Despite the upper-level high pressure system building over the Four Corners, a backdoor cold front moved southward through eastern and central New Mexico on August 8, 2022. This influx of moisture helped to support a robust round of thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening hours.
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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.
Despite the upper-level high pressure system building over the Four Corners, a backdoor cold front moved southward through eastern and central New Mexico on August 8, 2022. This influx of moisture helped to support a robust round of thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening hours. A magnet for heavy thunderstorms, the Calf Canyon burn scar was impacted again with significant flash flooding and debris flow reported in the Rociada, Holman, and Chacon areas.
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 8, 11:07 AM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1207 PM MDT Mon Aug 8 2022 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Today should be the most convectively active day of the week with numerous showers and thunderstorms over northern and western areas, and scattered-to-numerous activity elsewhere, except scattered-to- isolated cells over the Four Corners and southeast plains. Storms will move in variable directions at speeds under 10 mph. Some storms will produce locally heavy rainfall with wet microbursts that could exceed 45 kt. Small hail will also be possible from stronger storms. Isolated showers and thunderstorms may linger over central areas after midnight, with scattered-to-isolated cells over south central and southeast areas. 44 && .PREV DISCUSSION...330 AM MDT Mon Aug 8 2022... .SYNOPSIS... Higher and more widespread chances for rain along with cooler temperatures are expected today. Locally heavy rain which could lead to flash flooding is possible over portions of northeast and southwest New Mexico. Scattered to widespread showers and storms are expected again Tuesday. Thereafter, chances for showers and storms taper down, especially over eastern New Mexico, as high pressure aloft moves from the central Rockies closer to New Mexico and expands over the region. High temperatures will be near to a few degrees below normal through Friday, then warm above normal by Sunday. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... While the upper high builds over the Four Corners, a backdoor cold front, aided by convective outflows, is slowing shifting southward across the plains early this morning. There is a notable increase in moisture behind the front, and this will be the main impetus for increased shower and thunderstorm coverage today. Despite ongoing convection early this morning, it is expected that there will be plenty of destabilization later this morning and early this afternoon for another round of heavy rain producing storms, and some breaks in the cloud cover is already noted on satellite imagery. Winds behind the front will veer around to the east or southeast this afternoon, allowing for upslope flow onto the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. However, even ahead of the front, southeasterly low level synoptic flow will return which will not only increase moisture elsewhere, but will result in some weak to moderate upslope flow along the remainder of the Central Mountain Chain and across the western mountains as well. Nonetheless, models are indicating the heaviest and most widespread precipitation this afternoon and evening will be across north central and northeast New Mexico. Of particular concern is the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon burn scar where some models are suggesting greater than an inch of rain, with at least small probabilities of 2 inches of rain. If rainfall of this magnitude occurs, combined with storm motions generally toward the northeast in this area (albeit slow), impacts may be a bit further downstream than what is covered in zones 214 and 215 alone. Thus, have opted to issue a Flood Watch for not only most of the burn scars, but also areas a bit further downstream in northeast NM. This area (the I-25 corridor) will also have it's own possibility of heavy rainfall and flash flooding given the moisture, lift and slow storm motion. Storms will trend downward late this evening with the focus for storms shifting further south with time. On Tuesday, the upper high is forecast to strengthen somewhat and be centered across southwest Colorado. Plenty of moisture will remain for another round of thunderstorms. In general, precipitation chances will be less across eastern NM than today, though a weak boundary across the northeast may help spark some development. Otherwise, the focus will be across the high terrain of central and western NM. Storms should generally move toward the west and northwest, increasing potential for some lower elevation rain by the late afternoon. 34 LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)... High temperatures will be near to slightly below normal through Thursday as the state will be to the south of the center of high pressure circulation. Showers and storms through Thursday will be focused over the western and central high terrain. Potential for locally heavy rain with any storm will continue. Forecast PWAT values diminish by Friday as the upper high continues to dominate the central and southern Rockies and adjacent plains through early next week. Showers and storms will be fewer in number over the east, while best chances will be confined to locations west of the Rio Grande Valley Friday and Saturday. High temperatures warm to a few degrees above normal Sunday and Monday. Early to mid next week, the GFS looks more like the ECMWF than it did 24 hour ago, diverting the stronger westerly flow well into the northern Rockies, if not southern Canada. && .FIRE WEATHER... No fire weather concerns outside of burn scar flash flooding and a few thunderstorm wind gusts are expected for the next week. A backdoor front will increase precipitation chances for much of eastern NM today, while central and western areas remain active. The upper high will be over the Four Corners today before shifting over Colorado for much of the week. Daily rounds of thunderstorm activity are expected, though storm chances will trend downward through the week. Storm motions today will be toward the west and northwest south of I-40, toward the north and northeast near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and rather erratic elsewhere. Through the week, storm motions will generally be toward the west and northwest. Temperatures will remain at or below normal through Thursday before trending upward Friday into the weekend. 34 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through this evening for the following zones... NMZ208-211-214-215-227>229-241. &&
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 169 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:38 UTC.
2 debris flow, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A rock slide on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused by heavy rainfall impacted New Mexico State Highway 121 from mile markers 3 to 5. This forced the closure of the roadway and trapped vehicles on the road. Damages are estimated.
Heavy rain on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused flooding along Highway 105 and Highway 276. This forced the closure of Highway 105 at mile marker 5 and the closure of Highway 276 at mile marker 0. Damages are estimated.
Heavy rain on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused debris flow along New Mexico State Highway 518, rendering the roadway impassable near Holman. 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: 1037364, 1037363, 1037367.