Tornadoes · United States · New Mexico · 2008
EF0 tornado, Puerto De Luna, New Mexico, August 17, 2008
This EF0 tornado ran 0.3 miles across Guadalupe County on August 17, 2008, touching down at 7:20 PM MDT and reaching 25 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF0
- Date
- August 17, 2008
- Touchdown
- 7:20 PM MDT (01:20 UTC)
- Lifted
- 7:21 PM MDT (01:21 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
- Path width
- 25 yards (23 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Guadalupe County
- Touchdown point
- 34.628, -104.463
- Lift-off point
- 34.624, -104.461
- Record number
- 0808171920-01
What the Weather Service recorded
An upper low over Colorado provided adequate wind shear and instability to produce a severe weather outbreak across central and eastern sections of New Mexico. Several of the storms became tornadic while others produced large hail, damaging winds and flooding rain.
A thunderstorm with a persistent hook echo on radar produced a brief tornado touchdown near Highway 84.
A tornado briefly touched down west of Sumner Lake.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Aug 17, 2:55 PM MDT, 4 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 2:55 PM MDT, 4 hours 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 255 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM (TONIGHT-TUESDAY)...579H5 CUTOFF UPPER LOW IN CENTRAL COLORADO CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN. WITH GOOD MODEL CONSENSUS BETWEEN THE GFS...NAM... ECMWF...THE UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST THROUGH NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO INTO THE OK-TX PANHANDLES BY MONDAY EVENING. CIRCULATION AROUND THE UPPER LOW HAS ADVECTED DRIER AIR AT THE MID-LEVELS INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO...AS DEPICTED ON SATELLITE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. THIS DRIER AIR...12Z ABQ PWAT AT 0.97 INCHES WILL ALLOW FOR INCREASED AFTERNOON INSOLATION AND DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE SUPPORTING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE AZTEC PROFILER IS MEASURING 35 KTS WESTERLY WIND AT 500 MB AND THE 12Z ABQ SOUNDING WIND PROFILE SHOWS WESTERLY WINDS FROM 8500 FT AND ABOVE...WITH 500 MB WINDS AT 25 KTS. THESE WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN INDUCE GRAVITY WAVES DOWNSTREAM OF OUR NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. THESE GRAVITY WAVES WILL AID IN THE INITIATION OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. ONCE STORMS INITIATE...THEY WILL MOVE GENERALLY TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST...EXCEPT WHERE INTERACTING WITH TERRAIN. THE MAIN FOCUS FOR STRONG STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO...FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRES INTO THE PLAINS...AS THE UPPER LOW TRAVERSES THE AREA. EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO WILL ALSO GET INTO THE ACT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS STORMS FIRE ALONG THE MOUNTAINS TO THE WEST AND MOVE EAST OR AS NEW STORMS INITIATE IN THE MOISTURE RICH BOUNDARY LAYER AIR IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WHERE DEWPOINT READINGS ARE IN THE 60S FROM CARLSBAD TO TUCUMCARI. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. ACCORDINGLY...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN PLACE FOR EASTERN NEW MEXICO THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS AMPLE BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE ALSO CONTINUES IN PLACE ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND ESPECIALLY NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS THE PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER LOW IN THE OK-TX PANHANDLES WILL CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE MOISTURE THROUGH THE AREA AND PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR INITIATING STORMS. ON TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL TEXAS THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ACROSS THE STATE DIMINISHES. LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY)...THE 500 MB CUTOFF UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY THEN LIFTS OUT TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH EASTERN OKLAHOMA...EASTERN KANSAS AND MISSOURI. THIS ALLOWS AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO BUILD INTO NEW MEXICO FROM THE WEST THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE CENTER DEVELOPING FROM CENTRAL ARIZONA TO CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. AS THE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS...A WARMER AND DRIER AIRMASS DEVELOPS ACROSS THE REGION... EXPECT MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TO INCREASE TO AROUND CLIMATE NORMALS AND POPS TO DECREASE TO BELOW CLIMATE NORMALS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. BENNETT && .AVIATION... RESTRICTING CONDITIONS HAVE LIFTED ACROSS THE STATE...HOWEVER THIS WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS IFR/LIFR CIGS WILL REDEVELOP IN ERN NM LATER TONIGHT. BUT FIRST...SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL/ERN SECTIONS OF NM AND THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WHICH COULD REDUCE VIS/CIGS INTO THE MVFR CATEGORY. AFTER THE MIDNIGHT HOUR... MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY WILL BE ALONG THE TEXAS BORDER. LOW CLOUDS AND FOG WILL DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTS. CONFIDENCE OF THESE RESTRICTING CONDITIONS IS FAIRLY HIGH AND THEREFORE INCLUDED IN REGIONAL TAFS. SOME VFR CIGS SHOULD FORM WITHIN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY SIMILAR TO THIS MORNING. CANYON WINDS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN THIS EVENING...WITH THE HIGHEST SPEEDS EXPECTED PRIOR TO DAYBREAK. DO NOT ANTICIPATE AN AWW ISSUANCE...THOUGH THE EVENING SHIFT WILL NEED TO MONITOR SITUATION CLOSELY. WRN SITES WILL REMAIN VFR IN NATURE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. DPORTER && .FIRE WEATHER... A LESS ACTIVE PERIOD WILL DEVELOP FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST OVER THE STATE DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS AS AN UPPER LOW MIGRATES FROM SOUTHERN CO INTO CENTRAL TX. FOR THIS AFTERNOON...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOCUSED OVER CENTRAL/ERN NM...WHERE WETTING RAINS WILL BE COMMON. FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING...THE MAIN FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE EAST OF THE CENTRAL MTS. AS THE MID-WEEK APPROACHES...EXPECT WARMER TEMPS AND LOWER HUMIDITIES...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF NEW MEXICO. IN FACT...MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT IN THIS REGION DURING PEAK HEATING...BUT WINDS WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT CRITICAL CONDITIONS. FOR THE MIDDLE/LATTER PORTION OF THE WORK WEEK...STORMS WILL BE OF THE ISOLATED NATURE...FOCUSED IN THE HIGH TERRAIN. THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT THREAT FOR PCPN MAY COME NEXT WEEKEND AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO. DPORTER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 55 89 57 93 / 0 0 0 5 GALLUP.......................... 49 85 50 87 / 5 0 0 5 GRANTS.......................... 49 84 49 86 / 5 5 5 10 GLENWOOD........................ 59 89 58 91 / 30 20 10 10 CHAMA........................... 39 76 41 81 / 20 10 10 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 47 76 49 80 / 30 20 10 10 RED RIVER....................... 37 66 36 75 / 40 30 20 20 TAOS............................ 45 77 45 82 / 40 20 10 10 SANTA FE........................ 51 77 53 81 / 40 30 10 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 51 79 53 83 / 30 20 10 10 ESPANOLA........................ 50 82 52 87 / 30 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 61 83 62 85 / 30 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 58 85 58 86 / 30 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 57 82 57 84 / 30 20 10 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 58 84 60 86 / 30 10 10 10 SOCORRO......................... 57 85 57 87 / 30 20 10 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 46 74 45 80 / 30 20 10 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 49 77 49 81 / 40 30 10 20 CARRIZOZO....................... 54 81 55 85 / 40 30 10 20 RUIDOSO......................... 50 72 49 75 / 40 40 20 20 RATON........................... 48 73 48 81 / 50 30 20 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 47 71 46 79 / 50 40 20 20 ROY............................. 54 72 54 81 / 60 40 20 20 CLAYTON......................... 54 72 57 81 / 70 40 20 20 SANTA ROSA...................... 54 79 54 85 / 60 40 20 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 57 77 57 84 / 70 40 20 20 FORT SUMNER..................... 60 78 58 84 / 60 40 20 20 CLOVIS.......................... 59 75 59 82 / 70 50 30 20 PORTALES........................ 60 76 60 82 / 70 50 30 20 ROSWELL......................... 61 79 64 84 / 50 40 20 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ004>007-010>013-016>021-026. && 01/46
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 7:17 PM MDT, 3 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 717 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 NMZ001>021-026-181200- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS INCLUDING JEMEZ- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-HARDING COUNTY-FAR NORTHEAST PLAINS- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS/ESTANCIA VALLEY- CONCHAS LAKE/GUADALUPE COUNTY-QUAY COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/UPPER GILA REGION-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LINCOLN COUNTY HIGH PLAINS/HONDO VALLEY- CAPITAN/NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF CHAVES COUNTY- 717 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT OR ANY WARNINGS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...THOUGH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING TO THEIR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1.888.386.7637.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:04 PM MDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 504 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 NMZ009-172330- MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- 504 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING TOWARD INTERSTATE 25 NEAR BELEN... AT 502 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 10 MILES WEST OF LOS CHAVEZ. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 21 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ADELINO...JARALES...LOS TRUJILLOS-GABALDON...RIO COMMUNITIES...TOME...TOME-ADELINO AND BELEN. THIS STORM WAS NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER... PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. DPORTER
Local storm report, Aug 17, 5:28 PM MDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
528 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM HAIL 2 W GLORIETA 35.58N 105.80W
08/17/2008 E1.00 INCH SANTA FE NM TRAINED SPOTTER
0450 PM HAIL GLORIETA 35.58N 105.77W
08/17/2008 E0.88 INCH SANTA FE NM CO-OP OBSERVER
0519 PM HAIL CLAYTON 36.45N 103.18W
08/17/2008 E1.00 INCH UNION NM EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
50Local storm report, Aug 17, 5:50 PM MDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
550 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0541 PM HAIL 6 S BELEN 34.57N 106.78W
08/17/2008 M0.88 INCH VALENCIA NM TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DPORTERSpecial weather statement, Aug 17, 6:19 PM MDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 619 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 NMZ010-015-180045- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS- 619 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008 ...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER CENTRAL SOCORRO COUNTY... AT 615 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VEGUITA TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAN ACACIA. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 24 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE CHAMIZAL...CONTRERAS... ESCONDIDA...LA JOYA AND LEMITAR. THESE STORMS WERE NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. DPORTER
Local storm report, Aug 17, 6:35 PM MDT, 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
635 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0425 PM TSTM WND DMG BELEN 34.66N 106.78W
08/17/2008 VALENCIA NM TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN AND BROKEN GLASS ON CARS AND HOMES NEAR
NORTH 6TH STREET.
0425 PM FLASH FLOOD BELEN 34.66N 106.78W
08/17/2008 VALENCIA NM TRAINED SPOTTER
ONE TO TWO FEET OF WATER ON SOME ROADS...
0425 PM HAIL BELEN 34.66N 106.78W
08/17/2008 M1.75 INCH VALENCIA NM TRAINED SPOTTER
0610 PM HAIL 4 SSW VILLANUEVA 35.21N 105.40W
08/17/2008 E0.75 INCH SAN MIGUEL NM STORM CHASER
&&
DPORTERLocal storm report, Aug 17, 6:52 PM MDT, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
652 PM MDT SUN AUG 17 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0644 PM HAIL CHAMIZAL 34.22N 106.91W
08/17/2008 E0.75 INCH SOCORRO NM TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DPORTERThe air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Albuquerq/Krtlnd, NM (KABQ), 00:00Z
1.3 hours before the tornado, 201 km from the path. August 18, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 29 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -108 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 178 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2318 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 22 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 65 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 8.6 K/km
The surface observations
Melrose Gunary Ran (4MR), 71 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:20 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in New MexicoEvery tornado in New Mexico since 1950Warnings in force in New Mexico nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of August 17, 2008
4 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.