The most significant burst of monsoon moisture and instability so far in the 2016 summer season impacted New Mexico on August 5th. Deep atmospheric moisture and strong afternoon heating led to widespread showers and thunderstorms with torrential rainfall.
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.
The most significant burst of monsoon moisture and instability so far in the 2016 summer season impacted New Mexico on August 5th. Deep atmospheric moisture and strong afternoon heating led to widespread showers and thunderstorms with torrential rainfall. The heaviest rainfall impacted San Juan County where significant damage was reported around Shiprock. Several homes, vehicles, outbuildings, and roads were damaged from flood waters along Mesa Farm Road. An oil worker drove through flood waters along Largo Canyon Road southeast of Bloomfield and was killed. Gallup reported very heavy rainfall along with flooded roadways and stalled vehicles. Mud slides covered portions of U.S. Highway 84 north of Espanola. Even northeast New Mexico got in on the action with flooding reported across many area of Clayton.
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 Aug 5, 11:09 AM MST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1209 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2016 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Moisture feed continuing across much of the fcst area but still maximized from the sw mts to the n central mts and that is for the most part where the more numerous distribution of showers and storms will be this aftn and eve. It may disperse to some degree from that area as the activity slowly diminishes after roughly 03z. Once again mts will be occasionally obscured in heavy rain shafts and even clouds. MVFR and more rarely IFR conditions can also bee expected with the stronger storms. East central and SE plains should generally see the least amount of activity through the fcst period ending at 18z Sat. Lcl MVFR to IFR cigs may develop from the east slopes of the central mt chain westward during approx the 06z to 15Z Sat period. 43 && .PREV DISCUSSION...327 AM MDT FRI AUG 5 2016... .SYNOPSIS... A wet weather pattern will continue through the weekend and into early next week, but with an uptrend in daytime temperatures as the monsoon moisture plume is thinned out a bit. In the meantime, storms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall today and tonight with potential for flash flooding, especially across western and northern portions of the state. Rain chances will decrease some early next week, but ramp back up from mid to late week as a robust monsoon moisture plume develops. && .DISCUSSION... PWATs have maxed-out below model forecasts from the past couple of days, but are still well above normal across a majority of the area. However, some drying noted in the latest water vapor satellite imagery across southern New Mexico and the 00z KEPZ sounding showed a PWAT of 1.01" which is down significantly from the previous sounding PWAT of 1.44" at 12z. All of that said, abundant atmospheric moisture remains in place for another round of robust storms later today into tonight. Storms will be moving n-ne at 15 to 20 mph, so the flash flood threat will be from training cells vs. slow movement. Trimmed-back flash flood watch to remove some eastern and southern zones where PoPs/QPF are lower today/tonight. Kept the watch in place for the Albuquerque Metro where a repeat performance is possible this evening. PWATs are forecast to trend down over the weekend into early next week and will coincide with a slight warming trend. That said, PWATs will still be around or slightly above normal through the weekend and an active storm pattern will continue despite the upper high edging further west into southeast New Mexico. Further drying on Monday and Tuesday, but then a moisture resurgence from mid to late week as a west coast trough develops and moves inland. The 00z ECMWF still redevelops Tropical Storm Earl in the eastern Pacific and pulls it north up the Gulf of California, but then deflects it east across northern Mexico with the aforementioned trough progressing east across the Rockies. The 00z GFS is less enthused and both models show dry westerlies across the northern half of New Mexico by Friday. Will be interesting to see how this plays-out, but there is at least some potential for a significant monsoon burst with tropical moisture input next Wednesday or Thursday. 11 && .FIRE WEATHER... Wet pattern continues across the western two thirds of the state today. Hi-res models now picking up on two subtropical waves moving up from the southwest and across NM Saturday/Saturday night and again on Sunday. Scattered to numerous wet storms will result each afternoon and evening, especially from the central mountain chain westward. Very moist airmass will result in heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding today through Sunday. Models continue to bring drier air into the northwest quarter of NM Monday. Still plenty active elsewhere, especially along the moisture gradient where the atmosphere will be the most buoyant. GFS and ECMWF agree that Tuesday could be the least active day of the week across the west and north. Low level moisture remains sufficient enough elsewhere for scattered afternoon and evening coverage. GFS and to a greater extent the ECMWF still bring up remnant moisture from Tropical Storm Earl around midweek. Minor changes in the speed of an incoming upper level trough could lead to big changes in where this moisture actually ends up. We shall see. 33 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through this evening for the following zones... NMZ501>508-510>519-521-524-526-527. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 558 AM MDT FRI AUG 5 2016 NMZ501>540-061200- 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- 558 AM MDT FRI AUG 5 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. .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. 11
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
844 AM MDT FRI AUG 05 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 PM FLASH FLOOD 5 NNW CARNUEL 35.13N 106.49W
08/04/2016 BERNALILLO NM PUBLIC
LOW WATER CROSSINGS FLOODED IN GLENWOOD HILLS
&&
CORRECTED EVENT...REMARKS
EVENT NUMBER ABQ1601348
GUYERThe Albuquerque radar (KABX), 186 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:58 UTC.
6 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Oil truck washed into Large Canyon at 5 mile bridge near CR7007. Body found outside of vehicle downstream.
Flood waters 2 to 3 feet deep on Aztec Road between 8th and 10th streets.
Mud slide covering portion of U.S. Highway 84 near Medanales.
Penny hail in Capulin.
Highway 56 flooded between 4th and 6th streets. One to two feet of water over the roadway in low spots. Road impassable.
Fairgrounds flooded.
Serious flash flooding developed on Salt Creek Wash and created major damage to a community near Mesa Farm Road. Three to four homes were severely damaged and one home was destroyed. Several vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles washed into creek and destroyed. Water rescues occurred from roof tops and amazingly no one was killed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, San Juan | 2016-08-05 | 33 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2016
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: 642277, 642273, 642274, 642278, 642275, 642276, 642281.