An upper level low pressure system positioned over the Great Basin on May 14, 2019 forced strong southwest winds aloft over New Mexico. Sufficient mid level moisture was present in the atmosphere for isolated showers and thunderstorms to develop over central and eastern New Mexico.
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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.
An upper level low pressure system positioned over the Great Basin on May 14, 2019 forced strong southwest winds aloft over New Mexico. Sufficient mid level moisture was present in the atmosphere for isolated showers and thunderstorms to develop over central and eastern New Mexico. Most of this activity produced little to no rainfall with very gusty outflow winds. A dry microburst impacted the community of Alto during the early afternoon and resulted in damage to one home.
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 14, 10:25 AM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1125 AM MDT Tue May 14 2019 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist through the TAF period. Storms moving off of the northern mountains may impact KLVS with strong/erratic wind gusts later this afternoon and may result in brief gusty east/southeast winds at KABQ and KSAF. Otherwise, winds will be light. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...329 AM MDT Tue May 14 2019... .SYNOPSIS... An upper level low pressure system will move farther east into Texas today, allowing a ridge of high pressure aloft to build into the Land of Enchantment. This feature will keep the warming trend going through Thursday while showers and thunderstorms have a more difficult time developing. Into Thursday, Friday, and the weekend winds will begin to strengthen as the next weather disturbance moves inland off of the Pacific. Temperatures will also fall back below normal Friday and this weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Mid tropospheric pressure heights will rise today and a ridge will swell over the southern Rockies. This ridge will keep temperatures warming while also introducing a bit of subsidence that will limit storm coverage this afternoon. A look at forecast soundings suggest higher based showers and storms (a hint of an inverted-V signature), perhaps increasing the likelihood of virga or drier storms. Today's forecast high temperatures will meet or exceed normalcy across the entire forecast area. Similar trends will persist into Wednesday with the upper ridge axis leaning into the eastern part of NM and west TX. Minimal QPF is advertised by the models due to increasing temperatures and hence a drier boundary layer, however if any area was to be selected as a favored location, it would be the northern high terrain. Light breezes will prevail Wednesday. Into Thursday, however, winds will undergo strengthening as the flow aloft gains momentum from the southwest in response to a low moving inland over CA. Pressure heights will begin to decline in far western zones late in the day, stunting the warming trend there, but other areas will likely still gain another degree or two. Low precipitation chances are forecast for Thursday, but low level moisture will briefly return to the far eastern plains Thursday night, perhaps bringing a brief shower or thunderstorm. Any eastern plains moisture will not survive long into Friday as the CA low moves farther inland and southwesterly flow regains control over NM. Forecast models have changed the track and evolution with this low as it moves eastward, but the end result still looks fairly similar for NM: low chances for precipitation Friday (favoring northwestern NM) with windy conditions area wide. Temperatures will also be quickly falling below normal in western and central parts of the state. A southern lobe of energy associated with the aforementioned Pacific system is then forecast to race across NM early Saturday. This will reinforce the cooler air while keeping it breezy to windy. Precipitation chances remain fairly bleak with a very quick window of opportunity for the northern zones. The flow aloft remains strong over NM into Sunday and Monday as a long wave low/trough pattern begins to establish itself over the western U.S. through the first half of next week. 52 && .FIRE WEATHER... A ridge of high pressure will cross NM from the west today and Wednesday enabling the recent warming and drying trend to continue most places through Thursday. Moisture trapped under the ridge will recycle with mainly isolated, light and gusty, showers and thunderstorms developing over the mountains each afternoon, then drifting onto adjacent lowlands. Friday and Saturday there will be some cooling as an upper level low pressure system passes eastward along the CO/NM border. The storm system crossing from the west will bring a chance of precipitation to northern areas starting Thursday. The chance for wetting precipitation will be small and confined mainly to the mountains along the CO border. The bigger concern will be wind with breezy to windy conditions across much of the forecast area Thursday through Saturday. Humidities will also be critically low mainly across lower elevations along and south of I-40. Haines Indices will reach 5s and 6s across much of the forecast area Thursday, then moderate for the remainder of the week. Widespread greenup will preclude the need for any fire weather headlines Thursday. A broad and progressive low pressure system will dig into the Great Basin Sunday and Monday, keeping breezy to windy conditions in the forecast for NM with continued fire weather concern mainly along and south of I-40. Haines Indices will remain moderate as high temperatures vary from near to below normal. 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 31
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 307 AM MDT Tue May 14 2019 NMZ501>540-151100- 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- 307 AM MDT Tue May 14 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop over the higher terrain of northern and central New Mexico. Some storms will be capable of producing gusty downburst winds and small hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop again on Wednesday, mostly over the higher terrain of northern and central New Mexico. Some storms will be capable of producing gusty downburst winds and small hail. Stronger winds will return to New Mexico Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend. A few localized areas may observe occasional gusts as high as 40 to 45 mph. Weather can change very rapidly. Always use the latest forecasts, watches and warning for planning purposes. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 52
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A roof was partially torn off a home in Alto due to high winds from a dry microburst. No other homes in the area were affected. No injuries were reported.
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, May 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: 813540.