Tornado in McKinley County, New Mexico

Multiple photos and a video were shared on Twitter/X showing a well defined landspout beneath a strong thunderstorm cell just northwest of Crownpoint, NM. The video clearly shows the landspout north to northeast of the intersection of Navajo Service Route 89 and Navajo Service Route 9. Subsequent photos and radar support the track of the landspout moving east toward NM Highway 371 north of Crownpoint. No damage was reported and is not surprising given the extremely remote location. Location and track are based on the combination of analysis of the photos, video and radar data.

An approaching upper level low over northern AZ and the Four Corners region overrode abundant low level moisture moving northward into eastern NM. Discrete severe storms developed over portions of northeastern NM during the afternoon with a second area of strong to severe storms located close to the center of the upper level low in northwestern NM. Severe wind gusts and small hail was reported from the discrete storm cells across northeastern NM. These storm cells coalesced and migrated southeastward into the east-central plains of Quay, Curry and Roosevelt Counties by the evening where they produced heavy rainfall that resulted in flash Flooding in Clovis, NM. Earlier, strong wind gusts, accumulating small hail and a landspout were reported with the convection over extremely remote areas of northwestern NM. These storm cells eventually progressed into the Rio Grande Valley where severe winds reached the Albuquerque metro.

Key Words: Hail, Thunderstorm Wind Gust, Landspout, Flash Flooding.