Thunderstorm Wind in Bernalillo County, New Mexico

A Wunderground station near Petroglyph National Monument in western Albuquerque measured a 66 mph wind gust caused by a virga induced microburst.

Mid level moisture pulled up ahead of an upper level disturbance over the western U.S. combined with intense daytime heating resulted in the development of high based showers and thunderstorms across west central New Mexico midday June 8th moving northeast across central New Mexico during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Little to no rainfall from these high based showers and thunderstorms reached the ground and instead resulted in erratic wind gusts and areas of blowing dust. Some of these virga showers and dry thunderstorms resulted in severe wind gusts at a personal weather station in western Albuquerque and at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport. The disturbance moved across the state on June 9th resulting in high based showers and storms across central New Mexico and wetter strong to severe storms across eastern New Mexico due to higher low level moisture across this part of the state. Severe wind gusts were observed at the Wild Rivers RAWS near Questa and at Conchas Lake State Park. Finally, very dry and gusty winds were observed across far western New Mexico with a brief high wind gust at Gallup Municipal Airport during the afternoon hours June 9th.