An upper level trough moving quickly southeast through the southern Rockies forced a strong cold front through New Mexico on September 1, 2020. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along the frontal boundary by the mid morning hours across western New Mexico before racing southeast through the Rio Grande Valley and eastern plains.
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The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
An upper level trough moving quickly southeast through the southern Rockies forced a strong cold front through New Mexico on September 1, 2020. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along the frontal boundary by the mid morning hours across western New Mexico before racing southeast through the Rio Grande Valley and eastern plains. Strong forcing along the cold front combined with sufficient moisture and instability over the area to produce a few severe thunderstorms with large hail, high winds, and heavy rainfall. Several locations reported wind gusts near 60 mph, including Clines Corners, Fort Sumner, and Roswell. This cold front ushered in the coolest air since early June for New Mexico.
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 1, 10:50 AM MST, 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1150 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE An upper level low will move southeast across NM this afternoon through tonight and bring a round of convection to much of the area. Terminals most likely to be impacted by showers and storms this afternoon are KABQ/KAEG, KSAF and KVLS. Strong/erratic wind gusts, small hail and short-lived MVFR conditions are all possible with showers and storms. KTCC and KROW may be impacted later this pm into tonight. Otherwise, VFR conditions through the next 24 hours. && .PREV DISCUSSION...315 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020... .SYNOPSIS... An unseasonably strong upper low will move through New Mexico today, bringing cooler temperatures in its wake. Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon, favoring central and western New Mexico. A few storms near the New Mexico and Texas border could be strong to severe, with erratic gusty winds and hail. The system ejects out of the Land of Enchantment by Wednesday, allowing cooler and drier conditions to prevail. The Four Corners high will strengthen to the west, bringing temperatures above normal before another potent backdoor front descends into the area late in the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... Upper low over the UT/CO border moving S-SE per the latest water vapor satellite imagery and will continue movement into NM today, then eject out into far west TX by mid day Wednesday. Mid level dry slot preceeding the upper air feature, but is bringing moisture with it and will result in a fairly robust round of storms by mid day given steeper lapse rates than we've seen in awhile and a little bit of daytime heating. Storms will favor central and western NM initially, moving into the RGV around mid day and may provide a direct hit to the Albuquerque Metro which is being modeled by the latest HRRR, HREF and NAM. Rain is welcomed and needed, but these storms may pack a punch, bringing hail and strong/erratic wind gusts. A better shot at seeing a severe storm or two will reside near the TX/NM border where more notable surface based instability is forecast given dewpoint temperatures in the 50s. Besides the storms, this system will provide a much cooler airmass with highs forecast 5-10 degrees below normal for a change. Our forecast high of 79 degrees at the Albuquerque Sunport would be the lowest high temperature since June 9th. Rain chances will dwindle overnight as the upper low moves into southeast NM and clearing skies will provide a cool start to the day Wednesday. Look for temperatures to rebound Wednesday afternoon, with highs forecast to be +/- 2 degrees of normal. LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)... By Wednesday night, the upper low will have ejected into the Texas panhandle, taking any lingering showers and thunderstorms with it. With its departure, the Four Corners high looks to make its return, setting up shop in the Great Basin. A potent backdoor front pushes down from the Rockies Thursday, allowing gusty winds to sweep through the eastern plains in its wake. This brings the possibility of gap winds across the RGV, as the front pushes through the central mountains. Meanwhile, the upper high anchors itself in the Great Basin for the latter portion of the week, strengthening quite considerably. Models are in good consensus that the H5 high will bolster up to a strong 600 dm height by Saturday. This will bring temperatures back above seasonable norms for September. Dry air will continue to intrude from the southeastern periphery of the high, extinguishing the likelihood for precipitation to make a comeback. After a relatively calm weekend, a robust backdoor front will dive southward into the Land of Enchantment. There are some discrepancies between the models on the timing and placement of this front. Models do hint to a modest surge of moisture. Thus, given the possibility of enhanced lift, increased PoPs towards the end of the forecast period. Given that the GFS and NAEFS agree that PWATs will remain near to below normal, confidence remains low that the Land of Enchantment will see a substantial re-invigoration of moisture. 11/12 && .FIRE WEATHER... Cooler temperatures and good chances for wetting rain are coming to our area today as an upper level low dives southeast into New Mexico and brings a round of showers and storms. Chances for wetting rain will favor central and western New Mexico through early afternoon, then shift out into the eastern plains. Temperatures will rebound to normal Wednesday, but will then trend up through the end of the week and into the weekend as an upper level high strengthens over the Great Basin and expands to dominate much of the Intermountain West including New Mexico. A hot, dry and unstable airmass will reside across the northwest half of the state from late week through the weekend. A backdoor cold front will hit the eastern plains Sunday and will be followed by a stronger cold front that will overtake much of the state Tuesday of next week. 11 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 504 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020 NMZ201>241-021115- 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- 504 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Storms today will favor central and western New Mexico initially before moving into the Rio Grande Valley around mid day. There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms over far northeastern New Mexico this afternoon into the evening. Locally heavy rainfall, damaging and erratic wind gusts, and large hail will be possible with the strongest storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Isolated storms are possible across eastern New Mexico Wednesday, as the strong upper low ejects east. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report rainfall amounts and any severe weather through the National Weather Service Albuquerque web site at weather.gov/abq or by calling 1.888.386.7637. You can also submit storm reports and photos on our Facebook page or via Twitter using the hashtag nmwx. 12
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1134 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020 NMZ212-222-223-229-011800- Central Highlands-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass-Estancia Valley-Northeast Highlands- 1134 AM MDT Tue Sep 1 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN SAN MIGUEL... SOUTHEASTERN SANTA FE AND NORTHEASTERN TORRANCE COUNTIES UNTIL NOON MDT... At 1134 AM MDT, trained weather spotters reported strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 10 miles southeast of Galisteo to near Moriarty. Movement was east at 40 mph. Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with these storms. Locations impacted include... McIntosh, Villanueva, Villanueva State Park, Ribera, Clines Corners, Chapelle, Sena and Los Montoyas. This includes the following highways... Interstate 40 between Mile Markers 200 and 232. Interstate 25 between Mile Markers 320 and 333. Highway 285 between Mile Markers 234 and 272. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If threatening weather approaches your area, take shelter in a sturdy building. && LAT...LON 3545 10518 3479 10552 3486 10607 3538 10580 TIME...MOT...LOC 1734Z 269DEG 33KT 3532 10578 3493 10599 34
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:51 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief rain squall produced a peak wind gust up to 63 mph at Clines Corners.
An observer spotted four broken power poles along NM-116 after severe thunderstorm winds plowed through the area.
Hail up to the size of quarters was reported near Tome.
The second rain squall of the day moved over Clines Corners and produced a brief wind gust up to 60 mph.
Thunderstorm outflow produced several wind gusts up to 61 mph at the Roswell airport. Visibility was reduced to three quarters of a mile in blowing dust.
Strong winds blew the roof off of a carport in Fort Sumner.
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: 907914, 907920, 907913, 907915, 907917, 907916.