As an upper-level ridge built over New Mexico on May 27, 2022, mid-level moisture seeping into the area underneath this ridge resulted in high based shower activity developing during the afternoon and evening hours. With very high mixing heights and dry surface conditions, any precipitation that fell out of these showers mainly evaporated and produced virga and strong dry microburst winds.
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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 an upper-level ridge built over New Mexico on May 27, 2022, mid-level moisture seeping into the area underneath this ridge resulted in high based shower activity developing during the afternoon and evening hours. With very high mixing heights and dry surface conditions, any precipitation that fell out of these showers mainly evaporated and produced virga and strong dry microburst winds. Both the Albuquerque and Clines Corners ASOS stations measured downburst wind gusts in excess of 58 mph. Meanwhile, a dust devil was spotted in southwest Albuquerque, but it did no damage.
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 27, 11:04 AM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1204 PM MDT Fri May 27 2022 .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE Southwest winds will become gusty areawide today with ample atmospheric mixing in near record warmth. Isolated virga showers are expected late this afternoon until early evening mainly from around Pietown northeastward across central and northeast parts of the forecast area. Expect dry microbursts with erratic wind gusts potentially reaching up to 45 knots. A few lightning strikes will also be possible mainly over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near the CO border. With strengthening flow aloft, winds will probably remain fairly strong over mountain peaks tonight. 44 && .PREV DISCUSSION...244 AM MDT Fri May 27 2022... .SYNOPSIS... Winds begin to strengthen today with breezy conditions expected, especially across eastern New Mexico. This may result in elevated to marginal critical fire weather conditions. But this windy, dry pattern ramps up starting Saturday as an approaching storm system results in strong winds Saturday through Tuesday. With dry conditions in place, a widespread critical to extreme fire weather pattern is expected through Memorial Day weekend. Winds finally relax Wednesday, and then eyes turn to increasing moisture which in turn leads to increasing precipitation chances across much of the area through the end of the work week. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... An upper ridge over New Mexico today will break down Saturday. Southwest winds will start to increase this afternoon but not expecting will reach wind advisory criteria. Southwest winds Saturday afternoon will be stronger and are currently forecast near to above wind advisory criteria across much of northern and central NM. The stronger winds will bring the possibility of patchy blowing dust Saturday afternoon. High temperatures will be above normal today and Saturday with potential for a few near record readings. Forecast models continue to suggest the potential for a few high based virga showers and/or isolated dry thunderstorms with gusty variable winds later this afternoon and early evening over western and northern NM. Wind is more likely to be associated with any activity rather than wetting rain. Variable amounts of wildfire smoke will continue to plague the region. LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)... A PacNW low will continue to deepen and track across the central Rockies this weekend and through early next week. By Sunday, the center of this low looks to be centered over ID, and by Monday, over UT. Southwest flow aloft will remain the dominant feature across NM which will continue to strengthen Sunday & Monday as the core of the polar jet is steered overhead. On Sunday, 700mb winds strengthen to 40-50 knots areawide while the lee-side surface low deepens to 981mb. With deep mixing in place, Sunday may be the windiest day in this stretch of windy days, and widespread wind highlights look very likely. By Monday, 700mb winds are still strong areawide at 35 to 45 knots with the lee-side surface low not quite as deep at ~987mb. Widespread wind highlights will be likely again as deep mixing remains in place. By Tuesday, this main low exits quickly into the central plains with the core of the jet then focusing across the east. This shifts the focus for windy conditions along and east of the central mountain chain. This windy stretch still looks to come to an end by Wednesday as flow aloft finally relaxes, but then we shift our focus to a new hazard. Return flow is still expected to set up across the east on Tuesday, ushering in low-level moisture. This may help to develop afternoon and evening thunderstorms along the NM/TX border, but chances increase further Wednesday through Friday. Low-level moisture will continue to make its way westward Tuesday night, thanks in part to outflow from Tuesday evening's storms across the TX Panhandle as well as a backdoor cold front. This should allow the dryline to sharpen near San Miguel/Guadalupe counties Wednesday afternoon, allowing for a better coverage of thunderstorms east of the central mountain chain. This low-level moisture continues to move westward Wednesday night towards the Continental Divide or perhaps all the way to the AZ border, thanks again to thunderstorm outflow. Thus, precipitation chances increase for much of the RGV and perhaps across western NM on Thursday. This may continue into Friday, but models are hinting at another PacNW on approach, and with increasing southwesterly flow aloft, this may begin to push the moisture back towards the east. Regardless, this pattern change by the middle of next week is certainly welcome so fingers crossed the trend holds! 15 && .FIRE WEATHER... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR ALL AREAS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, VERY LOW HUMIDITY, WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ALL AREAS DUE TO STRONG WINDS, LOW HUMIDITY AND AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS... An upper ridge over New Mexico today will break down Saturday. Southwest winds will start to increase this afternoon and combined with above average warmth and very dry weather, widespread near critical to locally critical fire weather conditions are expected. Some areas of extreme instability are also identified over the Northwest and West Central Highlands this afternoon. In addition, deep mixing this afternoon could result in a few virga showers and isolated dry thunderstorms with gusty variable winds over the west and north. Widespread critical fire weather conditions are expected Saturday, when about 7-15 hours of single digit humidities are forecast over the majority of northern and central NM and will be combined with above normal temperatures and extreme instability. Southwest winds strengthen Sunday through Tuesday due to a slow moving upper low pressure system over the northern and central Rockies. Although temperatures start to cool down toward normal, widespread critical conditions look to persist. Forecast models indicate a substantial cold front will plunge into eastern NM around the middle of next week, bringing deeper moisture and chances for showers and storms. Some of this moisture could push west of the RGV by next Thursday. && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Saturday for the following zones... NMZ101>109. Fire Weather Watch from Sunday morning through Sunday evening for the following zones... NMZ101>109. &&
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 11 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:02 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
A dust devil located near Central and 98th Street in southwest Albuquerque received lots of media and public attention. Video obtained by KOB appeared to show the dust devil tossing mattresses out of the back of a pickup truck. No damages were known, and the time is estimated.
An ASOS station at the Albuquerque Internation Airport measured a 67 mph wind gust associated with a very strong downburst.
An ASOS station near Clines Corners measured a 60 mph wind gust associated with a very strong downburst.
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: 1016909, 1016907, 1016908.