As another storm system began to track across the central Rockies on May 3, 2022, westerly flow across New Mexico strengthened in response. With ample atmospheric mixing, strong wind generally between 45 and 55 mph were measured across much of northern and central 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.
As another storm system began to track across the central Rockies on May 3, 2022, westerly flow across New Mexico strengthened in response. With ample atmospheric mixing, strong wind generally between 45 and 55 mph were measured across much of northern and central New Mexico. The exception was near Carrizozo where a weather station in the south central mountains did measure a brief wind gust of 58 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 3, 5:05 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 605 PM MDT Tue May 3 2022 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE Strong instability with mid and upper level moisture over the area has allowed virga and dry microburst winds to develop within the RGV late this afternoon. This activity will move northeast across the central mt chain with sudden, erratic gusts up to 50 kt possible thru 02Z. South to southwest winds will remain strong thru 04Z over central and eastern NM ahead of a Pacific cold front approaching from the west. A sharp wind shift is expected to progress across western NM to the RGV before weakening overnight. Areas of BLDU and smoke may lead to lcl vsby reductions below 3SM at times. Meanwhile, low level moisture and instability near the TX border south of KCVS may result in a few SHRA/TS aft 06Z with hail the main impact from any direct hits. Storms will exit northeastward into TX before sunrise. Winds will be west to northwest Wednesday with overall lighter peak gusts than today. A few SHRA/TS are possible near the CO border aft 20Z with more sudden, erratic wind gusts. Guyer && .PREV DISCUSSION...347 PM MDT Tue May 3 2022... .SYNOPSIS... Unfortunately, the chance for precipitation appears meager for the remainder of the week, with strong winds and low relative humidity dominating the weather pattern. There are two main exceptions, as there will be a low chance for storms to develop overnight across parts of Curry, Roosevelt and eastern Chaves Counties. It's unclear if storms will form, but it they do, there will be a risk for large hail. The other opportunity will be in the northern mountains and northeast plains for Wednesday into Thursday morning. This will be related to a backdoor front and upper level disturbance that shift across the area. There is considerable concern for a lengthy period of windy and dry conditions this weekend into early next week. Dry air in combination with very strong winds and dry fuels will create widespread dangerous fire weather conditions. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)... An upper level low pressure system passing eastward over CO may trigger isolated and gusty sprinkles over the Chuska, Tusas, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains this evening. CAPE looks too low to support storms, but CAMs seem to be picking up on gusty virga showers. Some of these gusty showers could develop as far south as the south central mountains as well, where elevated moisture is presently on the increase per visible satellite imagery. Otherwise, CAMs are also picking up on a somewhat moist return flow of low level moisture making it briefly into the southeast plains late tonight with isolated thunderstorms mainly over eastern Chaves and Roosevelt Counties. Shear and instability look sufficient enough to support a few severe thunderstorms. Meanwhile, a gusty Pacific cold front will dive southeastward through western and central areas this evening with a northwesterly wind shift west of the central mountain chain. Winds will weaken significantly after the cold front passes. Wednesday afternoon and night, the upper level low pressure system will take a slight jog southeastward across NE NM as it exits CO onto the Great Plains bringing a chance of gusty showers and thunderstorms mainly to the mountains near the CO border and the northeast plains. Otherwise, areas of smoke will travel northeastward from N mountains wildfires this evening, then more to the east-northeast tonight as fire activity weakens. Strong northwest, west and southwest winds are again expected Wedesday, when gusts should generally reach around 40 mph east of the central mountain chain, except up to 50 mph from around Las Vegas to Clines Corners and Conchas Lake. These winds should stretch pretty significant smoke plumes to the east and northeast of the fires. Humidities will remain very low Wednesday with continued fire weather concerns along and east of the central mountain chain and over southern areas. 44 LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)... The aforementioned storm system will depart the northeast quadrant of the state on Thursday, with possibly one last embedded shortwave clipping the northeast zones during the morning hours. Latest model guidance suggest activity may actually end Wed night, but timing of this feature will play a factor. Stronger upr level winds should be east of the forecast area on Thursday, although 30kts at 700hPa is still progged along the central mountain chain, centered over KCQC. So while Thursday will be the quieter day with respect to winds, it appears breezy conditions are expected for the traditional favored locales within the central highlands. Low amplitude ridge rolls eastward across New Mexico Thursday night through Friday. The ridge axis should be far enough east by the late afternoon hours to allow for flow aloft to slowly strengthen again. Weak leeside cyclogenesis develops with a 1000mb low centered within Union County. That said, most locations will remain below the breezy category with the exception of the northern high terrain and central highlands. For Saturday, a longwave trough will carve out a large section of western Canada and the northwestern U.S., placing New Mexico on its southern fridge. Gradient aloft tightens with 700hPa speeds ranging from one to two standard deviations above average. Meanwhile, expect an even stronger leeside low developing over southeast CO. This will likely support Wind Advisory level speeds across western NM as well as along and immediately east of the central mountains. Closed upper low previously in southern AK will dive southward into the northwestern U.S. on Sun. Southwest winds further strengthen with widespread 40-55kts at 700hPa and this will support greater coverage needing a Wind Advisory with a few areas at risk for High Wind Watch/ Warning speeds. Monday may actually be the worst day for strong winds as a 100-knot 500hPa jet orients itself over the northwest half of NM with 700hPa wind speeds two to three standard deviations above normal. Confidence in a high impact event continues to grow with nearly every cluster analysis solution depicting anomalously low heights over the western U.S. The big question will be where the closed low is located. Will the low be closer to the PacNW or in the Great Basin and this is going to determine the placement/orientation of the upper level jet. Unfortunately, the aforementioned longwave trough remains parked in the same position through the 240-hour forecast. This is a bit mind- numbing as strong upper level winds remain centered across the CWFA for an extended period of time. This will not bode well with respect to the extremely sensitive fire weather/drought concerns. DPorter && .FIRE WEATHER... ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE AREAWIDE UNTIL MID EVENING, THEN RETURN TO EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AREAS WEDNESDAY.... ...EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS BECOMING WIDESPREAD AGAIN SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY... A gusty Pacific cold front will shift wind directions out of the west and northwest this evening along and west of the central mountain chain. Wind speeds should remain fairly strong until the front passes. Some gusty virga showers are also forecast this evening for the Sangre de Cristo, Tusas, and Chuska Mountains. Winds varying from southwest to northwest are forecast to become strong again on Wednesday with more fire weather concerns across southern areas, the central mountain chain, and eastern areas. There will also be a chance of gusty and light rain showers and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and night in the mountains near the CO border and across northeast areas as an upper level low pressure system crossing CO jogs southeastward across northeast NM in route to the Great Plains. A weakening ridge of high pressure will cross Thursday with weaker winds and a down day fire-weather wise, but there will be localized critical fire weather conditions from Las Vegas to Clines Corners, Vaughn and the Sandia Mountains. Winds will then strengthen daily with increasing fire weather concerns Friday through Monday as a longwave trough digs over the western US. The polar jet stream will cross NM Sunday night through Monday, and potentially through the middle of next week, as this broad trough continues to deepen over the Great Basin. Widespread and extremely critical fire weather conditions look increasingly likely Sunday and Monday as gusts potentially range from 45 to 70 mph in many areas. 44 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for the following zones... NMZ101>109. Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for the following zones... NMZ201>207-210-211-216-219-222-223-227>230. Red Flag Warning from 10 AM to 9 PM MDT Wednesday for the following zones... NMZ103-104-106>109. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A weather station near Carrizozo measured a brief wind gust of 58 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: 1012331.