Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed over the northeastern highlands of NM between Las Vegas and Raton on the afternoon of April 12, 2023. Due to dry surface conditions, downdrafts from these storms produced strong wind gusts.
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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.
Scattered afternoon thunderstorms developed over the northeastern highlands of NM between Las Vegas and Raton on the afternoon of April 12, 2023. Due to dry surface conditions, downdrafts from these storms produced strong wind gusts. One was observed to hit the ASOS at the Raton Municipal Airport, reaching severe strength at 59 mph. No damage was reported.
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 Apr 12, 2:17 PM MST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 317 PM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 ...New SYNOPSIS, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 308 PM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 Isolated showers and storms are possible in western NM through the evening. Strong southwesterly wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph and widespread critical fire weather conditions are expected tomorrow. A cold front moves through on Friday, dropping temperatures around 10 degrees from Thursday. Westerly wind gusts up to 55 mph and critical fire weather conditions are likely in eastern NM on Friday afternoon while light rain and snow showers are possible in the north. Warming temperatures and dry conditions prevail this weekend. Southwesterly afternoon breezes and dry conditions prevail early next week. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 308 PM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 The upper level ridge over the area this morning is giving way to southwest flow aloft as an upper trough slowly moves into the PacNW. Cloud cover will continue to increase across northern and western NM for the remainder of the afternoon and evening as a weak disturbance within the southwest flow aloft crosses the state. This disturbance should also provide enough lift for isolated to scattered showers and a few thunderstorms, and this activity is already underway. Precipitation will be light as surface dewpoints are in the teens and 20s. Instead, gusty, mainly dry, microburst winds will be the greater concern as strong inverted-V soundings suggest. Most of this activity will diminish by the midnight hour. However, with cloud cover persisting across central and western NM, and breezy conditions persisting across the east, low temperatures will be quite warm tonight. Most areas will see low temperatures 8 to 16 degrees above normal. As the upper level trough inches closer to NM on Thursday, winds will strengthen further with strong daytime mixing and a deepening surface low over eastern CO. Breezy to windy conditions are expected across most areas Thursday afternoon, with a few locations across northeast NM nearing Wind Advisory speeds. Otherwise, slightly cooler temperatures are expected as heights fall, though most areas will remain near or above normal. The trough axis will finally begin to trek across NM late Thursday night, with a few showers possible across northwest NM. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 308 PM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 A gusty cold front will quickly cross the state from west to east on Friday. Winds will pick-up Friday afternoon along and east of the central mountain chain in the wake of the front thanks to the tight pressure gradient created by the ~994 mb low in northeastern NM. 700- 500mb lapse rates around 8C favor the development of convective showers and even a few storms Friday afternoon in the high terrain of northern New Mexico. It's possible that a few dry showers and storms develop in central NM and produce localized gusty winds, but the dry post-frontal airmass should inhibit most precipitation from making it to the ground. A backdoor cold front will dive southward along the eastern plains Friday night, dropping temperatures a few more degrees. Breezy northwest winds will pick- up again Saturday afternoon, but light winds should return on Sunday. Behind the exiting trough, a ridge will begin to build into place and bring temperatures back above seasonal averages. Recent guidance suggests that the ridge will be further south, decreasing the chance that significant Gulf moisture makes it into eastern NM. However, a weak shortwave will cross the state on Monday, potentially sparking a few storms in the southeast. The arrival of the westerly wave does not appear to coincide with peak daytime heating, thereby limiting the chance of convection. The upper-level ridge axis will propagate east of New Mexico early next week. European and Canadian ensemble members favor a faster moving and deeper trough that moves in behind the ridge while the GEFS favors a slower transition from ridging to troughing on the west coast. Southwesterly winds will begin to increase mid-week as the trough approaches from the west. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1123 AM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 Mostly VFR conditions are expected over the next 24 hours, however, isolated to widely scattered SHRA/TSRA will develop across western NM late this afternoon. These storms will be capable of gusty microburst winds up to 45kt as they shift northeastward around 15-20 mph. Storms will continue into the evening across northwest and north central NM before diminishing around 06Z. Otherwise, expect a few southwest breezes today with gusts near 25-30kt. Stronger winds are expected on Thursday ahead of an upper level trough. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 308 PM MDT Wed Apr 12 2023 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NEW MEXICO... Critical fire weather conditions will continue this afternoon and early evening across northeast NM where gusty southwest winds have developed, humidity values have fallen between 6 and 12 percent and temperatures are soaring well above normal. Critical fire weather conditions will return on Thursday over a broader area as an upper level trough approaches and southwest winds strengthen further areawide. Several hours of single digit RH is expected across central areas on Thursday afternoon as temperatures again soar above normal, though in general, temperatures will not be as warm as today. Widespread high Haines is also expected. The upper level trough will finally swing across the state late Thursday night and Friday. Winds will veer around to the west behind a Pacific cold front but will remain breezy to windy. Temperatures will fall 10 to 15 degrees areawide, leaving only eastern NM near normal. However, continued dry conditions, moderate to high Haines and the strong winds will allow for critical conditions to develop once again across the East Central Plains. It's possible that critical conditions could develop across the Northeast Plains as well, but will depend on the timing of a backdoor cold front. Less wind is in store for Saturday, though continued breezy conditions are expected in favored northwest flow areas. Upper level ridging will return for Sunday and Monday, allowing temperatures to trend upward once again. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 47 69 40 59 / 10 5 10 10 Dulce........................... 38 67 33 54 / 30 5 10 20 Cuba............................ 44 69 36 55 / 30 5 5 30 Gallup.......................... 39 67 34 57 / 10 5 0 5 El Morro........................ 40 64 33 54 / 20 5 0 10 Grants.......................... 36 69 33 58 / 30 0 0 5 Quemado......................... 41 66 32 58 / 10 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 48 70 39 62 / 10 0 0 5 Datil........................... 42 66 33 58 / 10 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 37 70 32 64 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 45 74 40 66 / 5 0 0 0 Chama........................... 35 60 29 47 / 30 5 10 30 Los Alamos...................... 48 67 41 56 / 20 5 5 20 Pecos........................... 46 68 38 56 / 10 5 0 20 Cerro/Questa.................... 46 64 36 51 / 10 5 5 20 Red River....................... 37 56 29 45 / 10 10 5 30 Angel Fire...................... 32 60 29 47 / 10 5 5 20 Taos............................ 40 69 33 55 / 5 5 0 10 Mora............................ 43 67 36 55 / 5 5 0 10 Espanola........................ 46 75 40 62 / 10 5 0 10 Santa Fe........................ 47 70 40 57 / 10 5 0 20 Santa Fe Airport................ 45 72 39 59 / 10 5 0 20 Albuquerque Foothills........... 52 74 46 64 / 20 0 0 10 Albuquerque Heights............. 51 76 45 65 / 20 0 0 10 Albuquerque Valley.............. 49 78 43 67 / 20 0 0 5 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 51 77 44 65 / 20 0 0 10 Belen........................... 48 79 42 69 / 20 0 0 5 Bernalillo...................... 50 78 44 66 / 20 0 0 10 Bosque Farms.................... 47 78 41 68 / 10 0 0 5 Corrales........................ 50 78 44 66 / 20 0 0 10 Los Lunas....................... 48 78 42 68 / 10 0 0 5 Placitas........................ 50 75 45 62 / 20 5 0 20 Rio Rancho...................... 50 77 45 65 / 20 0 0 10 Socorro......................... 50 80 44 72 / 10 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 49 69 41 57 / 20 0 0 20 Tijeras......................... 48 71 42 60 / 20 5 0 10 Edgewood........................ 44 72 39 60 / 10 0 0 10 Moriarty/Estancia............... 39 73 37 62 / 10 0 0 5 Clines Corners.................. 44 69 37 58 / 5 0 0 5 Mountainair..................... 46 72 40 62 / 5 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 48 72 40 62 / 5 0 0 5 Carrizozo....................... 56 75 47 67 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 49 69 41 60 / 5 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 44 73 37 61 / 0 5 0 20 Raton........................... 43 76 36 63 / 0 5 0 10 Springer........................ 43 76 38 65 / 0 0 0 10 Las Vegas....................... 44 72 39 60 / 0 0 0 5 Clayton......................... 51 79 45 70 / 0 10 0 10 Roy............................. 48 75 43 66 / 0 5 0 5 Conchas......................... 52 83 48 72 / 0 5 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 48 79 46 69 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 53 83 48 74 / 0 10 5 0 Clovis.......................... 50 82 47 74 / 0 20 5 0 Portales........................ 51 85 48 76 / 0 20 5 0 Fort Sumner..................... 50 83 47 73 / 0 5 0 0 Roswell......................... 52 87 51 80 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 51 79 48 71 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 50 76 45 68 / 5 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ104-123. Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Thursday for NMZ104-106- 109-123>126. Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening for NMZ126. && SHORT TERM...34 LONG TERM....16 AVIATION...34
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 194 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:52 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Raton Crews Airport ASOS measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2023
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: 1081348.