An upper level low pressure system developed over the Great Basin during the first week of October and delivered another round of widespread showers and thunderstorms to New Mexico. This weather pattern was similar to the pattern that impacted the area with severe storms and flooding at the end of September.
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 upper level low pressure system developed over the Great Basin during the first week of October and delivered another round of widespread showers and thunderstorms to New Mexico. This weather pattern was similar to the pattern that impacted the area with severe storms and flooding at the end of September. Saturated soils over much of central and eastern New Mexico from late September exacerbated the flash flood potential. The first round of heavy rainfall impacted eastern New Mexico on the 3rd when four to six inches of rain fell within the Pecos Valley. Low level moisture surged westward on the 4th and triggered more showers and storms within central New Mexico through the 5th. Flash flooding and severe storms developed in the Rio Grande Valley. Numerous roads were washed out within Santa Fe County. Flash flooding, hail, and high winds were reported again around Belen. Meanwhile, eastern New Mexico continued to experience deluges of rainfall with flash flooding reported around Logan, Fort Sumner, Portales, and Elk. Three day total rainfall amounts of 3 to 8 inches were reported across eastern New Mexico with another 1 to 3 inches around the Rio Grande Valley.
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 Oct 3, 4:37 PM MST, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 537 PM MDT Tue Oct 3 2017 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE The cold front has started to trigger showers and thunderstorms east of the central mountain chain this evening and they will continue to increase in coverage and intensity tonight, some storms with heavy rain, hail and strong wind gusts. Some thunderstorms will probably develop during the late night hours across central areas as the front pushes into the central valley. Farther east, upslope flow will result in rain, areas of fog and low clouds with MVFR and IFR conditions that will linger through at least mid day Wednesday; breaking up in some areas briefly during the afternoon, only to sock back in with showers and thunderstorms Wednesday evening. Ample moisture with the front will spread showers and thunderstorms west across most of the forecast area on Wednesday with a threat of locally heavy rainfall, especially in the east. && .PREV DISCUSSION...319 PM MDT Tue Oct 3 2017... .SYNOPSIS... Strong afternoon storms expected tonight across the eastern plains with few possibly becoming severe, with more numerous storms across central and eastern NM Wednesday and Thursday. Flash flooding will likely be a concern Wednesday where the heaviest downpours occur. Drier weather conditions prevail starting Friday and into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... A backdoor front has moved into the NE plains today, with higher Td's and southerly remaining over the SE plains up to about I-40 this afternoon. Instability will be moderate to high across the east where CAPE values are 2000-3000 J/kg in the RAP13 analysis, along with 40-60kt sfc-6km shear will allow for storms to become severe across the eastern plains this evening. Storms will also be capable of producing localized heavy rains. As an upper low over CA ejects into the northern Great Basin, and an high over the eastern U.S. builds into Texas, the increased moisture behind the backdoor and over the SE plains will advect further west to the continental divide Wed-Thu. This will set up numerous storms Wed-Thu afternoons. With soil moistures already fairly high over much of NM, and tonight's expected precipitation over the eastern plains, the threat of flash flooding is certainly likely where the heaviest downpours occur Wed and potentially again Thu, certainly across the eastern plains. Storm total accumulations from now through Thursday are peaking across the eastern plains where 2-3" are possible. Models continue to show the upper low opening up to a trough over the northern Rockies by Friday bringing in drier weather across the west. A backdoor front Saturday could keep a few storms going Saturday along the Sangre's, but the real story is the drying trend this weekend and into next week. 24 && .FIRE WEATHER... Humidities will increase and showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread from the central mountain chain eastward starting tonight, then across western areas as well on Wednesday. A back door cold front will push through gaps in the central mountain chain with a moderately gusty east canyon wind in the middle Rio Grande Valley and Santa Fe areas tonight into Wednesday morning. An upper level low pressure system tracking northeastward across the Great Basin and northern Rockies will continue to draw low level moisture over the state through Thursday. PWATs over 1 inch across central and southeast areas are expected Wednesday and Thursday with record values for those dates forecast at Albuquerque. Between tonight and Thursday evening, much of the area from the continental divide eastward can expect total accumulations between 1/2-1 inch, except from 1-1.5 inches with locally higher amounts east of the central mountain chain. Lighter amounts are expected west of the continental divide. The upper level low will begin to migrate eastward onto the upper Great Plains Thursday night and Friday, steering drier air over New Mexico. A Pacific cold front will also arrive from the west and northwest on Friday with dry air. West winds will become breezy to windy Friday afternoon from the central mountain chain eastward. Isolated showers and thunderstorms lingering on Friday will favor locations east of the continental divide, and these could get a boost from a back door cold front that penetrates northeast areas Friday evening. Persistent dry air flowing into the area from the west and northwest on Saturday will cause humidities to continue to trend downward with dry weather expected Saturday and Sunday. An upper level trough crossing the northern and central Rockies will send a somewhat moist back door cold front southwestward through the state starting Sunday. The system could trigger some showers and thunderstorms from the northern mountains eastward as early as Sunday night. Vent rates will be poor in the wake of the cold front along and east of the central mountain chain on Wednesday. There will be some ventilation improvement along and just east of the central mountain chain Thursday, then continued improvement areawide as winds strengthen on Friday. In the wake of Friday's Pacific cold front mostly poor ventilation is expected Saturday, and some of the poor readings may linger behind the back door cold front across NE and E central areas on Sunday. 44 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 334 PM MDT Tue Oct 3 2017 NMZ501>540-041100- 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- 334 PM MDT Tue Oct 3 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms across the east- central plains tonight after 5pm are possible. Storms will be capable of producing hail, strong winds, and localized heavy rainfalls. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Scattered to numerous afternoon storms are expected once again Wed afternoon. Increased moisture advection into western NM, along with preceding storm activity across the eastern plains has increased the chance for localized flash flooding across the eastern plains Wednesday afternoon and evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 24
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
729 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017
NMZ532-533-040200-
Eastern San Miguel County-Guadalupe County-
729 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SAN MIGUEL AND
NORTHEASTERN GUADALUPE COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM MDT...
At 729 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13
miles northeast of Santa Rosa Lake State Park, or 19 miles north of
Santa Rosa, moving north at 25 mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Variadero.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor your preferred
media outlets and NOAA Weather Radio for additional information and
possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3513 10446 3515 10470 3543 10472 3544 10465
3545 10464 3542 10431
TIME...MOT...LOC 0129Z 189DEG 20KT 3521 10458
DPorterSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 810 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 NMZ538-539-040245- Eastern Lincoln County-Chaves County Plains- 810 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN LINCOLN AND NORTHWESTERN CHAVES COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM MDT... At 810 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 15 miles southwest of Mesa, or 40 miles northwest of Roswell, moving northeast at 10 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern Lincoln and northwestern Chaves Counties. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3375 10484 3383 10504 3406 10496 3394 10467 TIME...MOT...LOC 0210Z 205DEG 8KT 3386 10491 40
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 811 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 NMZ533-537-040245- Guadalupe County-De Baca County- 811 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL DE BACA AND SOUTHWESTERN GUADALUPE COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM MDT... At 811 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16 miles east of Vaughn, moving northeast at 10 mph. Nickel size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Heavy rain and frequent and dangerous cloud to ground lightning will also be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of west central De Baca and southwestern Guadalupe Counties. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor your preferred media outlets and NOAA Weather Radio for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. Motorists can expect brief but sudden changes in visibility and ponding of water on highways as storms move through the area. && LAT...LON 3442 10499 3456 10505 3474 10481 3446 10464 TIME...MOT...LOC 0211Z 233DEG 10KT 3452 10494 24
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 916 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 NMZ533-537-040345- Guadalupe County-De Baca County- 916 PM MDT TUE OCT 3 2017 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL DE BACA AND EAST CENTRAL GUADALUPE COUNTIES UNTIL 945 PM MDT... At 916 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles west of Sumner Lake State Park, or 20 miles south of Santa Rosa, moving northeast at 10 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of north central De Baca and east central Guadalupe Counties. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3454 10455 3467 10470 3486 10453 3467 10430 TIME...MOT...LOC 0316Z 226DEG 8KT 3466 10456 40
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:59 UTC.
13 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Four to six inches of rainfall produced flash flooding in the Alamogordo Creek and Salado Creek drainages. Numerous low water crossings flooded.
Water over U.S. Highway 84 around Fort Sumner. Flooding along creeks and arroyos leading into Pecos Basin.
Rock slides, mud, and debris covering portions of state highway 469 between San Jon and Grady. Road was closed for several hours after causative event.
Flash flooding along nearby arroyo approaching home. Residents trapped in home. No damage reported.
County road 84 washed out in El Rancho.
Peak wind gust up to 62 mph downed small tree limbs in Tome.
Large rocks and boulders washed over county road 42 near Galisteo. Road closed. Galisteo Creek below Galisteo Dam crested at 10.84 feet, the second highest crest on record since 1971.
Hail up to the size of pennies lasted up to 5 minutes in San Jose.
Very heavy rainfall with penny to nickel size hail near Ribera.
Torrential rainfall for several hours over the Sacramento Mountains produced a flash flood wave on the Rio Penasco. The river rose nearly 10 feet in one hour then crested at 17.46 feet several hours later. Nearby roads were inundated with flood waters along state highway 24 and U.S. Highway 82.
Roadways beneath Interstate 25 flooded out in Belen.
Roads flooded and closed southwest of Logan. Several vehicles stranded in flood waters.
Widespread street flooding in Logan. Water three to four inches deep running over state road 540 at eight different locations. No homes flooded. Two vehicles disabled.
Peak wind gust to 59 mph at WSMR Shist site.
Several roads in Fort Sumner completely flooded. Railroad underpass over U.S. Highway 84 closed again due to flooding. Several low water crossings were still flooded the following morning.
Flash flooding over several roadways around De Baca County, including state road 294 at Taiban Creek.
State road 88 closed at Portales due to flooding.
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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 717964, 717973, 717975, 717977, 718032, 718033, 718034, 718035, 718036, 718037, 718290, 718291, 718292, 718294, 718295, 718299, 718300.