For a third day in a row, and potentially the most widespread, severe weather impacted eastern New Mexico on May 23, 2018 as a strong dry line shifted east across the high plains. Showers and thunderstorms fired up just east of the central mountain chain by the mid to late afternoon hours then moved eastward on to the high plains through the early evening.
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.
For a third day in a row, and potentially the most widespread, severe weather impacted eastern New Mexico on May 23, 2018 as a strong dry line shifted east across the high plains. Showers and thunderstorms fired up just east of the central mountain chain by the mid to late afternoon hours then moved eastward on to the high plains through the early evening. A very impressive supercell storm over far southwestern Chaves County produced two tornadoes and large hail. Other storms in the area also produced severe hail and funnel clouds before merging into a large cluster of strong storms near Roswell. Another very impressive, long duration supercell storm over western San Miguel County produced torrential rainfall, flooding, high winds, and very large hail near Tecolotito and Anton Chico. Several other storms across the eastern plains were strong to severe with heavy rain, hail, and high winds.
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 23, 11:00 AM MST, 2 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1200 PM MDT Wed May 23 2018 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE MVFR low cigs over eastern NM are slowly clearing as mixing begins and convection starts firing along the east slopes of the central mt chain. SHRA/TSRA will move northeast around 20 kt as they progress into the eastern plains. TSRA may become strong to locally severe with large hail, high winds, torrential rainfall, and frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes. The greatest potential for severe will stretch from near KTCC to KROW eastward. Low clouds will redevelop again tonight along and east of the central mt chain in the wake of the storm activity. Confidence however is not as high on coverage of clouds and potential IFR impacts. Guyer && .PREV DISCUSSION...300 AM MDT Wed May 23 2018... .SYNOPSIS... Gulf moisture will remain in place across eastern New Mexico today, resulting in another round of scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. West of the central mountain chain, very dry air will keep things dry while temperatures warm slightly above yesterday's readings. The warming trend continues through the remainder of the week and into the weekend as a ridge of high pressure builds overhead. Chances for afternoon and evening thunderstorms will continue from the south-central mountains eastward on Thursday before southwest winds send Gulf moisture east of the state Friday. && .DISCUSSION... Closed upper-low over the northern Great Basin continues to slowly fill as it lifts northeastward. Southwest flow aloft on the southeast periphery of this low will once again combine with plentiful low- level Gulf moisture to result in another round of strong to severe afternoon and evening thunderstorms in eastern NM today. Effective bulk shear near 30kts along with higher CAPE values are progged this afternoon and evening east of the central mountain chain. As a result, another round of severe hailers is possible east of the central mountain chain late this afternoon into the evening. Models agree that most of the convective activity will either dissipate or push east of NM after midnight. As a ridge aloft begins to build overhead late-day Thursday, a lee side sfc trough expands ewd across northeast NM and results in southwest winds and drier air putting an end to storms. Gulf moisture and the resulting thunderstorms, however, will remain from south- central mountains ewd Thursday afternoon and evening. All areas dry out Friday as a ridge aloft amplifies over NM. As the above mentioned ridge axis translates just east of NM Saturday, mixing increase and temperatures warm to between 5 to 15 degrees above seasonal averages. Saturday still looking like the warmest/hottest day of the next seven. Both Saturday and Sunday look breezy to locally windy as another closed low moves into the Great Basin. Unfortunately, this system won't be accompanied by a strong backdoor cold front with NM expected to remain dry through much of next week. Good news is that the models are already showing signs that our warm season subtropical upper-high (responsible for the North American Monsoon) develops over northern Mexico and Southern Plains around the first of June. 33 && .FIRE WEATHER... ...RETURN OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS LATE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND... Relatively moist and unstable conditions will prevail again today across eastern portions of the state, where more wetting storms are expected. Warm, dry and unstable conditions will prevail across western and central portions of the state. A drying/warming trend is forecast for the end of the work-week and into the weekend as an upper level ridge amplifies over the region then shifts east by Saturday, giving way to increasing southwesterlies ahead of an approaching Pacific low. Hot, dry and unstable conditions will be the story, with Haines values of 6 across most of the forecast area by Friday. Single digit RH hours will be on the uptrend as well. Poor RH recovery Friday night will set the stage for a potential critical fire weather event on Saturday, thanks to increasing southwesterlies and a deepening lee side trough. Critical fire weather conditions may persist into Sunday as the Pacific low progresses east across the Great Basin and into the Rockies, but may be limited to southern and eastern portions of the forecast area. Winds will trend down early next week as an upper level ridge builds over northern Mexico and the Desert Southwest, but hot, dry and unstable conditions will likely persist. 11 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 301 AM MDT Wed May 23 2018 NMZ501>540-241145- 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- 301 AM MDT Wed May 23 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Another round of strong to severe storms is likely east of the central mountain chain this afternoon and evening. Wind gusts to between 50-60 mph, hail to the size of quarters along with the accumulation of hail and frequent cloud to ground lightning are the primary threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Isolated strong afternoon and evening thunderstorms are possible from the south-central mountains eastward Thursday afternoon and evening. .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. 33
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1245 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018 NMZ530-531-231915- Union County-Harding County- 1245 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN HARDING AND SOUTHWESTERN UNION COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM MDT... At 1245 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Bueyeros, or 14 miles northeast of Mosquero, moving northeast at 35 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Bueyeros and Yates. If threatening weather approaches your area, take shelter in a sturdy building. && LAT...LON 3569 10372 3587 10407 3634 10378 3609 10328 TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 223DEG 30KT 3592 10376 DPorter
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
116 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018
NMZ526-539-231945-
Eastern Lincoln County-South Central Mountains-
116 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY
UNTIL 145 PM MDT...
At 115 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 11
miles south of San Patricio, or 17 miles east of Ruidoso, moving
northeast at 10 mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Heavy rain will also be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
San Patricio and Glencoe.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
If threatening weather approaches your area, take shelter in a sturdy
building.
&&
LAT...LON 3330 10532 3331 10550 3346 10542 3332 10514
3314 10531
TIME...MOT...LOC 1915Z 211DEG 8KT 3326 10539
DPorterSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 140 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018 NMZ530-232015- Union County- 140 PM MDT WED MAY 23 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN UNION COUNTY UNTIL 215 PM MDT... At 140 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles northwest of Romero, or 9 miles southeast of Amistad, moving north at 30 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Union County. If threatening weather approaches your area, take shelter in a sturdy building. && LAT...LON 3574 10304 3577 10318 3608 10305 3607 10304 TIME...MOT...LOC 1940Z 199DEG 25KT 3581 10305 DPorter
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
16 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A funnel cloud was reported reaching half way to the ground four miles southwest of Picacho.
Storm chasers spotted a large wedge tornado on the ground for 15 to 20 minutes southwest of Picacho over rural southeastern Lincoln County. There is no access to this location and the strength of the tornado has been identified as unknown.
A second thunderstorm southwest of Picacho produced what another tornado within rural southeastern Lincoln County.
Hail up to two inches in diameter in Tecolotito.
Hail up to the size of golf balls reported seven miles northeast of Logan.
Ping pong ball size hail five miles north of Logan.
Hail up to the size of golf balls 10 miles west of Roswell.
Hail up to the size of golf balls two miles east of Mora.
A very quick storm produced hail up to the size of nickels for less than one minute.
Flash flooding across U.S. Highway 84 north of Dilia.
Hail up to three inches in diameter reported in Tecolotito. Some damage was reported in town.
Hail up to the size of ping pong balls near Tecolotito.
Quarter size hail 16 miles east of Elkins.
Hail up to the size of quarters covering U.S. Highway 84 to a depth of one to two inches.
Dime to nickel size hail with a few as large as quarters along U.S. Highway 84.
Hail up to the size of golf balls near the Portales airport.
Nickel size hail in Portales.
Penny size hail in Nara Visa.
Hail up to the size of quarters in Nara Visa.
A cone funnel was spotted north of Santa Rosa Lake State Park for about 15 minutes.
Hail up to the size of quarters near Mosquero.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 2018Warnings in New Mexico, May 2018
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: 747057, 747438, 747439, 747058, 747059, 747060, 747061, 747063, 747064, 747080, 747062, 747410, 747083, 747412, 747413, 747415, 747418, 747421, 747422, 748014, 747430.