A rich plume of moisture in place over eastern New Mexico on July 21, 2019 allowed widespread showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall to impact much of the area through July 22, 2019. Several clusters of thunderstorms with rainfall amounts between one and two inches moved repeatedly over areas of eastern New Mexico during the early morning hours of July 22nd.
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.
A rich plume of moisture in place over eastern New Mexico on July 21, 2019 allowed widespread showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall to impact much of the area through July 22, 2019. Several clusters of thunderstorms with rainfall amounts between one and two inches moved repeatedly over areas of eastern New Mexico during the early morning hours of July 22nd. Minor flooding was reported in several areas however the most significant rainfall impacted Union County where three to four inches of rain was reported. One vehicle was swept off a state highway south of Clayton and fortunately no one was killed or injured. Later in the day on the 22nd a large complex of storms moved slowly south through the Cabezon and Chamisa wilderness areas of western Sandoval County. The Rio Puerco at Guadalupe rose nearly 14 feet in response to the torrential rainfall.
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 Jul 21, 10:42 PM MST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1142 PM MDT Sun Jul 21 2019 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Active weather will continue overnight with gusty winds impacting several areas and additional rounds of showers, thunderstorms, and even low ceilings in portions of eastern New Mexico. Low clouds could linger into the afternoon in portions of eastern New Mexico with some MVFR ceilings possibly being stubborn to erode away. Additional rounds of thunderstorms will redevelop in the afternoon, primarily over the Continental Divide of western New Mexico and the northern mountains. A late round of storms is also possible in southeastern parts of the state towards KROW late Monday afternoon and evening. Storms will have more moisture to work with, leading to heavier downpours and reduced ceilings/visibilities during rain. Gusty downburst winds, small hail, and lightning will also be possible. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...336 PM MDT Sun Jul 21 2019... .SYNOPSIS... Evening and overnight showers and thunderstorms will focus primarily on eastern New Mexico with a few of the storms across northeast parts of the state reaching strong to severe strength. Another, stronger, cold front dropping in from southeast Colorado after midnight will set off another round of storms for the plains after midnight mainly north of Interstate-40. The front will push west into central and western areas of the state during Monday morning. Strong east canyon winds are likely in the Albuquerque metro areas Monday morning, especially downwind of Tijeras Canyon. The strong winds will provide the necessary moisture for scattered to numerous showers and storms Monday afternoon and evening, locally. Daily rounds of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will continue through the work week. && .DISCUSSION... Scattered thunderstorms firing along the east slopes of the central mountain chain this afternoon, gradually propagating to the southeast across northeast and east-central NM while storms over Lincoln County aren't moving much. Rain cooled-air in eastern NM will send a strong boundary westward this evening, sending higher dewpoint temperature/PWAT air westward to the AZ line by early morning. Meanwhile, another backdoor cold front will drop into eastern NM after midnight, helping to keep a strong and moist east and southeast low-level flow across NM Monday. Higher resolution models and in particular, the 18Z HREF show scattered to numerous storms Monday afternoon firing over the northern mountains and over the far west- central and southwest mountains where the backdoor front is progged to be located. In fact, the 18Z HREF has a line of storms developing over the west side of ABQ and Rio Rancho where the east and southeast winds start to rise along the volcanoes/west side of the Rio Grande Rift. Most activity Monday afternoon will be in an arc from the southwest mountains north over the west-central mountains and then northeast over the northern mountains to the northeast highlands. Southeast winds will howl most areas west of the central mountain chain with storm steering level flow east to northeasterly east of the continental divide and northwesterly west of the divide. Strong to perhaps a severe storm or two is possible over west-central and northwest NM along/just behind the front given the progged CAPE and bulk sheer values. Thought about a flash flood watch for the divide Monday afternoon and evening but the 18Z models have shifted the area of heaviest precip a bit farther west. Will let the mid shift take one more look at the potential for a flash flood watch. Model trend for Tuesday is to be a bit more stable with the relatively cool low-level easterly flow. Favored areas for afternoon convection on Tuesday will be over the northern and southwest mountains with steering winds out of the east and northeast sending storms over the northwest plateau during the evening. Similar scenario is expected Wednesday with perhaps more of a northerly steering component bringing storms off the Jemez and into the middle RGV and east mountains. By Thursday, GFS and ECWMF shifts the upper high southwestward over east-central AZ. This allows slightly stronger northwest to northerly flow aloft to move over southern CO and northern NM Thursday through next weekend. That typically results in a very active period for much of northern and central NM. 33 && .FIRE WEATHER... Burn scar flash flooding will be the main concern this week. A moist backdoor cold front will bring a significant increase in slow-moving thunderstorm coverage Monday into Tuesday. Locally strong gap winds will mark the arrival of the front between midnight and dawn Monday along the Rio Grande Valley. The front will likely push west of the Divide before stalling late Monday afternoon. Storm motions will generally be very slowly toward the south or southeast as high pressure aloft recenters northwest of the Four Corners. In addition to the Sangres and adjacent east slopes, areas from west-central to northwest NM will be especially favored with up to 2+ inches in localized areas Monday afternoon/evening. Wetting footprints should have their greatest coverage for the middle/lower Rio Grande Valley and adjacent locales Monday night into Tuesday AM. Storm coverage may trend downward a bit for Tuesday PM, but an active pattern is expected. Daytime temperatures will trend below average most areas Monday and areawide Tuesday before gradually rebounding mid to late week. Moisture recycling will maintain a good chance of thunderstorms for western/northern areas mid to late week. KJ && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 332 AM MDT Sun Jul 21 2019 NMZ501>540-221100- 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- 332 AM MDT Sun Jul 21 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A recharge of moisture behind a backdoor cold front today will produce an increase in storms mainly along and east of the central mountain chain today. Storms should be efficient rain producers, likely producing locally heavy rainfall with flash flooding being a concern over and below recent burn scars. A few storms progressing over northeastern New Mexico could become severe, producing large hail and strong gusty winds in the late afternoon and early evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected each afternoon through the upcoming week. Rainfall could become heavy, which may lead to localized areas of flash flooding, especially over and near recent and older burn scars. Isolated locations may receive up to 2 inches of rainfall. A few storms may also produce small hail and wind gusts to 50 mph. .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. 24
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 132 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:00 UTC.
2 heavy rain, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter measured 3.75 inches of rainfall in just a couple hours several miles south of Amistad.
The COOP observer near Mosquero reported 3.34 inches of rainfall from storms overnight.
Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding along state road 402 around Amistad. One vehicle was washed off the roadway but fortunately no one was killed or injured. The vehicle appeared to have suffered only minor water damage and amounts are a very rough estimate.
Radar estimated between three and four inches of rainfall within the Rio Puerco watershed near the Cabezon and Chamisa wilderness areas. The river gage on the Rio Puerco at Gaudalupe reported a rise of nearly 14 feet in less than one hour.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, July 2019
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: 829677, 829678, 829676, 829679.