A traveler driving on I-25 observed a large and intense dust devil looking east towards the Sandia Mountains during the early afternoon hours of April 30th. Another large and intense dust devil was observed from a traveler driving in Cochiti Pueblo.
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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 traveler driving on I-25 observed a large and intense dust devil looking east towards the Sandia Mountains during the early afternoon hours of April 30th. Another large and intense dust devil was observed from a traveler driving in Cochiti Pueblo. The size and nature of the dust devils based on the videos taken by the travelers resulted in high interest from local and national media outlets.
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 30, 12:43 PM MST, 57 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 143 PM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 139 PM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 - Widespread rain totaling a half inch to an inch or more by Saturday morning spreads to areas along and east of the central mountain chain tonight and through Friday night. - Winter travel conditions will impact the high northern mountains tonight and through Friday night. - Gusty east winds up 50 mph will develop below canyons into the Rio Grande and Upper Tularosa Valleys tonight and Friday. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday night) Issued at 139 PM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 A wetter and cooler period of weather remains on track heading into this evening and lasting through Friday night. Very beneficial rain amounts generally between a third of an inch to one inch through Friday night are favored for areas along and east of the central mountain chain. Nuisance flooding will be a concern where moderate showers to at brief heavier rainfall is favored tonight into Friday morning across portions of southeastern NM. Meanwhile, high mountain snow will favor the northern mountains where 1 to 4 inches is favored except higher amounts up to 8 to 12 inches above 10,000 feet. Strong east canyon winds gusting to 50 mph will also impact the ABQ metro area, particularly below the Tijeras Canyon area along I-40 this evening and overnight. The synoptic scale setup shows a 567dm H5 low moving ashore the northern Baja Peninsula this afternoon, which will fill and phase with an upstream trough over UT tonight into Friday. At the surface, higher moisture remains pent up across eastern NM being pushed back by drier westerlies infiltrating western and central NM. Shower activity already beginning to break out over the northern mountains this afternoon will expand along the east slopes of the central mountain chain this evening as this moisture boundary pushes back west, surging through the gaps of the central mountain chain this evening. This will be the impetus for strong easterly winds pushing through the gaps of the central mountain chain into Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The Wind Advisory remains on track for the Middle Rio Grande Valley and ABQ Metro where wind gusts overnight are favored to reach 50 mph, notably through and immediately west of the Tijeras Canyon area along I-40. As the moisture and strong east winds continue on to and west of the Continental Divide, what's left of the H5 low will track east overhead along the international border with Mexico. Areas through east-central and northeastern NM will see more stable conditions favoring lighter shower activity thru the night. Upslope flow with some modestly favorable dynamics beneath a deformation area will help generate healthy snow production over the northern mountains. The Winter Storm Warning for the Sangre de Cristo Mts there remains on track, but the elevations for the healthiest accumulations >6 inches have trended higher to >9,500 feet. Meanwhile, guidance has come down for snow along the Raton Pass and Johnson/Bartlett Mesas likely thanks to slightly warmer temperatures and less favorable upslope flow. Given this continued downward trend for snow there, will do a rare downgrade of the Winter Storm Warning to a Winter Weather Advisory. Areas of south-central and southeastern NM will see the best potential for thunderstorms and moderate to locally heavy rainfall tonight into Friday morning. A few spots could see a quick 0.25" to 0.75" over 3 to 6 hours overnight, with some nuisance flooding concern in low-lying areas mainly in Chaves County. Elsewhere in that part of the forecast area, rises on area streams in and around the Ruidoso burn scar areas are expected, but the threat of burn scar flash flooding remains low. Rainfall tapers off over eastern NM, switching focus over the Continental Divide and central mountain chain Friday afternoon and evening. The best chances for snow over the northern mountains also shifts more into the Tusas Mts and very high peaks of the Jemez Mts during this time. A Winter Weather Advisory may be needed for the Tusas Mts, but there is some uncertainty with snow ratios given the afternoon timing for the best snow accumulations. Will let the midnight shift take another pass at this. Shower activity and easterly winds finally begins to wane heading into Saturday morning. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 139 PM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 The weekend sees drier and warmer conditions each day with enough remnant boundary layer moisture to allow for isolated to scattered showers and perhaps a couple thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday afternoon favoring the central and western high terrain. Westerly winds increase Monday ahead of the next approaching upper low along the CA coastline. This upper low is favored to track across southern CA Tuesday and AZ/NM Wednesday. A few pieces of energy or vort-lobes will rotate out ahead of this low into the Desert Southwest bringing increasing precipitation chances to the area. Thereafter, forecast confidence dips considerably. Global numerical models are having a hard time resolving a high amplitude jetstream pattern over the Pacific and western CONUS. This is allowing for a few different plausible scenarios for the aforementioned upper low to either progress eastward or stall over NM for a few days into late next week. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1123 AM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 Broken to overcast MVFR ceilings over a good portion of eastern NM will continue to persist into the afternoon with slow improvement. Prevailing east winds will surge back westward this evening and last through tonight and most of Friday. Strong east canyon winds are forecast at KABQ-KAEG and KSAF, with an Airport Weather Warning for gusts surpassing 35kts and as high as 40+ kts expected for KABQ lasting to just before sunrise Friday morning. Precipitation will first begin along the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo's this afternoon, expanding across the eastern half of NM this evening and tonight. Snow bringing IFR/MVFR conditions will favor terminals in the Sangre de Cristo's with MVFR conditions from rain favoring areas along and east of the central mountain chain. Moderate to localized heavier rainfall will favor far southeastern NM, potentially reaching KROW in the hours near dawn Friday morning. Western terminals remain dry until scattered afternoon shower and isolated thunderstorm activity reaches there Friday. KABQ and terminals in the Rio Grande Valley south of KSAF will be on the borderline for rain activity tonight into Friday. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 139 PM MDT Thu Apr 30 2026 Dry and breezy elevated fire weather conditions remain this afternoon over western NM, with cooler temperatures and higher moisture alongside easterly winds remaining pent up east of the central mountain chain. This higher moisture surges westward this evening and tonight thru the gaps of the central mountain chain bringing a strong east canyon wind to Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Fire weather concerns get shut down thru western NM as this boundary progresses westward to and past the Continental Divide Friday. Meanwhile, a storm system tracking east along the International Border will generate abundant wetting rainfall along and east of the central mountain chain tonight through Friday night with high elevation snow over the northern mountains. Sparse and isolated wetting rain footprints are expected along and west of the Rio Grande Valley however. However, a few isolated to scattered thunderstorms could produce locally heavier rain amounts along the Continental Divide in west-central NM Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, beneficial and healthy snow amounts of 4 to 12 inches are forecast in the higher elevations of the northern mountains. Fire weather concerns remain low this weekend as conditions dry out and warm up. Humidity recoveries remain good to excellent alongside lighter southerly winds. Drier westerlies are favored to return Monday and Tuesday ahead of an approaching storm system from the west. Precipitation chances begin to increase over far northern NM Monday, and over more of the area Tuesday and Wednesday. However, forecast confidence is notably low Tuesday and beyond. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 37 67 41 70 / 0 20 10 0 Dulce........................... 27 60 25 66 / 20 70 50 20 Cuba............................ 34 57 30 63 / 30 70 50 30 Gallup.......................... 30 64 28 67 / 0 20 20 10 El Morro........................ 37 59 33 63 / 5 40 40 30 Grants.......................... 34 60 31 65 / 10 50 40 20 Quemado......................... 37 63 35 65 / 10 30 30 30 Magdalena....................... 43 56 38 61 / 40 50 40 40 Datil........................... 41 57 35 60 / 20 50 50 40 Reserve......................... 36 71 35 69 / 20 30 20 30 Glenwood........................ 39 77 38 74 / 40 30 20 20 Chama........................... 28 52 25 59 / 30 80 60 30 Los Alamos...................... 42 50 35 60 / 70 80 60 40 Pecos........................... 34 47 28 61 / 90 80 60 40 Cerro/Questa.................... 33 50 28 59 / 80 80 70 30 Red River....................... 27 38 21 48 / 80 90 70 40 Angel Fire...................... 22 41 16 54 / 90 90 70 40 Taos............................ 31 53 25 62 / 80 90 70 30 Mora............................ 29 43 24 58 / 90 90 70 40 Espanola........................ 42 58 35 68 / 70 80 60 30 Santa Fe........................ 41 50 34 62 / 80 80 60 40 Santa Fe Airport................ 41 53 32 65 / 80 70 50 30 Albuquerque Foothills........... 45 57 40 68 / 60 50 30 30 Albuquerque Heights............. 45 59 38 69 / 60 50 30 20 Albuquerque Valley.............. 45 62 38 72 / 50 40 30 20 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 47 60 40 70 / 50 40 40 20 Belen........................... 45 61 37 71 / 50 50 30 20 Bernalillo...................... 46 61 38 71 / 60 50 40 20 Bosque Farms.................... 42 61 34 71 / 50 50 30 20 Corrales........................ 45 61 39 72 / 50 50 40 20 Los Lunas....................... 45 61 36 71 / 50 50 30 20 Placitas........................ 45 55 39 66 / 70 60 40 30 Rio Rancho...................... 46 61 39 70 / 50 50 40 20 Socorro......................... 49 64 42 71 / 50 50 30 20 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 39 50 34 62 / 70 60 40 30 Tijeras......................... 40 51 35 64 / 70 60 40 30 Edgewood........................ 37 50 30 64 / 80 70 40 30 Moriarty/Estancia............... 33 51 26 65 / 80 70 30 30 Clines Corners.................. 34 43 30 59 / 90 80 40 30 Mountainair..................... 36 50 32 64 / 80 60 30 40 Gran Quivira.................... 38 48 33 62 / 80 70 30 40 Carrizozo....................... 46 52 38 64 / 90 70 30 30 Ruidoso......................... 39 45 34 56 / 90 90 30 30 Capulin......................... 29 40 24 59 / 100 90 40 20 Raton........................... 32 45 24 63 / 100 90 40 20 Springer........................ 33 45 25 64 / 90 90 40 20 Las Vegas....................... 32 42 28 59 / 90 90 50 30 Clayton......................... 37 50 34 67 / 90 90 30 10 Roy............................. 33 44 30 62 / 90 100 40 20 Conchas......................... 39 49 33 69 / 90 100 30 20 Santa Rosa...................... 38 45 33 64 / 100 100 20 10 Tucumcari....................... 40 52 35 71 / 90 100 20 10 Clovis.......................... 42 48 38 69 / 90 100 20 10 Portales........................ 42 49 37 69 / 90 100 20 5 Fort Sumner..................... 41 50 35 68 / 90 100 20 10 Roswell......................... 49 52 42 68 / 90 100 20 10 Picacho......................... 42 48 37 63 / 90 90 20 20 Elk............................. 39 49 33 62 / 90 90 30 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 6 AM MDT Friday for NMZ219. Winter Storm Warning until midnight MDT Friday night for NMZ213>215. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 6 PM MDT Friday for NMZ227. && SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....24 AVIATION...24
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
A traveler driving along I-25 in the San Felipe Pueblo area observed a large and intense dust devil.
A large and intense dust devil was observed in the Cochiti Pueblo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2026
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: 1322518, 1322522.