Deep atmospheric moisture in place across eastern New Mexico interacted with an upper level disturbance drifting eastward across the state. A large area of showers and thunderstorms that developed along the Interstate 40 corridor during the evening hours of the 5th drifted southwestward into De Baca County through the early morning hours of the 6th.
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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.
Deep atmospheric moisture in place across eastern New Mexico interacted with an upper level disturbance drifting eastward across the state. A large area of showers and thunderstorms that developed along the Interstate 40 corridor during the evening hours of the 5th drifted southwestward into De Baca County through the early morning hours of the 6th. An area of very heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms became stationary over De Baca and northern Chaves County and resulted in impressive rainfall totals in a three to six hour period. The area along state road 20 between Fort Sumner and U.S. Highway 285 picked up between two and four inches of rain, with isolated amounts over seven inches based on radar estimates. Fences were washed out along highway 20 and debris forced over the road. The Pecos River downstream from this location at Acme reported a six foot rise 12 hours later.
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 Sep 6, 2:29 AM MST, 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 329 AM MDT Thu Sep 6 2018 .SYNOPSIS... An upper level trough that has been stalled over the Great Basin will migrate slowly eastward across the central and southern Rockies today and tonight, then onto the high plains Friday, keeping scattered to numerous thunderstorms and below normal temperatures in the forecast for northern and central New Mexico. Drier air will begin to spread over western areas in the wake of the exiting system on Friday, decreasing the coverage of showers and storms there. However, a moist back door cold front diving southwestward through the eastern plains on Friday will keep the central mountain chain and eastern plains unsettled. The weekend will bring further drying across the state with fewer showers and thunderstorms, and warmer temperatures, as a ridge of high pressure builds over New Mexico from the west. The northern mountains, northeast and east central plains will be favored for daily rounds of thunderstorms Sunday and Monday, but dry air will dominate the region Tuesday. Modest thunderstorm chances may return to western areas during the middle of next week as above normal temperatures prevail. && .DISCUSSION... Precipitable water values will generally vary around 0.75 to 1.25 inches until Friday, when values will begin to fall across west central and northwest areas as drier air starts to arrive in the wake of the upper trough crossing aloft. While drier air arrives aloft Friday and Saturday, Friday's back door cold front will deliver some low level moisture all the way into central areas Friday night. Enough low level moisture is now forecast to linger Saturday for a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the mountains and across portions of the eastern plains. During the weekend and early next week, a ridge aloft extending westward over NM from a high pressure system off the southern California coast will continue the drying trend and significantly decrease the coverage and rainfall intensity of showers and thunderstorms. The most active area for convection Sunday and Monday will be northeast NM under NW flow aloft. An upper level trough will deepen over the west coast toward the middle of next week, shift the upper high more squarely over NM. This should cut off convection on Tuesday. The upper high is then forecast to nudge eastward starting Wednesday, which should allow some subtropical moisture northward over western areas again. 44 && .FIRE WEATHER... A large area of rain persisted across east central NM and the lower Rio Grande Valley overnight. Very efficient rain processes led to hefty precip totals within the Pecos Valley where 3 to 5" amounts were estimated by radar. Elsewhere, widespread good to excellent humidity recoveries exist with thick cloud cover and light winds. Another active day is on tap today with slow storm motion, heavy rainfall and possible burn scar flash flooding. A back door cold front will slide across eastern NM tonight and set the stage for more showers and storms with locally heavy rain Friday. Steering flow will increase and become more north to south through Friday. An unseasonably strong ridge of high pressure will take shape over southern California by Saturday and force drier west-northwest flow over the western half of NM. A noticeable downtick in storm coverage is likely Saturday through Tuesday for central/western NM as drier and warmer high pressure edges east toward the area. Northeastern NM will still see some storms through Monday with unstable northwest flow aloft. Extended models show a large scale upper level trough developing on the west coast by mid to late week which may allow more moisture to stream northeast into NM on southwest flow. Guyer && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE SHRA/TSRA will linger thru 10Z along and south of I-40. Widespread MVFR cigs/vsbys expected to develop overnight from the east slopes of the central mt chain into the northeast plains with potential IFR impacts at KLVS. Guidance indicates precip may occur with low cigs in the area from KSRR to KROW thru around sunrise. Clearing will be slow Thursday morning across central/eastern NM followed by another round of SHRA/TSRA aft 21Z. Any direct hits will be capable of producing frequent CG lightning, strong outflow winds, and brief MVFR vsbys from heavy rain. Guyer && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 81 52 84 53 / 20 10 10 5 Dulce........................... 75 48 78 44 / 30 30 30 20 Cuba............................ 71 48 76 48 / 50 40 30 30 Gallup.......................... 77 46 81 47 / 30 20 10 5 El Morro........................ 71 46 75 46 / 40 30 10 10 Grants.......................... 72 49 77 49 / 30 30 10 10 Quemado......................... 73 47 75 48 / 40 30 10 10 Glenwood........................ 82 57 83 58 / 60 40 30 20 Chama........................... 68 42 71 42 / 50 40 60 30 Los Alamos...................... 69 53 74 54 / 50 40 50 30 Pecos........................... 66 51 69 52 / 70 60 70 50 Cerro/Questa.................... 67 45 70 43 / 60 30 50 30 Red River....................... 56 41 58 40 / 80 40 70 40 Angel Fire...................... 63 39 65 37 / 70 40 80 50 Taos............................ 71 45 74 44 / 50 30 40 30 Mora............................ 66 47 69 45 / 70 50 70 40 Espanola........................ 75 52 80 53 / 30 30 20 20 Santa Fe........................ 68 52 72 52 / 60 40 40 30 Santa Fe Airport................ 71 51 76 51 / 40 40 30 30 Albuquerque Foothills........... 73 55 78 57 / 60 40 30 30 Albuquerque Heights............. 75 57 80 59 / 40 30 10 20 Albuquerque Valley.............. 77 56 82 57 / 30 30 10 20 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 76 56 81 57 / 40 30 10 20 Los Lunas....................... 77 53 82 54 / 30 30 20 20 Rio Rancho...................... 76 56 81 57 / 40 30 10 20 Socorro......................... 78 58 81 58 / 40 30 20 10 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 67 50 72 52 / 60 50 30 30 Tijeras......................... 70 52 74 54 / 60 50 40 30 Moriarty/Estancia............... 71 47 74 47 / 40 40 40 30 Clines Corners.................. 67 50 70 51 / 40 50 50 40 Gran Quivira.................... 70 51 74 52 / 50 40 40 30 Carrizozo....................... 72 55 75 56 / 40 30 40 20 Ruidoso......................... 64 47 66 47 / 60 30 60 40 Capulin......................... 68 52 69 50 / 30 50 60 30 Raton........................... 72 52 74 50 / 50 30 60 30 Springer........................ 73 52 75 49 / 40 40 60 40 Las Vegas....................... 67 49 70 48 / 60 40 60 50 Clayton......................... 73 57 74 55 / 20 30 40 30 Roy............................. 71 56 72 54 / 30 50 60 40 Conchas......................... 78 61 79 59 / 20 20 40 30 Santa Rosa...................... 75 59 77 57 / 30 30 40 40 Tucumcari....................... 79 61 80 60 / 10 20 40 30 Clovis.......................... 75 61 76 59 / 20 30 30 30 Portales........................ 75 60 76 59 / 30 30 40 30 Fort Sumner..................... 77 62 79 61 / 20 30 40 40 Roswell......................... 79 62 80 62 / 50 20 40 30 Picacho......................... 71 57 73 57 / 60 30 50 40 Elk............................. 66 53 68 54 / 50 30 50 40 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 44
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 449 AM MDT Wed Sep 5 2018 NMZ501>540-061100- 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- 449 AM MDT Wed Sep 5 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A moist back door front will help produce scattered-to-numerous showers and thunderstorms today and tonight. Some storms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding, especially along and east of the central mountain chain. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Thursday and Thursday night, the risk of locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding will return mainly along and east of the central mountain chain. Sunday and Monday afternoons and evenings, isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible along and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. .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. 44
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:00 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Fences were washed out along state road 20. Debris was forced over the roadway. Damages are a very rough estimate.
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 historyWarnings in New Mexico, September 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: 772591.