NWS ABQ - March 23, 2007 Severe Weather Event

June 1 - 4: Severe Weather Strikes New Mexico

A storm anchored over the northern plains kept New Mexico in a northwest flow aloft through the first few days of June, as shown by the water vapor image below and to the left, overlaid with 500mb heights. This allowed a few back door cold fronts to plow south over the eastern plains, bringing plenty of low level moisture and strong instability. The image below and to the right illustrates the high dewpoint temperatures over eastern New Mexico. The dewpoint temperature is a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. The higher the dewpoint temperature, the higher the moisture content.

A few weak upper level disturbances from the west helped fuel the development of thunderstorms over primarily eastern New Mexico from the 1st through 4th. Some of these thunderstorms turned severe each afternoon and evening over the eastern plains, with the 3rd and 4th most active. Large thunderstorm complexes formed during the overnight hours producing some heavy rain. The infrared satellite image below and to the left shows a large complex over far eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle. The radar image below and to the right from roughly the same time shows an area of extensive rain over curry county.

The radar images below show the storms that produced a tornado, the left image is of the Roosevelt county tornado near Dora, while the right image is from the Lincoln county tornado near Capitan.

The tables below list the severe weather reports from the first four days in June, and some rainfall totals from June 1-4.

Date/Time	Location	Event
1st/302pm	Capulin	Hail: 0.88 inch
1st/435pm	5N Gladstone	Hail: 1.00 inch
1st/450pm	8NW Saint Vrain	Hail: 0.88 inch
1st/628pm	1S Portales	Wind: estimated 65mph wind gust in thunderstorm
1st/630pm	Portales	Hail: 1.75 inches
2nd/708pm	8E Tucumcari	Wind: 60mph wind gust in thunderstorm
3rd/1238-1253pm	Ruidoso	Hail: 0.75 - 1.00 inch
3rd/207pm	2S Ocate	Hail: 0.75 inch
3rd/300pm	8N Watrous	Hail: 1.50 inches
3rd/619pm	7SW Dora	Tornado: 1 minute on ground - no damage
3rd/619pm	10E Milnesand	Hail: 1.00 inch
3rd/625pm	N Forrest	Wind: 60mph gust from thunderstorm
4th/145pm	Espanola	Hail: 0.75 inch
4th/226pm	5SE Espanola	Wind: 60mph non thunderstorm gust
4th/400pm	Vaughn	Hail: 1.50 inch
4th/455pm	13NE Capitan	Tornado: on ground 1-2 minutes; damage
4th/505pm	22WNW Mesa	Hail: 1.00 inch
4th/555pm	3E Hondo	Hail: 0.75 inch
4th/612pm	Quay	Wind: 60mph wind gust from thunderstorm

Rainfall Totals June 1st - 4th
Location	Amount (inches)
Melrose	1.27
Raton	1.15
Capulin	1.03
Clovis	0.81
Tucumcari	0.75
Tatum	0.68
Roy	0.65
Las Vegas	0.65
Portales	0.53