Severe thunderstorm warning issued for northern Valencia County

A severe thunderstorm warning covered northern Valencia County until 4 p.m. Thursday, June 25, putting El Cerro Mission inside the warned area as storms raced northeast at 35 mph. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued the alert at 3:34 p.m., and it also covered Bernalillo County and East Central Cibola County.

At 3:34 p.m., the storms were lined up from 12 miles southeast of Mesita to over El Cerro Mission, a specific track that put the north end of Valencia County directly in the path of fast-moving weather. That short window mattered for drivers, outdoor crews and anyone heading home across open stretches of road, where sudden wind and rain can turn a routine trip into a hazardous one in minutes.

The warning later expired after the storm weakened below severe limits, but gusty winds could still continue with the thunderstorm. The National Weather Service’s June outlook for New Mexico said the main threats across western and central parts of the state were large hail and damaging wind gusts, with rainfall amounts mostly ranging from a few hundredths of an inch to 0.25 inch and isolated higher totals above 0.50 inch.

For northern Valencia County, the immediate concern was the kind of fast-changing weather that can hit dispersed communities with little notice. Residents near El Cerro Mission and along nearby travel corridors needed to be ready for brief visibility drops, wind-driven delays and interruptions to outdoor work or evening plans. The storm moved quickly enough that anyone still outside when the warning was active had little time to wait it out.

The alert was a reminder that late-June thunderstorms in central New Mexico can intensify and weaken fast, leaving a narrow but real window for strong wind and hail in communities across the county’s north end.