While the high pressure centered itself over New Mexico, it was still a very active day on August 3, 2022, thanks to a backdoor front that moved through eastern New Mexico earlier in the day. This front helped to replinish moisture in the area while upslope flow helped to initiate a greater number of thunderstorms compared to the previous day.
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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.
While the high pressure centered itself over New Mexico, it was still a very active day on August 3, 2022, thanks to a backdoor front that moved through eastern New Mexico earlier in the day. This front helped to replinish moisture in the area while upslope flow helped to initiate a greater number of thunderstorms compared to the previous day. Thunderstorms developed by late morning across the typical high terrain areas before becoming more widespread across much of northern and central New Mexico as the day progressed. Heavy rain was common with these thunderstorms, and this resulted in flash flooding, especially on the Calf Canyon burn scar.
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 3, 10:52 AM MST, 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1152 AM MDT Wed Aug 3 2022 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE A backdoor front will continue moving south through the east this afternoon, providing a northerly wind shift. Also, replenishing moisture to increase storm chances along and east of the central mountain chain this afternoon and evening. Storm initiation will continue on the high terrain with the most numerous coverage across the Sangre de Cristos and southwest mountains. Storms will move onto lower elevation areas as the afternoon progresses. All TAF sites will have the opportunity to see thunderstorm or shower impacts which include heavy rain, frequent lightning, and gusty and erratic winds. Showers and storms will be slow to taper off and will likely continue across the plains past 06Z. The front then pushes through the gaps of the central mountain chain by 00Z this evening, likely resulting in a moderate east canyon wind at KABQ. Currently, winds are expected to remain below Airport Weather Warning criteria. && .PREV DISCUSSION...148 AM MDT Wed Aug 3 2022... .SYNOPSIS... A weak backdoor front will replenish moisture across the area later today through Thursday leading to an uptick in coverage of storms with an elevated threat for locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding, especially on and near area burn scars. Storms will favor central and western New Mexico through the weekend, but may become more widespread early next week. Temperatures will be above normal today, but will gradually trend down through the next six days and be a degree or two below normal by early next week. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... The drier air that was working its way around the H5 high this time yesterday morning is much more evident on water vapor imagery this morning. The center of the high is still centered over western NM with drier mid-level air in place across southern NM. While this helped to suppress convection yesterday, today will be a different story. This is thanks to a backdoor boundary or outflow from late evening storms over CO/KS/NE. This front is working its way through eastern CO at the time of this writing, and it is expected to begin nosing into NE NM between 09Z and 12Z this morning. It will then move quickly through the remainder of the plains through the rest of the morning, likely reaching the east slopes around 18Z. Replenished moisture behind this front and favorable upslope flow will increase storm chances today for areas along and east of the central mountain chain. Convection will be more isolated west of the RGV with the exception of the Gila where PWATs will remain around 1.20 to 1.30 inches. So this sets up two primary hot spots for convection today - the Sangre de Cristos and adjacent highlands as well as the southwest mountains. The Sacramento and Jemez Mountains will likely see increased storm activity today as well, but probably not to the extent as the two aforementioned hot spots. Then of course, outflow boundaries will help convection fill in across lower elevations as the afternoon and evening hours progress. Did issue a Flood Watch today for the major burn scar areas as that threat does increase compared to yesterday. The backdoor boundary pushes through the gaps of the central mountain chain by late afternoon, likely generating a moderate east wind in Tijeras Canyon and the east side of ABQ. Models indicate that convection will be slow to completely diminish Wednesday night, especially across the east where outflow boundaries will likely play a big part in helping to keep storms going. The H5 high stays over NM Thursday with its center beginning to shift eastward over north central/northeast NM. The moisture from the backdoor boundary is still in play Thursday, and PWATs look to be well above an inch areawide except across the northwest where they will be closer to 0.75 to 0.85 inches. Thursday looks to be the most active day of the forecast period with widespread thunderstorms and abundant moisture and very slow and erratic storm motions increasing the flash flooding threat. It's likely that today's Flood Watch will need to be reissued for Thursday and expanded in coverage as well. LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... The threat for locally heavy rainfall, especially on area burn scars, will persist into Thursday evening with slow and erratic storm motion and well above normal PWATs in place. By Friday, the upper high center will be east over the OK Panhandle, but it will extend a ridge axis west over the area and begin to focus daily rounds of convection across central and western NM going through the weekend. The upper high center is then forecast to build-up a new center to our west or northwest, with some disagreement on the placement among the 00Z medium range model solutions. Either way, we'll remain on the periphery of the circulation with plenty of moisture in place for active rounds of storms early next week. Temperatures will gradually trend down from Thursday through Tuesday and be a degree or two below normal early next week, mainly due to added cloud cover and rain- cooling. 15/11 && .FIRE WEATHER... A very active monsoon pattern is still on tap for the foreseeable future. A backdoor boundary entering eastern NM this morning will help to replenish moisture and in turn, increase storm chances for areas along and east of the central mountain chain. Storm chances continue to increase areawide Thursday with above normal moisture values in place. Storm motions will become slower today and more erratic, increasing the flash flooding threat each day. The high then establishes itself to our east Friday and this weekend, setting up the monsoonal moisture plume across western NM and thus focusing storm chances along and west of the central mountain chain. By early next week, the high then moves back towards the west, and subsequent backdoor boundaries will then help to increase storm chances again for the east. 15 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through this evening for the following zones... NMZ208-211-214-215-226. &&
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 171 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.
5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain in Chacon near the Calf Canyon burn scar caused flooding across Highway 121. No damages were known.
Heavy rain on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused flash flooding in and around Rociada. Heaviest rains drained into Capulin Canyon flowing to the Rito San Jose and San Jose Church. Video shared on Twitter showed flood waters approaching homes, but exact damages are unknown. Damages are estimated.
A report of 1.63 inches of heavy rain within one hour on the Calf Canyon burn scar flooded New Mexico State Road 105 near Gascon. No damages were known.
Heavy rain in the Tajique area caused flash flooding along New Mexico State Road 55, rendering it impassable as crews worked to clear water and debris off the roadway. No damages were known.
The Lincoln County emergency manager reported flash flooding on Gavilan Ridge within the McBride burn scar that forced road crews to clean up debris on area roadways. Damages are estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2022
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: 1035151, 1035154, 1035149, 1035415, 1035153.