Severe thunderstorms bring 70 mph winds, dust to Rio Rancho area

Severe thunderstorms swept across the Rio Rancho area on June 25 with wind gusts forecast as high as 70 mph, and dust reduced visibility in northern Rio Rancho as the line of storms pushed northeast toward Bernalillo and Corrales. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque forecast considerable tree damage, with mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings likely to be damaged.

The first warning, issued at 4:24 p.m. MDT, placed the storms along a line from 9 miles south of Torreon to over North Valley and had them moving northeast at 35 mph. It named Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Corrales, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, Paradise Hills, Cabezon, Northern Meadows, the Rio Rancho Intel Area and Rio Rancho City Center. Interstate 40 between mile markers 133 and 169 and Highway 550 between mile markers 1 and 13 were also inside the warning area.

A second warning at 4:50 p.m. MDT expanded the threat into southeastern Sandoval County and west central Santa Fe County. The alert put storms near Mariposa and north of Golden moving northeast at 40 mph with 60 mph wind gusts, and it warned of damage to roofs, siding and trees. Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Corrales were again included among the locations in the path of the storm line.

Two days earlier, on June 22, the National Weather Service forecast some storms could turn severe that afternoon and evening as monsoon moisture increased across western and central New Mexico. Its Albuquerque hazards page remains active with current hazard and severe-weather information as the monsoon pattern strengthens.

Interactive Hail Maps shows the Rio Rancho area has been under severe weather warnings 11 times in the past 12 months.