A very slow-moving storm system remained over southeastern New Mexico on August 13, 2021. Combined with an abundant amount of atmospheric moisture, another active monsoon day was underway across 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.
A very slow-moving storm system remained over southeastern New Mexico on August 13, 2021. Combined with an abundant amount of atmospheric moisture, another active monsoon day was underway across eastern New Mexico. Steering flow was once again fast enough to limit a widespread flash flooding threat, however, some thunderstorms did produce heavy rainfall in a short period of time. A strong thunderstorms with heavy rainfall near Nogal did force the closure of a highway as the roadway became unsafe for travel.
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 13, 10:58 AM MST, 3 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1158 AM MDT Fri Aug 13 2021 .UPDATE... Expanded the existing Flash Flood watch into southwest NM. No other changes at this time. && .PREV DISCUSSION...1129 AM MDT Fri Aug 13 2021... .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Sct to nmrs showers and tstms with occasional mt obscurations in mainly MVFR cigs/vsbys in clouds and precipitation will favor eastern and central NM through 03Z. Convection to persist over areas along and south of I-40 aft 06Z with patchy br over ern NM. && .PREV DISCUSSION...251 AM MDT Fri Aug 13 2021... .SYNOPSIS... Cooler conditions will prevail through Saturday as a disturbance moves slowly westward across the state and brings good chances for showers and storms, favoring southern and eastern portions of the area. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible across much of the eastern plains and southern portions of the area through Saturday. An active Monsoon thunderstorm pattern will then persist through next week, with the potential for locally heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding just about every day. Daytime temperatures will trend up from Sunday through Tuesday and be within a few degrees of mid August norms. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... A similar day to yesterday is in store today as a very slow moving warm-core upper-level low continues to spin counterclockwise over eastern NM. This feature is forecast to impact similar locations today with the heaviest rainfall potential over eastern NM this afternoon and evening. Continued the Flash Flood Watch through late tonight as a result. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will continue well after midnight once again, thanks to the warm-core nature of the low center. As the Four Corners' high strengthens over the Great Basin and Inland northwest tonight into Saturday, drier air aloft begins pushing into northern NM, relegating most afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms to locations south of I-40. Isolated storms will remain likely central and north thanks to increased buoyancy (dry air moving over the top of relatively moist air) along with increasing atmospheric stretching (deformation) between the FCH and the warm-core low now forecast to continue over southern NM. LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)... A weak inverted trough will remain over southern portions of our area Saturday night through Sunday, where the potential for heavy rain and flash flooding will persist given sufficient instability and an above normal PWAT atmosphere. Expect some warming Sunday, but daytime temperatures will remain below normal across central and southern portions of the area. The upper high over the Great Basin will weaken and sink south Sunday night through Monday as a potent trough pushes into the Pacific NW. This development will create a brief period of northerly steering flow across northern NM which will increase our shear profile and bring a shot for strong to severe storms, especially along/east of the central mountain chain Monday afternoon/evening. The upper high is forecast to move over our area Tuesday into Wednesday, then move east allowing weak southerly flow in the lower/mid levels of the atmosphere to bump PWATS up and bring about a wet end to the work week. 33/11 && .FIRE WEATHER... No fire weather concerns are forecast during the next week as low- level monsoon moisture remains in place. The Four Corners' high shifts east of NM Wednesday for perhaps at least a brief period of a southerly monsoon moisture tap, helping areas of the forecast area that have missed thanks to stubborn northeasterly storm steering flow. 33 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for the following zones... NMZ208-209-220-241. Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for the following zones... NMZ223>226-229-231>240. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 422 AM MDT Fri Aug 13 2021 NMZ201>241-141030- 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- 422 AM MDT Fri Aug 13 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Heavy rainfall is possible today through tonight across much of eastern and southern New Mexico, where a Flash Flood Watch is in effect. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday The threat for heavy rainfall and flash flooding will persist Saturday across much of southern New Mexico. From Sunday through next week, locally heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding will continue to be a threat. A few strong to severe storms are possible Monday afternoon and evening across north central and eastern portions of the state. .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. 11
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain near Nogal forced the closure of U.S. Highway 380 from mile marker 74 to mile marker 76. Per a trained spotter, the bridge in the area was unsafe to cross as road surfaces had been damaged from repeated rounds of heavy rain over the summer.
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, August 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: 966006.