Synoptic Setup/Pre-Chase Events
On 27 May 2008, a cold front had dropped southward through New Mexico and stalled over the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. An area of low pressure developed along the front over southwestern New Mexico, supported by strong upper-level westerly winds at 300 mb, and a shortwave trough at 500mb. With east-southeasterly winds in the low-levels providing both abundant moisture and low-level directional shear, conditions became favorable for scattered severe thunderstorms with isolated supercells capable of producing tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma placed New Mexico in a Slight risk for severe thunderstorms in its Convective Outlook for 28 May 2008.
As the atmosphere destabilized with daytime surface heating, enhanced by easterly upslope flow against the Sandia-Manzano Mountains, the Storm Prediction Center issued Tornado Watch Box #383 at 1430 MDT (2030Z), which encompassed the eastern half of New Mexico, including Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces.
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Chase Events
All times are in local time, unless otherwise noted.
1630 - Departed Albuquerque; headed east on Interstate 40. Supercell thunderstorm developed along the east side of the Sandia Mountains north of Moriarty, and moved east paralleling I-40 to the north.
1710 - Stopped and photographed supercell along I-40, east of Clines Corners. A second cell was forming south of I-40 and moving northeast toward Santa Rosa.
1730 - Reached U.S. Highway 84 west of Santa Rosa. Turned north on Highway 84.
1735 - Heading north on Highway 84, started moving under the rain-free portion of the storm. Noticed strong vertical motions and some rotation of scud clouds to the northnorthwest. Lowering of the rain-free base into a wall cloud was also observed.
1740 - Funnel cloud appears from base of wall cloud as rotation of surrounding sucd clouds increased.
1742 - Tornado observed as condensation funnel touches down about 8 km (5 miles) north of Anton Chico. Photographed using Canon 70-200 mm telephoto lens.
1744 - Tornado dissipates; condensation funnel lifts back off ground.
1748 - Wall cloud crosses over Highway 84 north of Anton Chico.
1815 - Reached Interstate 25 near Las Vegas. Stopped to refuel.
1825 - Observed 15 cm (6-inches) hail accumulation on I-25 east of Santa Fe. New Mexico Department of Transportation snowplows clearing hail from the roadway.
1920 - Reached Santa Fe; minor hail accumulation observed.
2015 - Returned to Albuquerque.
Post-Storm Analysis
While Albuquerque and some areas just to the west were under the tornado watch box, all of the severe thunderstorm activity occurred to the east of the Sandia-Manzano Mountains and further north over and east of the Jemez Mountains toward Los Alamos, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. These areas were favored for severe thunderstorm formation due to upslope enhancement from low-level easterly winds being forced up the mountains. The resulting subsidence on the west side of these mountain ranges resulted in mostly clear skies and dry conditions for locations on the leeward side of the mountains (Albuquerque and points west).
Photos and Imagery
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| View of the supercell structure from Interstate 40 east of Clines Corners, NM (28 May 2008) | Tornado briefly touches down north of Anton Chico, NM; photo taken on U.S. Highway 84 near Anton Chico. (28 May 2008) |
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| Radial velocity image from Cannon AFB radar showing TVS near Anton Chico at the time when the tornado in previous photo was taken. | Hail accummulation on Interstate 25 between Las Vegas and Santa Fe. |