A weak system crossing the southern Rockies on April 23, 2021 generated rain and mountain snow showers as well as a few thunderstorms across portions of New Mexico. However, a lack of substantial moisture, most notably in the low-levels, associated with this system resulted in more dry showers and thunderstorms rather than wetting precipitation.
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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.
A weak system crossing the southern Rockies on April 23, 2021 generated rain and mountain snow showers as well as a few thunderstorms across portions of New Mexico. However, a lack of substantial moisture, most notably in the low-levels, associated with this system resulted in more dry showers and thunderstorms rather than wetting precipitation. The virga and downburst winds associated with this activity resulted in strong winds in excess of 58 mph at several locations. In Los Lunas, estimated wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph downed a large cottonwood tree.
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 Apr 23, 11:03 AM MST, 31 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1203 PM MDT Fri Apr 23 2021 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE A disturbance tracking across the area today will result in rain, high elevation snow, and a few thunderstorms across northern and western NM. However, not much precipitation is expected. Rather, dry thunderstorms with gusty and erratic winds and gusts of 40 to 50 knots will likely be more common. Gusty, northwest winds of 30 to 40 knots will also be expected across most of the area through this evening behind a Pacific cold front. Precipitation and the strongest winds will taper off this evening, but a backdoor cold front moving through the eastern plains will result in a northerly wind shift after 00Z. Showers and thunderstorms will bring measurable rain to a lucky few in the northeast into the night. && .PREV DISCUSSION...223 AM MDT Fri Apr 23 2021... .SYNOPSIS... A Pacific disturbance will move over the state today, bringing cooler conditions with showers, a few storms and gusty winds. Expect a warming trend through the weekend, with windy conditions returning by Sunday afternoon. Stronger winds will develop Monday ahead of an approaching Pacific cold front, forecast to move across the state Tuesday into Wednesday and bring good precipitation chances and cooler conditions. Thursday is looking warmer, with much less wind as high pressure moves in from the west. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... An upper-level trough and its associated Pacific cold front is currently located over central AZ with an area of showers beginning to approach the western NM border. That trough and cold front will track across northern NM through this evening, with rain, high elevation snow, and thunderstorms favoring western and northern NM. However, there's not a substantial amount of moisture associated with this feature. Mid- and upper-level moisture will help support high-based thunderstorms, but the low-levels will remain dry with dewpoints generally remaining well below 30F. Like the 00Z ABQ sounding, forecast models indicate inverted-V soundings with DCAPE around 500-1000 J/kg. This will support dry thunderstorms with gusty and erratic winds more common than wetting precipitation. The exception may be across the northeast corner of the state where dewpoints will be relatively higher behind a weak backdoor cold front that noses into the area by mid-afternoon. Models are depicting some wetting precipitation there this evening as the trough moves through, but amounts still remain less than 0.25". Otherwise, temperatures trend down a few degrees behind the front with gusty winds persisting through this evening. Winds are expected to remain below advisory speeds for most with the exception being the Clines Corners zone where a Wind Advisory has been issued. The backdoor cold front continues to move through the east Friday night, offering a slight cooldown in Friday night's lows. Quiter weather is on tap for Saturday as a ridge moves overhead. Temperatures warm several degrees with increasing pressure heights, and most locations will see above normal high temperatures. LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)... Winds aloft will back and increase out of the southwest Saturday night through Monday in advance of a potent Pacific trough that will be pushing into the west coast and progressing eastward. Sunday is looking like the warmest day this forecast cycle, especially across the eastern plains due in part to downslope winds. Highs on Sunday will be above normal central/west and well above normal east. Windy conditions are expected Sunday afternoon given deep atmospheric mixing, with blowing dust likely. The Pacific trough and associated cold front will approach from over the Great Basin and Desert Southwest Monday and even stronger southwest winds will develop. Wind highlights are likely across much of our forecast area Monday, with even more blowing dust. The Pacific trough and associated cold front will move across Tuesday through early Wednesday, brining good precipitation chances, strong winds and much cooler conditions. The latest medium range model solutions differ with the amplification and progression of the Pacific trough, so will refrain from getting too into the details at this time. After a couple days of well below normal temperatures, expect warming to end the work week as a ridge pumps up over the Intermountain West following the departing trough. 15/11 && .FIRE WEATHER... ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK... A weak disturbance tracking across the area today will result in rain, mountain snow, and thunderstorms across western and northern NM through this evening. However, a lack of low-level moisture will mean that dry thunderstorms with a lack of wetting precipitation will be more common. Minimum humidities less than 15 percent will stay in place across east central and southeast NM, but below normal temperatures and lack of high Haines will limit widespread critical fire weather conditions in that area today. Drier conditions settle in this weekend, and temperatures warm as an area of high pressure builds over the area. Critical fire weather conditions may return to the east on Saturday, but Sunday looks to be the day for widespread critical fire weather with temperatures well above normal, single- digit RHs, and high Haines. Critical conditions continue into Monday across the east where single digit RHs will stay in place. A break from the critical fire weather looks to arrive mid-next week as a storm system brings increased chances for wetting precipitation and cooler temperatures. 15 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 7 PM MDT this evening for the following zones... NMZ223. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 408 AM MDT Fri Apr 23 2021 NMZ201>241-241100- 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- 408 AM MDT Fri Apr 23 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A Wind Advisory is in effect this afternoon and early evening for the Central Highlands. Elsewhere, windy conditions will prevail today with a few afternoon showers and storms producing strong and erratic wind gusts. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Windy conditions are forecast Sunday and very windy conditions are forecast Monday. A Wind Advisory will likely be required. Areas of blowing dust are likely. Widespread critical fire weather conditions are likely both days as well. A round of snow may come to the higher terrain, especially across the northern mountains, Monday night through early Wednesday as a Pacific trough and associated cold front move east across the region. There is a slight chance that a Winter Weather Advisory may be required for the higher elevations of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 11
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 183 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:31 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An ASOS station in Gallup measured a 58 mph wind gust from a shower that produced a dry microburst.
A dry microburst with estimated wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph downed a large cottonwood tree near Katherine Gallegos Elementary School. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated for the downed tree.
An ASOS station in Tucumcari measured a 74 mph wind gust from a shower that produced a dry microburst.
An ASOS station in Las Vegas measured a 64 mph wind gust from a shower that produced a dry microburst.
A member of the public near Cannon Air Force Base estimated a 70 mph wind gust from a shower that produced a dry microburst.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2021
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: 956673, 956677, 956674, 956675, 956676.