New Mexico, 2018

Damaging Wind in New Mexico, October 7, 2018

October 7, 2018 · NWS ABQ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Deep atmospheric moisture in place over eastern and central New Mexico interacted with a closed upper-level low pressure system over the Utah/Arizona border to produce scattered showers and storms during the afternoon and into the overnight hours. Some thunderstorms in the eastern plains produced strong thunderstorm wind gusts and heavy rain, and a funnel cloud was spotted five miles east of…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

Deep atmospheric moisture in place over eastern and central New Mexico interacted with a closed upper-level low pressure system over the Utah/Arizona border to produce scattered showers and storms during the afternoon and into the overnight hours. Some thunderstorms in the eastern plains produced strong thunderstorm wind gusts and heavy rain, and a funnel cloud was spotted five miles east of Clovis.

What forecasters said that day

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 7, 1:54 PM MST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 7, 1:54 PM MST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 7, 2:37 AM MST, 12 hours 44 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
337 AM MDT Sun Oct 7 2018

NMZ501>540-081200-
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-
337 AM MDT Sun Oct 7 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central
New Mexico.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms over much of the east
central and southeast plains where large hail and damaging winds are
possible. Patchy dense fog with visibilities of one half mile or less
will be found over the eastern plains this morning before improving.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

Accumulating snow is possible Monday through Tuesday over the peaks
of the western and northern mountains. Low temperatures Monday and
Tuesday nights may dip to near freezing in the northwest and north
central New Mexico valleys. The remains of Hurricane Sergio are
expected to impact New Mexico late this week, but forecast models
have not been consistent with the exact timing.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report severe weather 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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 7, 12:03 PM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 7, 12:55 PM MST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 7, 1:45 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 7, 2:39 PM MST, 42 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 7, 3:15 PM MST, 6 minutes before
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The radar

The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:18 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Torrance

When
October 7, 3:21 PM MST to 3:22 PM MST
Where
Torrance County, (Cqc)clines Corners
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.000, -105.660

A 56 knot gust was recorded at the KCQC ASOS.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, October 2018

Sources

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: 778228.