSS NORTHERN AZ...SOUTHERN UT AND SOUTHWEST CO. RAIN CHANCES TREND DOWN TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...FAVORING THE WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN AND JEMEZ/TUSAS MOUNTAINS...BUT WITH VERY LITTLE QPF. WELL ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS ARE FORECAST ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS...BUT SHY OF RECORD VALUES. BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN THANKS TO MODERATE W-SW FLOW ALOFT AND A SEMI-PERMANENT LEE SIDE TROUGH. NOT MUCH CHANGE GOING INTO WEDNESDAY. THE 00Z GFS AND NAM ARE SHOWING AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WEDNEDSAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WHICH MAY RESULT IN RENEWED RAIN CHANCES ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN-MOST ZONES GOING INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS SEEMS PLAUSIBLE GIVEN A TROUGH DIVING E-SE ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST DRAWING MOISTURE NORTH AROUND THE UPPER HIGH CIRCULATION OVER WEST TEXAS. HAVE INCREASED POPS SOME FOR THU/THU-NIGHT...BUT MAY NEED TO BE INCREASED MORE. SE PLAINS AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LOOK TO BE FAVORED. THE BACKDOOR FRONT IS STILL ON TRACK TO PUSH SW ACROSS OUR AREA FRIDAY/FRIDAY-NIGHT...RECHARGING MOISTURE AND SETTING THE STAGE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY. THE LATEST GFS AND ECMWF SHOW A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE NW LATE SATURDAY... WHICH WOULD HELP TO SUSTAIN STORMS GOING INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH A BUILDING RIDGE OVER THE DESERT SW WILL SHIFT INTO OUR AREA LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...BRINGING BACK ABOVE NORMAL DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AND ENDING RAIN CHANCES. 11 && .FIRE WEATHER... STRONGER SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL WORK OVER NM TODAY AS MULTIPLE TROUGHS ALOFT EJECT INLAND OFF OF THE PACIFIC THROUGH THURSDAY. CURRENTLY AN AXIS OF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY IS SHIFTING INTO NE AZ AND NW NM...BUT A MORE STABLE AND DRIER AIR MASS WILL FILTER INTO THIS REGION BY AFTERNOON. STORMS WILL BE EVEN LESS NUMEROUS THAN YESTERDAY...DECREASING IN COVERAGE FROM THE WEST CENTRAL TO NORTH CENTRAL SECTIONS OF NM. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COMPARABLE TO YESTERDAY'S READINGS...NEAR AVERAGE IN THE WESTERN ZONES AND ABOUT 8 TO 12 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL IN THE EASTERN ONES. MINIMUM RH WILL FALL TO THE 20 TO 35 PERCENT RANGE...BEING LOWEST IN THE LOWER ELEVATION PLAINS AND VALLEYS. LIKELY THE BIGGEST CONCERN TODAY WILL BE THE SURFACE/20 FT WINDS AS THE STRONGER FLOW ALOFT WILL MIX DOWN WITH SCATTERED AREAS OBSERVING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35 MPH. DRIER AIR ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO FILTER IN WITH STRONG FLOW FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER BREEZY DAY...ESPECIALLY BY MID SEPTEMBER STANDARDS...IS ANTICIPATED WITH MORE AREAS OBSERVING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35 MPH. SOME NORTHEAST HIGHLAND AND HIGH PLAINS AREAS EAST OF I-25 MAY EVEN BRIEFLY OBSERVE SOME GUSTS CLOSE TO 40 MPH. THE DRIER AIR AND ALSO MORE STABLE CONDITIONS WILL LIMIT STORM FORMATION WITH PERSISTENT TEMPERATURE AND RH TRENDS WHEN COMPARED TO TODAY. ANOTHER NORTHERN PACIFIC TROUGH WILL WORK INLAND TO THE NORTHWESTERN STATES BY THURSDAY...AND ONE MORE DAY OF THE STEADY BRISK SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL PREVAIL OVER NM. ONE DIFFERENCE WILL BE THE FILLING IN OF A LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH AND THIS SHOULD ACTUALLY HELP REDUCE WIND SPEEDS AT THE SURFACE/20FT LEVEL FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. STILL...SOME BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL BE OBSERVED THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT LOWER SPEEDS COMPARED TO TODAY AND WEDNESDAY. MINIMAL CHANGE TO THE TEMPERATURE AND RH TRENDS IS EXPECTED...BUT SOME MEAGER MOISTURE/INSTABILITY MAY WORK INTO THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST AREA...LEADING TO SOME STRAY SHOWERS THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. A BIG REDUCTION IN WINDS ALOFT WILL TAKE PLACE FRIDAY...BUT A COLD FRONT WILL BE SLIDING DOWN THE PLAINS...POISED TO INVADE NM FRIDAY NIGHT. GUSTY WINDS WILL BE ACCOMPANYING THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...EVEN IN CENTRAL AREAS OF THE STATE BY DAWN SATURDAY. THIS FRONT SHOULD ADVECT MORE MOISTURE FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...BUT THE PATTERN LOOKS TO TURN DRIER AND MORE TRANQUIL INTO NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE REBUILDS OVER NM. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 534 AM MDT TUE SEP 15 2015 NMZ501>540-161200- 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- 534 AM MDT TUE SEP 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 11
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:02 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Media member supplied pictures of trampoline that was blown on top of a power line, indicating an estimated wind speed of 55 mph.
Convectively aided wind gust.
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, September 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: 595710, 595711.