Weather roundup: Rain, tornadoes and when will ABQ hit 90 this year?
May 13—Over the weekend, some parts of Albuquerque received more than half an inch of rain while others reported only trace amounts, said Troy Marshall, a meteorologist technician with the National Weather Service, Albuquerque.
Other parts of the state received as much as an inch of rain over the weekend. The weather service reported golf ball-sized hail south of Roswell, and flash flooding along State Highway 13 near Hagerman.
Not only was there hail and flooding, but here was a tornado in the Valles Caldera National Preserve near Battleship Rock. Meteorologist Michael Anand said the weather service was still investigating the extent of the damage on Monday.
"We're not sure of a rating at this point," said Anand, adding that one of the NWS warning coordination meteorologists, Scott Overpeck, went to survey damage in the area.
"We don't normally see tornadoes at 11,000 feet above sea level," Anand said. "But it's a good reminder that tornadoes can happen anywhere."
Anand added severe storms are common in eastern New Mexico this time of year as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico moves into the area.
Marshall said the rain has a chance of returning to the metro area Wednesday and Thursday. "They've got more moisture arriving Wednesday night, so widespread coverage of showers and thunderstorms (is) possible on Thursday."
The rain comes with weather that is cooler than average for this time of year. "Temperatures on Thursday will be up to 10 degrees below normal for eastern parts of New Mexico," Marshall said.
Marshall added after Thursday, a drying trend is in store, and by Sunday we could see a high of 90 for the first time in Albuquerque in 2024. He said Roswell could see a high as hot as 100 degrees on Sunday.
