First Week Of The Meteorological Summer - Cooler & Wetter.

Double Rainbow Southeast Of Carlsbad, NM 5-22-2017.

NWS NDFD Forecast High Temperatures.

Today.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

GFS Total Rainfall Forecast.

Valid At 6 PM MDT Friday.

Courtesy Of The Albuquerque NWS Office.

A southward moving cold front has pushed south of the state this afternoon with temperatures locally in the upper 70's to the lower 80's at the lower elevations , and the 60's in the mountains. This upcoming first week of the meteorological summer (which begins Thursday, June 1st) will be cooler than normal especially Wednesday and Thursday. Average daily afternoon high temperatures are near 90ºF and we will see our afternoon highs on Wednesday and Thursday in the 70's. 

Low level southeasterly upslope flow from the Gulf of Mexico will increase behind the cold front tonight into this week. At the same time an upper level trough of low pressure will dig southward along the West Coast tomorrow into the first of the week. Upper level disturbances will rotate northeastward over the area out of this trough providing lift and instability for the development of showers and thunderstorms this week. This activity will be on the increase Wednesday and Thursday as the trough approaches from the west. 

A few severe thunderstorms may form Memorial Day evening as they move off of the mountains and out onto the southeastern plains and across West Texas. Locally heavy rainfall will be a possibility with any thunderstorm this week especially Tuesday into Thursday. If the forecast models are correct then by the end of the week most of us will have received some decent rainfall amounts with some storm totals in the 1" to 3" range. Localized flash flooding may become a concern in some areas.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

Carlsbad, New Mexico Hail Storm - Monday, May 22, 2017.

My Photos Of The Storm.

Imagine What These Horses In Happy Valley Were Thinking!

West Lea Street.

Look Closely And You Can See The Ground Fog Forming.

West Lea Street.

West Lea St.

South Carlsbad - National Parks Highway At 7:03 PM. An Hour After The Hail Fell.

South Carlsbad.

Our Front Yard At 7:25 PM . Roughly 11/2 Hours After The Hail Fell.

 Our Backyard At 7:36 PM.

Our Backyard At 7:28 PM.

My Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus Rain Bucket At 7:29 PM. 

Our Backyard At 7:29 PM.

Tornadic Supercell Thunderstorm Northeast Of Roswell At 6:56 PM. Note The Overshooting Top.

FaceBook Photos.

Courtesy Of Chris Neatherlin.
Smedley & Thomason Rd's - Otis In SE Carlsbad.

GRLevel3_2.00 Radar Snapshot Of The Storm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning Is Issued By NWS Midland At 5:25 PM MDT.

GRAnalysist Radar Snapshots Of The Storm.

6:05 PM MDT.

At 6:05 PM MDT this core of the severe thunderstorm was located just west of Happy Valley and moving to the southeast. My wife reported nickel size hail at our home in northwest Carlsbad at 6:04 PM MDT. Most of the hail at our home at this time ranged from pea to penny size. I was on Jones St. in Happy Valley and encountering hail that ranged from pea size up to quarter size (1.0" in dia) at 6:03 PM MDT.

6:10 PM MDT.

I was at the junction of the truck bypass road (St Hwy 524) and West Lea St. and was getting hit with half dollar size hail (1.25" in dia). At 6:10 pm the radar was showing the severe thunderstorm rolling through Carlsbad with the heaviest part of the storm (purple shades) on top of me on the west side of town.

6:19 PM MDT.

A NWS Skywarn Spotter report from the Carlsbad Caverns National Park indicated that golf ball size hail was falling at 6:20 PM MDT. Park officials reported on Facebook that 65 windows were broken, 4 window screens, 9 vehicle mirrors, and 6 tail lights on vehicles were damaged by the hail. 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center Photos.

Courtesy Of Virginia Jenny Moyers.

Courtesy Of Kelly Graham.

My YouTube Storm Chase Video Of The Storm.

(Dash Cam Video).

NWS Storm Prediction Center Severe Weather Reports. 

Most of the hail that fell in Carlsbad ranged from pea to dime size. The larger stones that I've heard about and reported ranged from nickel to half dollar size. Hail piled up in parts of the city up to one inch deep on the ground in places, and drifted two to four inches deep up against buildings. Hail was still visible on the ground three hours after the storm. Many trees had leaves stripped from them although the amount of leaves stripped appeared to be minimal...at least what I saw. Its reported that farmers in the Otis area southeast of Carlsbad lost their alfalfa and cotton crops due to the hail.

My Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus Home Weather Station Temperature Graph.

The temperature nosed dived from 86ºF at 6:01 PM MDT to 56ºF at 6:18 PM MDT due to the hail and rain. 

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

New Mexico Severe Weather Outbreak Summary #2 - Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

My Chase Photos.

May 8 & 9, 2017.

Just West Of The Eddy/Lea County Line On U.S. Hwy 62/180 Looking East.

Just West Of The Eddy/Lea County Line On U.S. Hwy 62/180 Looking East.

Looking Northwest From Near The McNew Subdivision -

 North Of Carlsbad, New Mexico On May 8, 2017.

As hard as I tried I just could not get on a decent storm this past Monday and Tuesday. Monday's chase had me wandering around west of U.S. Hwy 285 down White Pine and Rock Daisy Roads between Carlsbad and Artesia on Monday. Every time I got positioned my storm either died or took off to the north at forward speeds up to 45 to 50 mph. One storm looked promising as it blew by Artesia to the west but again I was too far east. 

Tuesday's chase was a little better. After wandering north out of Carlsbad up U.S. Hwy 285 to Seven Rivers chasing a few lackluster high based Low Precipitation (LP) wannabe cells that never could get their act together, I backed tracked to the Truck Bypass to U.S. Hwy 62/180 northeast out of Carlsbad to the Eddy/Lea County line. There I encountered two storms that produced pea to dime sized hail. 

My first two photos above is of the second storm as it pulled off to the east of me and then produced a double rainbow in the rain and hail shafts. The sunset photo above is from Monday as the storms died and I headed back home to Carlsbad. 

Monday's chase included sightings of one rattlesnake on Marathon Road, multiple jackrabbits and cottontails, several ground squirrels, multiple cows and calves, one roadrunner, and the peace and serenity of being out chasing upon the Southeastern New Mexico Plains once again. Not all was lost.

Lea County New Mexico.

5-9-2017.

Wall Cloud & Funnel Cloud Forming.

Courtesy Of Storm Chaser Corey Cruce. 

Clovis, New Mexico.

Courtesy Of Anna H. Fernandez.

Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Courtesy Of Sherri Lynn.

Courtesy Of Kristy McGlothlin Allison.

Courtesy Of My Wife - Diane Malone.

Wall Clouds & Funnel Clouds.

Lea County, New Mexico.

Rapid Rotation In The Wall Clouds.

Courtesy Of StormChasingVideo.com.

Lovington, New Mexico.

Rapid Rotation In The Wall Cloud. 

Courtesy Of Cam Hinezy.

7 Tornadoes Touch Down In New Mexico Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

New Mexico Severe Weather Outbreak Summary - Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

New Mexico Tornadoes & Funnel Clouds.
 Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

Clovis.

Courtesy Of Storm Search 7.

Carrizozo.

Courtesy Of EIGliko.

Courtesy Of Shaillin Cieplenski. 

Carrizozo Tornado Video.

Wagon Mound.

Courtesy Of Australian Sky & Weather.

Courtesy Of Tom Stef.

Courtesy of Scott Burlovich.

Moriarty.

Courtesy Of John Hallen. 

Estancia.

Courtesy Of Estelle Carbajal & Jorge Torres.

Mountainair.

Courtesy Of Mark Ronchetti.

Clines Corners.

Courtesy Of John Booth & NWS Albuquerque.

Tatum.

Las Vegas.

Wagon Mound.

Santa Fe.

Southeastern New Mexico Hail.

(Tuesday, May 9, 2017).

Courtesy Of  My Twitter Account.

Courtesy Mary Beth Atwood - Roswell.

NWS Storm Prediction Center Reports.
(Tuesday, May 9, 2017).

NWS Albuquerque Storm Reports.
Reported On Tuesday May 9, 2017.

(Updated 9:43 AM MDT May 10, 2017).

HAIL 

 •  null CANNON AFB - 2.00 in.
 • 2 ESE TUCUMCARI - 2.00 in.
 • 7 W HOUSE - 1.75 in.
 • 1 W ROSWELL - 1.75 in.
 • 10 N CLOVIS - 1.75 in.
 • 6 SSE SAN AUGUSTIN - 1.75 in.
 •  null ROY - 1.75 in.
 • 4 W ROSWELL - 1.75 in.
 • 3 NW ROSWELL - 1.50 in.
 • 4 E FORT SUMNER - 1.50 in.
 • 1 NE ANTON CHICO - 1.50 in.
 • 2 NNW PORTAIR - 1.50 in.
 •  null FORT SUMNER - 1.50 in.
 • 2 N ROSWELL - 1.25 in.
 • 10 NW PLEASANT HILL - 1.25 in.
 • 2 ESE ROY - 1.25 in.
 •  null VAUGHN - 1.25 in.
 •  null ROSWELL - 1.25 in.
 • 7 SSE FORT SUMNER - 1.00 in.
 • 15 ESE PUERTO DE LUNA - 1.00 in.
 • 4 W ROSWELL - 1.00 in.
 • 8 SW TAIBAN - 1.00 in.
 • 7 N NEWKIRK - 1.00 in.
 • 10 ESE MAES - 1.00 in.
 • 7 W FRUITLAND - 1.00 in.
 • 2 NE SAN FELIPE PUEBLO - 1.00 in.
 • 7 NE TAJIQUE - 1.00 in.
 • 6 NW CORONA - 1.00 in.
 •  null MORIARTY - 1.00 in.
 •  null PECOS - 1.00 in.
 • 2 W CLINES CORNERS - 1.00 in.
 •  null TURLEY - 1.00 in.
 • 7 N PINTADA - 1.00 in.
 • 4 SSE CEDARVALE - 1.00 in.
 •  null ROSWELL - 1.00 in.
 • 1 S PEP - 1.00 in.
 • 2 SW PORTALES - 1.00 in.
 • 8 W POJOAQUE - 1.00 in.
 • 3 SW PORTALES - 1.00 in.
 • 6 W FORT SUMNER - 0.88 in.
 • 2 NW ROSWELL - 0.88 in.
 • 5 NW ALBUQUERQUE - 0.88 in.
 • 1 W PORTALES - 0.88 in.
 •  null ROSWELL - 0.88 in.
 • 6 NE TAJIQUE - 0.75 in.
 • 1 ESE RIO RANCHO - 0.75 in.
 • 3 SW SANTA FE - 0.75 in.
 • 7 NNE JEMEZ SPRINGS - 0.75 in.
 • 10 NNW TAIBAN - 0.70 in.
 • 1 NNW SAN JON - 0.70 in.
 • 2 WSW FRUITLAND - 0.70 in.
 • 2 SW ROSWELL - 0.70 in.
 • 2 S ROY - 0.70 in.
 •  null CHAMA - 0.70 in.
 •  null CHAMA - 0.70 in.
 • 7 NW ELIDA - 0.70 in.
 • 1 NE SANDIA PARK - 0.70 in.
 • 1 ENE RIO RANCHO - 0.70 in.
 •  null RIO RANCHO - 0.70 in.
 •  null LOS OJOS - 0.70 in.
 • 3 NNE LA CIENEGA - 0.50 in.
 • 2 SSW MIAMI - 0.50 in.
 •  null MILLS - 0.50 in.
 • 1 SE RIO RANCHO - 0.50 in.
 • 6 NE ALBUQUERQUE - 0.50 in.
 • 3 SSW ENCINO - 0.50 in.
 • 4 NNE ROSWELL - 0.50 in.
 • 1 NNW CLAYTON - 0.50 in.
 • 4 SSE KIRTLAND - 0.50 in.
 • 4 NNE CAUSEY - 0.50 in.
 •  null EDGEWOOD - 0.50 in.
 • 1 WSW PENA BLANCA - 0.50 in.
 •  null ANTON CHICO - 0.50 in.
 • 2 W ANGUS - 0.38 in.
 • 5 N ROSWELL - 0.38 in.
 • 16 SE CORONA - 0.25 in.
 • 5 NE RIO RANCHO - 0.25 in.
 • 5 S ROSWELL - 0.25 in.
 • 15 ESE CORONA - 0.25 in.
 • 3 NE TUCUMCARI - 0.25 in.
 • 1 WNW CLAYTON - 0.25 in.
 •  null VAUGHN - 0.25 in.
 • 9 SW CORONA - 0.25 in.
 •  null LAS VEGAS - 0.25 in.
 •  null SANTA CLARA PUEBLO - 0.25 in.
 •  null CUERVO - 0.25 in.
 •  null FORT SUMNER - 0.25 in.
 • 4 NW CLAYTON - 0.25 in.
 • 2 NE ALTO - 0.25 in.
 • 5 NE RIO RANCHO - 0.25 in.
 • 2 ENE GALLUP - 0.25 in.
 • 7 NNW MILNESAND - 0.25 in.
 • 1 NW CORRALES - 0.25 in.

TORNADO 

 • 6 NNE ROY - miles
 • 2 W CLINES CORNERS - miles
 • 7 NE ANCHO - miles
 • 8 NNE NOGAL - miles
 •  null CLINES CORNERS - miles
 • 11 N CLOVIS - miles

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!