Thunderstorm Wind — Sandoval, New Mexico

2020-07-13 · near Rio Rancho, Sandoval, New Mexico

Event narrative

A severe storm with strong outflow winds uprooted a small tree at a residence near Unser and Northern in Rio Rancho.

Wider weather episode

The high pressure system responsible for several consecutive days of record high temperatures and dry conditions finally began to weaken and shift eastward toward the Texas Panhandle. This allowed mid-level moisture to stream into portions of western and central NM which resulted in scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon and evening hours on July 13, 2020. Storms initially formed over the western and northern high terrain early in the afternoon before moving eastward into valley locations. With drier low-levels, the main hazards with these storms was strong outflow winds. One severe storm in the Albuquerque metro area produced winds near 60 mph which reduced visibility and downed a few trees.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.2800, -106.7000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 893600. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.