Drought conditions across northern and central New Mexico continued to deteriorate during the month of September 2020. As one of the worst monsoon seasons on record came to end, moderate to extreme drought worsened to nearly 100 percent of the state of which 40 percent was deemed as extreme to exceptional drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 37 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 central New Mexico continued to deteriorate during the month of September 2020. As one of the worst monsoon seasons on record came to end, moderate to extreme drought worsened to nearly 100 percent of the state of which 40 percent was deemed as extreme to exceptional drought. An anomalous early season winter storm brought high terrain snow and rain to most of the area during the first week of September. Precipitation totals across central and western New Mexico generally ranged from half an inch to three quarters an inch while precipitation totals neared an inch across north central and northeast New Mexico. Portions of the higher terrain of south central New Mexico fared better with totals generally near an inch and a half. Despite this, the second half of the month was mostly dry with more record heat which contributed to the worsening drought.
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 Aug 31, 10:26 PM MST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1126 PM MDT Mon Aug 31 2020 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE An upper level low, currently over UT, will move southeast across NM Tuesday and bring a round of convection to much of the area. Terminals most likely to be impacted by showers and storms Tuesday morning through mid day are KGUP, KABQ/KAEG and KSAF. Strong/erratic wind gusts, small hail and short-lived MVFR conditions are all possible with showers and storms Tuesday. KTCC and KROW may be impacted later in the afternoon/evening. Otherwise, VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...319 PM MDT Mon Aug 31 2020... .SYNOPSIS... An unseasonably strong storm system is still on track to move through New Mexico on Tuesday, bringing the best chance for showers and thunderstorms this week. Temperatures will also cool significantly across the area behind a cold front. A few storms near the New Mexico and Texas border may become strong to severe with strong winds and hail. The storm system moves out of the area Wednesday, leaving cooler and drier conditions in its wake. As the area of high pressure regains strength across the desert southwest, temperatures will quickly warm back to above normal. A couple backdoor cold fronts later this week and weekend may help to keep storms continuing across the east. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... The backdoor cold front that blasted south and west overnight and this morning has made its way to the east slopes of the central mountains and south of Roswell. It's weakening now though as winds along the east slopes are turning south and southeast. It is much cooler behind the front - Clayton is 19 degrees lower than 24 hours ago. But moisture is lacking as well, with only some elevated showers departing Curry and Roosevelt Counties. A weak disturbance aloft is crossing NM and drier air is right behind it across northwest NM. Some sunshine will help to heat up the atmosphere and produce spotty showers and storms through this evening. The southwest and central mountains will also get some convection. But no area looks to pick up much precipitation and no severe storms is expected. Showers will continue tonight in most areas, and coverage may increase in the northwest ahead of a developing trough. This trough over the northern Rockies will dive south and strengthen into a closed low tonight and will cross NM Tuesday before slowly moving out of the state Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Models are in good agreement with this scenario, except the NAM is a bit slower with the with the upper low crossing NM. The NAM guidance only has a high of 67 in ABQ Tuesday, owing to the slower movement as well as higher POPs. Not ready to buy into the NAM - it would have to be overcast with off and on rain all day to keep the temperature in the 60s. It will be cooler everywhere though except little change in the northeast. Showers and thunderstorms will be more widespread than today. CHJ LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)... The upper-level low will depart the Land of Enchantment on Wednesday, but there is still some uncertainty in how fast it will move into the TX Panhandle. The latest runs of the GFS and Canadian have the low moving east into the TX Panhandle and dry, northerly flow setting up over the state before 12Z Wednesday. The ECMWF and the NAM12, on the other hand, keep the low lingering across southeastern NM through Wednesday evening. This keeps showers and storms continuing in the area. Ensemble members aren't providing much clarity either way. Did keep low PoPs continuing across east central and southeast NM on Wednesday to account for the uncertainty, but did trend them down from the previous package. The latest run of the ECMWF seems to be trending closer to the GFS and Canadian's faster solution and only keeps light QPF in that area through the day. Otherwise, temperatures will warm for most although will remain near to slightly below normal for early September. There is some higher uncertainty in highs across the east which will be dependent on how fast the system ejects. Heading into Thursday, the H5 high strengthens once again to about 596dm across the Great Basin area. The early taste of fall will be a fond memory as temperatures quickly warm back up to above seasonal normals with dry conditions persisting. There is then high uncertainty in the forecast Friday through the weekend. A backdoor cold front looks to make its way into eastern NM Thursday and then move into the RGV that night. There is model discrepancy in how much moisture is behind this front, but continued easterly to southeasterly flow across the east on Friday may result in at least isolated storms. The upcoming weekend looks to be mostly quiet as the high continues to strengthen to an unseasonably strong 599dm. Another backdoor cold front on Sunday will help to recharge moisture and PoPs in the east. Very interestingly, the ECMWF shows mid-level moisture returning to southern NM from an inverted trough on Saturday. Not completely buying that yet as the ECMWF is the outlier with that inverted trough - which it makes from retrograding Tuesday's upper-level low. Stay tuned. 15 && .FIRE WEATHER... No fire weather concerns through next weekend. There will not be any widespread poor ventilation rates, just patches of poor rates in the west Thursday and Friday and northeast Saturday. Spotty showers and thunderstorms will again impact the area this afternoon into tonight. Strong, gusty winds will be the main concern with rain amounts light for the most part. A deepening trough will develop into a closed low near the four corners region early Tuesday. The low will slowly cross NM Tuesday and Tuesday night, bringing cooler temperatures and more widespread showers and storms. The storm will exit the state Wednesday with shower coverage confined to the east. High pressure will build to our west Thursday into the weekend. Mostly dry and warmer should be the norm, but the ECMWF brings an inverted trough across NM Friday through the weekend with the potential for convection in the south. CHJ && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 316 AM MDT Mon Aug 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- 316 AM MDT Mon Aug 31 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated afternoon and early evening thunderstorms favoring the southwest mountains and northeast quarter will be capable of producing brief heavy rain and strong and gusty winds this afternoon and early evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday An unseasonably strong upper-level low is forecast to bring cooler to much cooler temperatures to the state Tuesday and Wednesday along with increasing winds and a chance for showers and thunderstorms. A few of the storms across eastern New Mexico could become strong to severe Tuesday evening into Tuesday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 33
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
37 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 worsened to extreme drought in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 202 worsened to extreme drought in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September. Portions of eastern Curry County deteriorated to extreme drought.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September. Portions of the southwest zone deteriorated to exceptional drought.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 deteriorated to extreme drought in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 deteriorated to extreme drought in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September. Southern portions of the San Francisco River Valley deteriorated to exceptional drought.
Severe drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 continued in September.
Severe to extreme drought conditions from August 2020 deteriorated in September to exceptional drought across portions of southwest Chaves County.
Severe drought conditions developed across the area during September 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across the area during September 2020. Below normal precipitation amounts set the stage for deteriorating drought conditions.
Severe drought conditions developed across the area during September 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, September 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: 914556, 914557, 914558, 914559, 914591, 914592, 914593, 914594, 914595, 914596, 914597, 914598, 914599, 914600, 914601, 914602, 914603, 914604, 914605, 914606, 914607, 914608, 914609, 914610, 914611, 914612, 914613, 914614, 914615, 914616, 914617, 914618, 914619, 914620, 914621, 914622, 914623.