High Wind — Albuquerque Metro Area, New Mexico

2019-05-19 · Albuquerque Metro Area, New Mexico

Event narrative

A virga bomb over the Albuquerque Sunport produced a brief high wind gust to 64 mph. Power outages were reported in the nearby residential community of Ridgecrest.

Wider weather episode

A powerful spring storm system that moved slowly east through the southwest United States on May 20-21, 2019 produced a variety of spring weather conditions over northern and central New Mexico. The active weather pattern began on the evening of the 19th when a virga bomb impacted the Albuquerque Sunport with a brief wind gust to 64 mph. Power outages were reported across parts of Nob Hill and Ridgecrest. Low level moisture then surged northwest into eastern New Mexico while a potent jet streak moved in from the southwest. Severe thunderstorms develop over the far eastern plains shortly after midnight. Golf ball size hail, strong winds, and heavy rainfall impacted Quay County. Southwest winds then increased quickly after sunrise on the 20th when widespread wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were reported around south central and eastern New Mexico. The strongest winds impacted Lincoln County where gusts near 60 mph were reported. Meanwhile, several inches of snow fell over northern and western New Mexico through the morning of the 21st, including Farmington, Gallup, and Raton. Strong northwest winds then impacted much of eastern New Mexico on the afternoon of the 21st as the powerful storm system moved into the Great Plains states. Peak wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were common along the Interstate 40 corridor east of Tijeras Canyon. Temperatures ended up 15 to 25 degrees below normal in many areas in the wake of this storm system.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 813755. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.