As a storm system tracked eastward across Colorado on May 2, 2022, westerly flow across New Mexico strengthened in response. This increasing westerly flow quickly scoured out low-level moisture that had moved into eastern New Mexico the previous day, resulting in widespread very dry conditions.
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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.
As a storm system tracked eastward across Colorado on May 2, 2022, westerly flow across New Mexico strengthened in response. This increasing westerly flow quickly scoured out low-level moisture that had moved into eastern New Mexico the previous day, resulting in widespread very dry conditions. With the strongest winds aloft over the northern and central high terrain, the strongest westerly winds were measured in this area. A portable RAWS station in place for the ongoing Calf Canyon Fire in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph while Clines Corners measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
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 May 1, 10:20 PM MST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1120 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE Convection has moved into the TX Panhandle, and a relatively quiet night is in store outside of LLWS at KLVS and continued smoke. Low- level return flow across the east may result in another round of MVFR cigs at KROW, but confidence is low. If it does develop, it should be short-lived as westerly flow will strengthen quickly after 12Z. By 15Z-17Z, gusts of 30 to 40 knots are expected areawide with the potential for more areas of BLDU. 15 && .PREV DISCUSSION...905 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022... .UPDATE... Convection has come to an end across eastern NM with the last cell near Nara Visa about to cross into Texas. Therefore, the Severe Thunderstorm Watch will be cancelled. 24 && .PREV DISCUSSION...258 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022... ...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL THIS EVENING FOR EASTERN NEW MEXICO... ...PROLONGED CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS... .SYNOPSIS... Somehow the atmosphere knew it was May 1st so naturally the eastern plains of New Mexico have the potential for severe thunderstorms while the rest of the state experiences critical fire weather conditions. The severe weather potential includes large hail and damaging winds. Critical fire weather conditions along with blowing dust and wildfire smoke will continue Monday and Tuesday as a storm system moves across the region. Winds will be stronger on Tuesday before slowly dropping off through the end of the week. It will be short lived as another storm system moves into the Rockies over the weekend which will increase winds again. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... Another windy, warm and very dry day across western and central New Mexico, while low level moisture continues to stream into eastern NM. The wind advisories in the west will continue through 800 PM MDT. Meanwhile strong to severe thunderstorms will form in the east, initially on the highlands then moving onto the plains. Storms will mostly end by 900 PM MDT. Low level moisture will remain across the east through the night into Monday morning, then it will dry out significantly Monday afternoon, with critical fire weather conditions and strong winds in the east, with wind advisories probably needed. The west will remain dry and warm, but less wind should limit critical fire conditions. LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)... Yet another upper level trough will move across the Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday. Jet stream will increase allowing for 500mb winds at 50 knots and support some windy conditions at the surface. We are not looking at high wind warning type of winds but certainly the possibility of wind advisories. Red flag warnings for critical fire weather conditions will be needed Tuesday but with winds decreasing as a cold front moves through overnight into Wednesday, fire weather conditions will be more elevated on Wednesday. The front will bring a brief break to above normal temperatures on Wednesday but temperatures will bounce back up above normal for the end of the week given upper level ridging/height rises. We still want to emphasize that conditions on Tuesday will be pretty rough for ongoing wildfires like the Cerro Pelado and Calf Canyon where containment is not as high as the Cooks Peak Fire. These are still ripe conditions for further fire growth and any fire starts to make large runs. The impacts from blowing dust and smoke cannot be understated either as anyone with respiratory issues will have breathing problems. GFS and ECMWF ensemble means still showing some timing differences with the trough coming up next weekend in the Saturday/Sunday time frame. This trough looks to set up anywhere from the Pac NW through the C Rockies. GEFS is faster with the trough bringing into to NM by Monday May 9. Lowering heights that become more packed together will increase the upper level wind flow and support higher winds at the surface. ECMWF ensemble is slower with the trough over Utah but still supporting high winds. It just may mean these higher winds hold on into May 10th. It is a way out but the overall message here is that critical fire weather conditions, high winds, blowing dust, etc are here to stay for the first week of May. Each day we need to take care to take every precaution necessary to prevent wildfires. Unfortunately this pattern is not supporting any kind of precipitation for the state and if so, it won't be much. CHJ/39 && .FIRE WEATHER... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR ALL AREAS EXCEPT THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT 10 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH 8 PM MDT MONDAY EVENING FOR THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS, NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, AND SANDIA, MANZANO, AND GALLINAS MOUNTAINS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY LATE MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EARLY EVENING FOR ALL AREAS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE... Critical fire weather conditions have made their return today across central and western NM as a slowly approaching upper-level low pressure system tracks across the central Rockies. Meanwhile the east will have strong to severe thunderstorms! The moisture in the east will remain through tonight, then westerly flow Monday will bring in much drier air to the east, with critical fire weather conditions along and east of the central mountain chain. Another upper level storm will cross Tuesday with widespread strong winds and very dry conditions. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for all areas Tuesday. Critical conditions in the east are expected Wednesday, then less wind should give us a break Thursday and Friday. But stronger winds and drier conditions return next weekend. CHJ && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening for the following zones... NMZ101>109. Red Flag Warning from 10 AM to 8 PM MDT Monday for the following zones... NMZ103-104-107-108. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
1009 PM MDT SUN MAY 1 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0631 PM HAIL 4 NW RAGLAND 34.87N 103.78W
05/01/2022 M0.75 INCH QUAY NM COCORAHS
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A portable RAWS station east southeast of Cowles measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
An ASOS station near Clines Corners measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph.
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, May 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: 1012328, 1012329.