Drought conditions across northern and eastern New Mexico continued to deteriorate during the month of June. Moderate to extreme drought worsened to about 53 percent of the state of which about 11 percent across northern NM was deemed as extreme drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Drought conditions across northern and eastern New Mexico continued to deteriorate during the month of June. Moderate to extreme drought worsened to about 53 percent of the state of which about 11 percent across northern NM was deemed as extreme drought. Very dry conditions continued through the first half of June with a more active pattern presenting itself at the end of the month. Despite the more active pattern, storm coverage and precipitation totals were not enough to improve drought conditions especially across the north with the extreme drought conditions. Precipitation totals during the month of June ranged from 1 to 2 inches across central and eastern NM with less than an inch across north central and northeast NM. The Four Corners area of the state continued to receive the least amount of precipitation with rain totals less than half an inch.
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 31, 10:23 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1123 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Ongoing showers across central and western NM may bring occasional mountain obscurations, but otherwise conditions are VFR and forecast to remain VFR through the TAF period. Expect an increase in thunderstorms Monday afternoon/evening across western and central NM, with increased chances for impacts at area terminals. Brief MVFR conditions are possible with storms Monday, but forecast confidence is too low at this time to include in TAFs. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...246 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020... .SYNOPSIS... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will continue into the evening, tapering off by the midnight hour. Afternoon storm activity returns each afternoon Monday through Wednesday with coverage trending down each day. Occasional lightning, locally reduced visibility, erratic gusty winds, and small hail are the main hazards with any passing storm. Storm chances may peak across the northwestern quarter of the state Friday. The eastern plains will remain mostly dry with some storms trying to drift southeastward into the adjacent high plains each afternoon through Wednesday. Temperatures trend well above normal with 90s to low 100s for valley areas and the eastern plains by Thursday and Friday. && .DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... The elongated High pressure area still has a high center over NM this afternoon, with the stronger one in northeast OK. So far today, convection has been less and they do not have quite as much gusto as Saturdays crop of storms. Showers and thunderstorms will be outflow dominated into tonight, favoring western and northern areas. An uptick in storm activity is forecast for Monday as the upper high weakens a bit over NM. Meanwhile the upper low/inverted trough in eastern Mexico will drift north into west TX but there will be minimal impact from it, as NM stays on the northwest side of the disturbance. LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... Moisture trapped beneath the high will continue to recycle via afternoon convection favoring the northern high terrain Tuesday afternoon. This basic pattern holds true Wednesday with lesser storm coverage as the ridge strengths to ~590-592dm. Steering flow also increases a tad bit Wednesday, at least coinciding more with where storms are favored to develop over the northern mountains, taking cells eastward into the northeastern NM. Thursday looks to see the least amount of storm coverage for the work week with some hints that a loitering upper low off the CA coast will begin to nudge east toward the Pacific coastline. Whether the Pacific low comes ashore Friday morning (GFS) or Friday night (ECMWF) remains the main forecast question later this week. The GFS's earlier arrival favors surface moisture being drawn further west through NM sparking afternoon convection over the western and northern high terrain. The ECMWF's solution favors a dry and very hot day across the forecast area with only some storms near the CO border Saturday afternoon. NBM PoPs seem to be favoring the Friday arrival, albeit only with scattered coverage being generated. There's still plenty of room for trends to move either way at this point. Weaker southwest flow aloft takes hold Sunday with some surface moisture pushing into eastern NM with a ridge centered over the central Great Plains area. The west will dry out with chances for a few storms over the eastern plains in this pattern to end next weekend. CHJ/24 && .FIRE WEATHER... No critical fire weather conditions are forecast for the next seven days. Despite a ridge of high pressure remaining over NM, recycled moisture has produced another round of showers and thunderstorms over mostly western and northern NM. Coverage and intensity are a bit less than Saturday, though. Convection will continue into tonight, then fire up again Monday, with more coverage and robustness possible again, as the upper high weakens a little. The upper low/inverted trough will move into west TX Monday and up into the TX Panhandle Tuesday. Thus, the impact will be minimal for eastern NM with the state remaining on the northwest and west side of the upper low. However, plenty of moisture will remain over NM for more showers and thunderstorms. The upper high will again build over NM for the middle of next week, with a downward trend in convection Wednesday and Thursday. A potent storm will arrive over southern CA Friday and lift northeast, dragging a band of storms across the state Friday. The upper high will shift southeast Friday through the weekend with increasing southwest flow aloft. This could scour out much of the low level moisture, bringing a return to dry, blustery and very warm conditions next weekend. CHJ && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 315 AM MDT Sun May 31 2020 NMZ201>241-011130- Northwest Plateau-Chuska Mountains-Far Northwest Highlands- Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains- West Central Highlands-Southwest Mountains- San Francisco River Valley-Tusas Mountains Including Chama- Jemez Mountains-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley- Espanola Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area- Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area- Lower Rio Grande Valley-Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood- Estancia Valley-Central Highlands-South Central Highlands- Upper Tularosa Valley-South Central Mountains- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass- 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- San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands- 315 AM MDT Sun May 31 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible once again today. These showers and storms will be capable of producing downburst wind gusts up to 40 mph, brief heavy rain, and occasional lightning strikes. This activity will move to the east and southeast around 10 mph. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday The coverage of showers and thunderstorms will increase over north- central NM Monday with a downtrend in showers and storms forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. The potential for localized strong wind gusts, small hail, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning strikes with be the main hazards. An increase in storm coverage and intensity is possible Thursday and Thursday night. .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
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June. Drought conditions in eastern San Juan County worsened to extreme drought.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Extreme drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Extreme drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 worsened to extreme drought for a majority of Union County in June.
Extreme drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 worsened to extreme drought across northern portions of the area in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 worsened to extreme drought in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June. Conditions deteriorated to extreme drought in eastern Harding County.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe drought conditions from May 2020 continued in June.
Severe to extreme drought conditions developed across Quay County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across Guadalupe County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across De Baca County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across Curry County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across Roosevelt County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across Chaves County during June 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, June 2020
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: 890985, 890986, 890987, 890988, 890989, 890990, 890991, 890992, 890993, 890994, 890995, 890996, 890997, 890998, 890999, 891000, 891001, 891002, 891003, 891004, 891005, 891006, 891007.