A dying thunderstorm produced a dry microburst that spread out across eastern Colfax and western Union Counties on July 23rd. This produced a severe wind gust that blew through Capulin breaking tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter and blew over a shed.
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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.
A dying thunderstorm produced a dry microburst that spread out across eastern Colfax and western Union Counties on July 23rd. This produced a severe wind gust that blew through Capulin breaking tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter and blew over a shed.
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 Jul 23, 4:41 PM MST, 5 hours 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 541 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 212 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 ...NEAR-RECORD OR EVEN RECORD-BREAKING HEAT EARLY THIS WEEK... Much less shower and thunderstorm activity has been observed today as high pressure strengthens over New Mexico. In addition, temperatures are turning hotter, and this will be a trend that will continue through the week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be the hottest days across northern and central New Mexico with many locations reaching close to, or even exceeding, daily record high temperatures. The abnormally hot conditions will pose a high risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially for those working or spending time outdoors. Any showers or thunderstorms will tend to be few and far between with the best chances for rain staying over the southwestern and northern mountains of the state. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Monday night) Issued at 212 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 The high pressure system aloft will move from the Four Corners more squarely over NM on Monday, causing high temperatures to trend a few to around 8 degrees warmer than today's readings most places. The exception will be from Farmington to Gallup, where temperatures should be about the same on Monday as they are today. With this forecast package we will issue a number of Heat Advisories across the forecast area for Monday, since lower elevations temperatures will vary from near 100 to as much as 107 degrees. The night shift may add a few more zones to Monday's Heat Advisory, where coverage came out a little too localized on this shift for inclusion in this afternoon's forecast package. Widespread record and near record warmth is forecast for Monday. Scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms will favor western and north central areas both this evening and Monday afternoon and evening; however, with PWATs only varying around 0.50-0.80", wetting footprints will be small. Some storms and virga showers will produce more in the way of wind than rain, with erratic wind gusts up to 50 mph possible. High resolution models indicate isolated cells may form as far southeast and east as the northeast and east central plains on Monday evening. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 212 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 The monsoon high will remain unfavorably placed and unseasonably strong over NM Tuesday and Wednesday with center pressure heights hovering between 598-600 decameters. This will keep the heat persisting with several more daily record highs likely getting tied or surpassed. In addition to the choking subsidence, the high will also keep a void of deep subtropical moisture in place over NM, and storms will be limited. The northern and southwestern peaks are expected to observe isolated to scattered coverage, but with surface dewpoints largely in the 30’s and 40’s F and PWATs of only 0.6 to 0.8 inch, these cells will be inefficient at producing appreciable rainfall. The trend will likely not improve much through the remainder of the week, however a subtle reduction in pressure heights over NM is modeled as a weakness in the high develops. This could open the door to a faint flux of moisture from the south southwest, a scenario the GFS is more zealous about, almost as if it is trying to steer towardS a more rainy climatology. However, the precipitation prospects still seem rather bleak considering the anemic PWATs and subpar boundary layer mixing ratios. Similar to previous shifts, have kept the extended POPs subdued below the NBM/GFS/Canadian guidance. Temperatures Thursday through next weekend would remain above normal by about 3 to 10 degrees on average, but highs will likely remain a few degrees shy of record values. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 523 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 Isolated showers and thunderstorms will dissipate shortly after sunset with cleaning skies expected thereafter. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will favor locations north of I-40 Monday afternoon, moving to the south and southeast around 10kts. Gusty winds from afternoon and early evening showers and thunderstorms are forecast to be the main aviation impact Monday as monsoon moisture remains well below average for late July. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 212 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023 Unseasonably hot, mostly dry, and unstable conditions will persist through at least Thursday as a strong high pressure system aloft moves squarely over NM. Widespread record and near record high temperatures are forecast Monday through at least mid week. Scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms will favor the northern and western mountains through the first half of the work week. During the second half of the week, some models depict an uptick in thunderstorm coverage with a modest increase in wetting footprints as some better moisture is drawn northward under the high pressure system. However, lack of model agreement on how rich the moisture will be lessens forecaster confidence in this outcome some. Models are agreeing to some extent on an easterly wave working it's way westward across southern TX and northern Mexico this weekend, and that should draw better moisture northward over NM before it arrives. So, there may well be an uptick in thunderstorm coverage Thursday and/or Friday, which would cool temperatures some. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 65 101 65 100 / 0 5 20 10 Dulce........................... 54 96 56 95 / 20 20 20 20 Cuba............................ 59 95 60 94 / 20 20 40 30 Gallup.......................... 59 97 58 96 / 30 30 40 30 El Morro........................ 58 92 57 91 / 30 30 40 40 Grants.......................... 60 95 57 95 / 20 30 40 40 Quemado......................... 59 93 60 92 / 30 30 40 50 Magdalena....................... 62 92 66 93 / 5 10 10 30 Datil........................... 57 91 61 91 / 20 20 20 40 Reserve......................... 58 95 58 96 / 30 30 20 40 Glenwood........................ 64 98 67 100 / 30 20 20 30 Chama........................... 53 90 53 90 / 20 30 20 30 Los Alamos...................... 63 92 66 91 / 20 30 30 30 Pecos........................... 60 93 63 92 / 10 30 20 30 Cerro/Questa.................... 53 91 54 90 / 10 30 30 40 Red River....................... 47 86 49 84 / 20 40 30 40 Angel Fire...................... 41 85 41 86 / 10 30 20 40 Taos............................ 54 95 57 94 / 10 30 20 30 Mora............................ 56 90 58 89 / 10 30 20 40 Espanola........................ 61 100 64 98 / 10 20 30 20 Santa Fe........................ 62 94 66 95 / 10 30 30 30 Santa Fe Airport................ 60 97 63 98 / 10 20 20 20 Albuquerque Foothills........... 69 97 72 99 / 5 10 20 20 Albuquerque Heights............. 69 100 72 101 / 5 10 20 10 Albuquerque Valley.............. 67 102 70 103 / 5 5 20 10 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 68 100 71 101 / 5 10 20 10 Belen........................... 66 102 70 103 / 5 5 10 10 Bernalillo...................... 66 102 68 103 / 10 10 20 10 Bosque Farms.................... 64 101 67 102 / 5 5 20 10 Corrales........................ 68 102 70 102 / 5 10 20 10 Los Lunas....................... 64 101 67 102 / 5 5 10 10 Placitas........................ 66 98 69 100 / 5 10 20 20 Rio Rancho...................... 67 100 71 101 / 10 10 20 20 Socorro......................... 66 101 71 102 / 0 0 5 10 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 61 92 66 94 / 5 10 20 20 Tijeras......................... 63 95 67 96 / 5 10 20 20 Edgewood........................ 61 95 64 96 / 5 10 10 20 Moriarty/Estancia............... 57 96 60 97 / 5 10 10 20 Clines Corners.................. 59 92 63 94 / 5 10 10 20 Mountainair..................... 61 94 66 96 / 5 5 10 20 Gran Quivira.................... 60 94 66 95 / 5 5 5 20 Carrizozo....................... 65 96 69 97 / 0 5 0 10 Ruidoso......................... 58 88 63 89 / 0 10 0 20 Capulin......................... 58 94 60 91 / 5 20 20 30 Raton........................... 55 98 59 95 / 5 20 20 30 Springer........................ 54 100 59 97 / 5 20 20 30 Las Vegas....................... 57 94 61 94 / 5 20 20 30 Clayton......................... 65 100 67 98 / 0 10 10 10 Roy............................. 61 99 64 97 / 0 20 20 20 Conchas......................... 64 105 70 102 / 0 10 20 5 Santa Rosa...................... 64 100 70 99 / 0 10 20 5 Tucumcari....................... 64 105 70 102 / 0 5 10 0 Clovis.......................... 68 101 70 102 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 68 103 72 104 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 67 105 72 104 / 0 0 10 0 Roswell......................... 72 106 73 107 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 66 98 68 99 / 0 0 0 10 Elk............................. 64 91 65 94 / 0 5 0 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ201-219. Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM MDT Monday for NMZ201-217-219- 232-234-237-238. && SHORT TERM...44 LONG TERM....52 AVIATION...33
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
926 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023
NMZ227-228-230-240400-
Far Northeast Highlands-Union County-Johnson and Bartlett Mesas
Including Raton Pass-
926 PM MDT Sun Jul 23 2023
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL UNION,
NORTHEASTERN MORA AND SOUTHEASTERN COLFAX COUNTIES THROUGH 1000 PM
MDT...
At 926 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles southeast of Raton Crews Airport, or 18 miles south of Raton,
moving southeast at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Springer, Maxwell, Abbott, Raton Crews Airport and Farley.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 25 between Mile Markers 405 and 441.
Highway 64 between Mile Markers 320 and 337, and near Mile Marker
366.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If threatening weather approaches your area, take shelter in a sturdy
building.
Frequent dangerous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this
storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a
safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3636 10382 3618 10463 3664 10478 3664 10477
3671 10480 3677 10416
TIME...MOT...LOC 0326Z 330DEG 31KT 3663 10438
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPHThe Pueblo radar (KPUX), 192 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:28 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A COOP observer in Capulin reported that a severe wind gust originating from a dying thunderstorm blew down their shed and broke off tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter. Damage is an estimate of the shed.
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, July 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: 1103388.