MOISTURE FROM MEXICO MEANS RAIN FOR CITY
Some areas receive more than an inch during storm
Tropical disturbance brings rain and wind to metro Albuquerque, with some areas in the eastern part of the city getting over an inch.
A plume of subtropical moisture from Mexico brought heavy rain and some wind to metro Albuquerque Wednesday night, causing damage to trees and a power line in a localized area of the city.
About 0.18 inch of precipitation fell at the Albuquerque International Sunport in a 27-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Thursday, but other areas, especially Northeast Albuquerque, received significant rainfall.
Areas receiving more than an inch of rainfall in the 27-hour period included Lomas and Turner NE, Comanche and Tramway NE, Montgomery and Sunset Canyon NE and Tramway and Montgomery NE.
A Journal photographer observed damage to a tree near Los Altos Park and a downed tree hanging on a power line along Lomas and Tomisita NE after a wind gust hit the area.
“We had a weak tropical disturbance that moved over northwestern Old Mexico,” said Todd Shoemake, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. “Some pretty deep moisture eventually drew its way north (Wednesday) and overnight. It’s currently shifted over toward the eastern part of New Mexico and on its way to Texas.”
The National Weather Service received no other reports of damage from the storm.
Once the plume of moisture exits the state, forecasters expect substantially drier air to spread into northwestern and west-central New Mexico.
High temperatures in metro Albuquerque are expected to rise to around 80 degrees today and Saturday under mostly sunny skies. Expect low temperatures in the upper 50s tonight through Sunday night.
“Saturday and Sunday, it’s kind of a slow warming trend, but by Sunday we’ll be back up to average — around 82 for a high,” Shoemake said.
Forecasters expect a cold front to surge through the eastern plains and into the Rio Grande Valley today. A brief period of northerly wind gusts to around 45 mph is possible along the frontal boundary in the plains.