A subtropical wave lifted north from Mexico and stalled out over the northwest corner of New Mexico on the 22nd. This allowed an extended fetch of abundant atmospheric moisture to surge north across central and eastern New Mexico.
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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 subtropical wave lifted north from Mexico and stalled out over the northwest corner of New Mexico on the 22nd. This allowed an extended fetch of abundant atmospheric moisture to surge north across central and eastern New Mexico. An area of rain and thunderstorms developed during the predawn hours over the Ute Creek drainage around Harding County. Several ranchers reported between four and five inches of rainfall in less than six hours. This large area of rainfall generated an extended period of flooding along the drainage basin, resulting in closure of several county roads. This rainfall took 24 to 48 hours to flow downstream and flood the river gage on Ute Creek above Logan. The river was periodically above flood stage between 6 am on the 23rd and 3 am on the 25th. A couple thunderstorms across the area became strong to severe as well. Nickel size hail was reported in Clovis and half dollar size hail near Milagro. More heavy rainfall over Chaves County produced flash flooding along the Walnut Creek drainage south of Lake Arthur on the 24th.
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 22, 4:35 AM MST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 535 AM MDT Tue Aug 22 2017 .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE Weak upper low/trof lingering over nrn NM with a few showers and tstms favoring the ne third of NM before 18Z. Sfc front to enter ne NM pushing to a KAXX-KLVS-KCQC-KCVS line around 21Z. Showers and storms to increase along and behind this boundary and initiate an east wind into the RGV at KSAF and KABQ around 22/22-23/00Z. Convection to also develop along the wrn high terrain aft 18Z due to daytime heating. Any convection to result in occasional mt obscurations and brief MVFR cigs/vsbys along with wind gusts to 45kt. Areas of MVFR to IFR cigs/vsbys to develop over ne and east central NM aft 23/03Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION...312 AM MDT Tue Aug 22 2017... .SYNOPSIS... A back door cold front will push into eastern New Mexico today becoming a focus for showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms may be strong or severe, and could also produce heavy rainfall. The front will push south and west this afternoon and tonight, and should produce a moderate east canyon wind in the Rio Grande Valley. Storms on Wednesday should favor the high terrain, particularly south of I-40, but a disturbance on Thursday will enhance and expand storm coverage. Friday through the weekend, the east may remain active thanks to low level moisture returning from the Gulf. && .DISCUSSION... Still a few showers and thunderstorms early this morning across central and eastern NM. These should continue to diminish through sunrise as an outflow boundary has pushed out well ahead of the storms. Thereafter, all eyes will be on a back door cold front sliding down the plains and becoming the focus for thunderstorm development. Storm motion will be rather slow due to the upper high positioned near EPZ, generally 5 to 10 mph toward the east, perhaps less across far NE NM. Enough instability will also be present across NE and EC NM for a few strong or perhaps briefly severe storms. Locally heavy rain is certainly a possibility as well. The front will continue to slide south and west, aided by convection, this afternoon and tonight. The NAM and GFS are a bit at odds with how strong the east wind in the Rio Grande Valley will be. NAM is certainly stronger, and may be more realistic if it is convectively aided. Regardless, the front will usher moisture back westward, at least to the ContDvd, by Wednesday morning. Since the NAM has the stronger push, it also breaks out much more QPF on Wednesday afternoon across the west central and southwest mountains than the GFS. Generally think the GFS is a bit too dry, even if some of the moisture mixes out Wednesday afternoon while the upper ridge remains overhead. The upper ridge will break down on Thursday as a weak disturbance/shortwave trough looks to round the ridge. This disturbance should enhanced storm coverage, particularly over the mountains, on Thursday afternoon. However, if the GFS is correct, and it seems plausible, there could be a few storms across the plains as well, some strong or severe. Return flow at low levels will be the story for Friday through the weekend while the upper level high builds over the Great Basin. All- in-all, this pattern looks like it will keep areas along and east of the central mountain chain in decent shape for daily rounds of storm activity. Storms across the west should be more isolated in nature. Early next week, dry mid level air may move into eastern NM, and perhaps rounding into northern Mexico. Thus, storm coverage should generally decrease as no additional moisture moves into the area, and we continue to recycle the moisture in place. 34 && .FIRE WEATHER... Upper trough has lingered longer than expected over nrn NM and short term models analyze it over north central/ne NM. Currently spotty convection continuing over the Central Highlands, Northeast and East Central Plains, which is expected to diminish towards sunrise at least according to short term models. Surface boundary to push into the Northeast Plains early this morning, and will serve to initiate convection over the north central, northeast and east central as it tracks south and westward today. A few strong storms are possible along the boundary. Otherwise, the upper high center will be located in the vicinity of far south central NM. Isolated to scattered showers and storms are expected to develop over the western higher terrain today due to daytime heating. The front will force it's way into the Rio Grande Valley late this afternoon/early this evening with a gusty east wind along the eastern foothills. Showers and storms should diminish late this evening but isolated to scattered activity may persist after midnight central and east. Storm motion today and tonight will be generally to the east and southeast, except over northeast NM where variable and erratic motion may be observed. Areas of fair to poor vent rates will dominate the north central and northeast as well as the west central and Rio Grande Valley. Wetting rain from showers and storms Wednesday is most likely over and near the higher terrain. Steering flow will be in an easterly direction. Much of the region south of Interstate 40 will see fair to poor vent rates Wednesday while mostly good rates are forecast over the north. Showers and storms may become more plentiful Thursday as the upper ridge is flattened. The upper high rebuilds starting Friday and moreso over the Great Basin during the weekend. This reduces the areal coverage and number of storms expected across far western NM, as well as lowering both max and min humidities in the west. A couple of fronts look to impact the east, one potentially Saturday night and a second Sunday night, keeping the weather more active central and east. High temperatures through Friday will be mostly below average, while lows stay above normal. ECMWF and GFS bring a westerly moving closed low, an evidently recycled and rejuvenated Harvey, but it's deflected away from NM, long before it gets too close to the state. The high center now appears to remain over the Great Basin through the middle of next week. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 312 AM MDT Tue Aug 22 2017 NMZ501>540-231100- 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- 312 AM MDT Tue Aug 22 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A back door cold front sliding down the plains today will be a focus for shower and thunderstorm development. A few storms may be strong or severe with hail and downburst winds the main threats. However, due to slow storm motion in addition to the instability, heavy rain is also possible which may lead to areas of flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Daily rounds of shower and thunderstorm activity is expected through the weekend. Locally heavy rainfall is possible each day, and a few strong or severe storms will be possile on Thursday across eastern New Mexico as well. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report hail, gusty winds, flooding, as well as rainfall amounts 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 nmwx. 34
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 163 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:58 UTC.
4 flash flood, 2 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Rancher reported 5 inches of rainfall. Water was running off Mesa Quitaras and flooding everywhere. Carrizo Creek is running like a river.
Water running over U.S. 54 within the Ute Creek drainage.
Hail up to the size of nickels in Clovis.
NM-102 flooded and impassable between mile markers 3 and 4 at Tequesquite Creek.
Hail up to the size of half dollars reported along Interstate 40 between mile markers 242 and 244.
Ute Creek above Logan reached minor flood stage of 7 feet at 600 am MDT on the 23rd and periodically remained above minor flood stage through 300 am MDT on the 25th. The river crested at 8.67 feet with a discharge of 3,964 cfs at 945 am MDT on the 23rd.
NM-2 closed between mile markers 6 and 8 due to flooding over the roadway.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2017
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: 709623, 709625, 709624, 709626, 709627, 709622, 709628.