Yesterday's monsoon storm caused massive flooding in Gallup. The area hasn't seen such a storm in years.
We got about a half inch of rain in a short period according to a friend with a rain gauge. Luckily, we're on a hill and no flooding occurred.
Here's a couple of videos on yesterday's flood.
From KRQE News:
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| Above, camping next to the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
If one is planning a summer vacation road trip, some states are better than others.
That is the crux of a new article posted by KRQE (originated from KTLA in Los Angeles), an Albuquerque-based station. Minnesota came in first and Utah came in second for best states for road trips.
The article looks at cost as well as other factors the article was being researched.
They begin with:
(KTLA) – Going on a summer road trip is always a “fun” time – but new research suggests that some places may be better than others when it comes to packing up the car and hitting the road.
WalletHub, a personal finance company, recently released its 2026 Best and Worst States for Summer Road Trips report, which compared costs (including gas, car repairs, average hotel costs and others), safety and activity options to determine its ranking.
And what did those findings reveal? You may want to target the lakes and not the oceans.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, snow on the mesas across from Jamestown, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
People in New Mexico are bracing for the incoming winter storm.
The possibility of having high amounts of snowfall isn't upsetting to many people as drought conditions have rendered this winter drier than usual. Yes, we can use the moisture!
KRQE reported:
A significant winter storm is still forecast to move into New Mexico starting Friday, bringing widespread snowfall. The heaviest snow will be Saturday as bitterly cold air moves into the state.
Another relatively quiet day of weather across New Mexico Wednesday. Temperatures were slightly cooler in northeast New Mexico this afternoon behind a weak cold front this morning. The rest of the state sat a couple degrees warmer. Clouds are increasing across New Mexico tonight. Despite the clouds, it will again be warmer across the state with a westerly, down sloping breeze.
A winter storm will start moving into New Mexico Friday morning. Light snow will develop Friday morning across northern and eastern New Mexico, mainly above 6,000′. Rain will move into western, central and southern parts of the state. A strong cold front with arctic air behind it is what will be producing the snow in eastern New Mexico and bringing much colder air. Unfortunately, this could lead to accumulating ice on roadways from Tucumcari down to Hobbs Friday night. Meanwhile, snow will continue in northern New Mexico and rain showers across the rest of the state.
Precipitation will increase across the state Saturday as colder air will move in through the day. This will cause snow levels to lower through the day as well. By noon on Saturday, the heaviest of the snow will start to develop in northern and eastern New Mexico as snow levels drop down to as low as 6,000′ and as far south as Roswell, while the rest of the state will continue to see rain. The snow level should drop down to below 5,000′ Saturday evening, causing a transition from rain to snow in the Albuquerque Metro and Rio Grande Valley through Saturday night. Snow could fall as far south as the I-10 corridor by Sunday morning. Snow will wrap up across the state from northwest to southeast through Sunday morning. Bitterly cold air will be settling in though, with high temperatures staying below freezing in northern and eastern New Mexico, and wind chills dropping down to near and below 0°.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the indoor beer bar and lobby of Sierra Blanca Brewing. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Believe it or not, New Mexico has wineries. So far, I haven't been to any, but I plan to eventually.
New Mexico also has plenty of beer breweries. A lot of them are craft beers.
Since I discovered Alien Amber Ale at the brewpub at the Albuquerque Sunport, it has been my favorite beer. It is brewed in Moriarty, New Mexico by Sierra Blanca Brewing. I visited the brewery last year while en route to Fort Sumner.
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| Above, yours truly having an Alien Amber Ale last year at Sierra Blanca Brewing. |
According to KRQE, TripAdvisor has a list of the highest-rated breweries in New Mexico. Sierra Blanca Brewing is number 13 on the list.
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| Above, the outdoor beer bar at Sierra Blanca Brewing. Photo by armand Vaquer. |
KRQE begins with:
(STACKER) – Cold beer, anyone? American beer drinkers have their fair share of options no matter where they might live.
Indeed, a market once dominated by a handful of major brands has become far more diverse since the craft beer scene expanded sixfold between 2008 and 2016. Independent production cooled off just a little in 2023 but still accounted for a whopping 23.4 million barrels of beer and craft beer’s overall market share by volume rose to 13.3%, according to the Brewers Association. For context, in 2013, there were 3,108 craft breweries in the U.S.—and as of 2023, there are 9,761, representing a 214% increase in just a decade. Cheers to that!
Why the ongoing obsession? Putting aside the fact that people simply love their brew, beer has emerged as a wildly versatile beverage category. Craft breweries explore beer to its fullest potential and tend to rank highly as a result.
Another thing about beer is that every sip tells a story. It’s first and foremost the journey of the beer’s own production, namely one involving water, malted grains, botanical hops, and yeast. However, it’s also a chronicling of the area in which the beer was produced since every state has its own respective history, climate, geography, and resources. Then there’s the tale of the people who produced it, turning their love of carbonated alcohol into a passion project and hiring all kinds of local talent.
Combine America’s love of beer with endless flavor possibilities, and you arrive at a sensational pastime and a thriving national industry. With nearly 10,000 craft breweries bubbling up across the nation, each one offers its own unique qualities, some complete with guided tours and tasting rooms (and maybe some hearty gastropub fare).
Many of the nation’s highest-rated breweries are so small and independent that the only way to sample their suds is to visit them in person, while others distribute their products around the country—or even across the globe.
To find some top spots near you, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated breweries in New Mexico using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a business with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of June 6, 2024.
To see the list of highest-rated New Mexico breweries, go here.
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| Above, following a 2018 storm. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Our next chance for snow (or even rain) comes this week starting tomorrow.
But the next major storm may hit our region (Gallup/Jamestown) on Thursday.
According to KRQE:
Our next winter storm system will begin moving into western New Mexico late Thursday and bring widespread chances for mostly valley rain and mountain snow through Saturday morning. Travel impacts outside of the mountains look to stay minor for now, but that could change with the timing of the storm. Another 6″+ of snow may be possible in the northern mountains with locally higher amounts. There will also be a good chance for rain in the Albuquerque Metro Friday.
I hope it does. We sure do need it.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, enjoying a brew on Friday. |
This pattern is happening this weekend as a spring storm is moving into the state. I was sprinkling outside what I woke up this morning.
According to KRQE:
Friday afternoon was one of the warmest days so far this year across New Mexico. High temperatures almost hit 70° in Albuquerque with the upper 70s and low 80s in southern New Mexico. Changes are on the way starting Saturday with an increase in cloud cover all across New Mexico. South and southwesterly winds will also pick up across the state. Temperatures will still be warm though despite the cloud cover.
An early spring storm system will move into New Mexico on Sunday. A strong cold front will sweep across the state from west to east Sunday morning. Rain and mountain snow will develop along and behind this cold front, but could skip out on the Rio Grande Valley Sunday morning. Scattered rain and snow showers will continue through the day Sunday with cooler temperatures. The biggest impacts from the snow will be above 8,000′ in the northern mountains. High winds develop Sunday afternoon with potentially damaging wind gusts across southern and eastern New Mexico where 60 to 70 mph wind gusts will be possible. ‘ High winds develop Sunday afternoon with potentially damaging wind gusts across southern and eastern New Mexico where 60 to 70 mph wind gusts will be possible.
To read more, go here.
Embracing the city's notorious history of nearly 80 years ago, the Roswell, New Mexico Police Department has unveiled their new uniform patch design.
This isn't the first time the city has incorporated the "Roswell Incident" in their city services. Their garbage trucks have flying saucer and alien imagery as shown below.
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| Above, a Roswell trash truck. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
WHEC reported:
Famous for being the spot where a spacecraft purportedly crashed in 1947, Roswell, New Mexico, has become a mecca for people fascinated by extraterrestrial phenomenon. So it’s only fitting that the city’s police force has uniform patches that are out of this world.
Unveiled on Friday, the new patches feature the official city logo of a flying saucer with a classic beam radiating downward to form the letter “R.” The words “Protect and Serve Those That Land Here” form a circle and are separated by two tiny alien faces with large eyes.
Police Chief Lance Bateman said the department recently ordered an initial batch of 500, with the first ones being handed out just this week. The transition to the new patch is expected to be complete later this year.
To read more, go here.
The predicted snowfall today and tomorrow doesn't seem like it will be as much as we recently received. But since I am at 7,000 feet, we might get more than Gallup.
Right now, it is just windy.
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| Above, the snow of January 4. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Another winter storm is going to move into New Mexico early Thursday morning. From what I have been reading, this storm will be a big one. "Arctic plunge" has been mentioned.
According to KRQE:
The cold air is sticking around for much of New Mexico. Even colder air arrives with another winter storm on Thursday that will bring more widespread snowfall.
Bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills moved in behind Monday’s storm system. Skies were sunny Tuesday, but it was very cold if you stepped outside. Most of the northern half of New Mexico didn’t even make it above freezing this afternoon. Another cold night is on the way. Winds will pick up Wednesday afternoon. The westerly wind will help to bring in slightly warmer temperatures, especially for southeast New Mexico. Snow will start to move into southern Colorado by Wednesday evening as our next winter storm moves towards New Mexico.
Snow will start moving into northwest New Mexico early Thursday morning. This snow will spread into northern, central and western New Mexico through the rest of Thursday morning. Moderate to heavy snow will fall in the northern mountains and southern Colorado.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, snow-covered mesas three years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
According to KRQE:
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Wednesday will be a quiet day across New Mexico. Skies will be mostly to partly sunny, and temperatures will climb into the 40s and 50s. A winter storm will move into the state Thursday. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories will be in effect for the high terrain and all of northern New Mexico tonight through Friday morning.
Snow will begin in western New Mexico late Wednesday night, through Thursday morning.
I will be in Gallup later today and back home before the storm hits tonight.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the mesas covered in snow. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It looks like much of New Mexico will have a white Christmas.
It rained here this afternoon, but that will be tapering off overnight. However, a stronger storm will moving Friday and over the weekend.
According to KRQE:
Rain showers continue to move across New Mexico through Wednesday evening, but will wrap up overnight. A larger storm will bring more widespread rain and snow heading into the weekend.
A broad area of rain is moving across New Mexico Wednesday. The clouds are keeping temperatures a few degrees cooler today too. Snow levels are sitting high though, around 9,500′ today. The rain and mountain snow will continue to push north and east this evening, eventually moving out of the state by early Thursday morning. A quick ridge of high pressure will bring sunnier and drier weather on Thursday, along with warmer temperatures.
Friday morning will be quiet across New Mexico, but our next storm system starts moving in by the afternoon. Rain and mountain snow will begin pushing into western parts of the state Friday afternoon and continue to move eastward into Friday evening. Rain and mountain snow will become more widespread Friday night through Saturday morning, with snow levels dropping across western and northern parts of the state.
To read more, go here.
It looks like Black Friday may become White Friday in New Mexico.
A storm system is coming into New Mexico Friday that may produce rain and snow.
According KRQE:
Changes begin Friday when high elevation snow starts moving into northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. By Friday afternoon, mountain snow and valley rain will move farther into the state, down to the I-40 corridor by the later afternoon/early evening. At the same time, a backdoor cold front will move into eastern New Mexico, bringing colder air behind it.
Snow and rain picks up Friday night through Saturday morning. As colder air moves into the state, snow levels will fall to valley floors by Saturday morning. This will bring a chance for light snowfall accumulations to the lower elevations of areas along and north of I-40, including the Albuquerque Metro. Isolated showers will be possible for lower elevations south of I-40 through Saturday morning. There may be slushy, wet and icy roads for parts of northern New Mexico by Saturday morning. 4″ to 12″ of snow will be possible for areas above 7,500′ in northern New Mexico!
To read the full article, go here.
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| Above, Barking Spider Road in early November 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Oh-oh! It looks like it is possible that Continental Divide may get a "wintry mix" Monday morning. Continental Divide is roughly eight miles east of Jamestown.
Well, that's what KRQE is reporting.
They posted:
A significant change in our weather begin Saturday evening as a strong backdoor cold front enters northeastern New Mexico. This cold front will bring a sharp drop in temperatures across eastern New Mexico by Sunday morning. The cold front will continue to move west and south through Sunday afternoon. High temperatures will be as much as 40° cooler in eastern New Mexico Sunday, with cooler temperatures statewide. Snow will also develop across the northern mountains Sunday, with a few inches of snow possible. There is a lot of uncertainty for precipitation chances in the lower elevations, but some forecast models predict that a very light wintry mix will be possible from the Continental Divide to the Albuquerque Metro, the upper Rio Grande Valley and northeast New Mexico through Monday morning. No major travel problems are expected though the warm ground temperatures we still have.
Many areas of the state will see their first freeze of the season Monday morning, including the Albuquerque Metro. High temperatures on Monday will be as much as 15° to 20° colder than average. Colder and more freezing temperatures will move in Tuesday morning. A slow warming trend will begin Tuesday afternoon, but temperatures will stay cooler than average for the rest of next week.
It won't be long (perhaps) when we need to get our snow shovels out of our garages.
To read more, go here.
Lawsuits against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham are piling up.
At present, there are four of them.
According to KRQE:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is now facing four different lawsuits as gun rights advocates look to challenge the constitutionality of her new order.
All of the lawsuits are similar, arguing that the Public Health Order (PHO) goes against the United States Constitution.
“We are making sure that this never happens again,” said Luis Valdes, a spokesperson for Gun Owners of America (GOA). “We want to make sure that the right to keep and bear arms is fully protected and that there’s no further infringement upon it like what we’re seeing in New Mexico at the moment.”
GOA lawsuit suggests the Governor’s PHO violates the Second Amendment. Other lawsuits have also been filed by a former law enforcement officer and three other gun rights advocacy groups.
They all claimed the governor does not have the power to strip the right to bear arms from New Mexico residents. Further, the lawsuit argues that abiding citizens will pay the price for the health order, while criminals will continue to carry firearms.
“You have law enforcement officers who are going to follow this unconstitutional law, order, and they are then going to think anyone on the streets exercising their god-given right is a criminal,” Valdes explained.
The Bernalillo County sheriff said his department will not enforce the order. The only police agency under Grisham's control is the State Police and they haven't said anything (or maybe I missed it) yet.
To read more, go here.
A killer of an eleven-year-old child is still on the loose and what does the governor of New Mexico do about it? She, by "executive order", is violating the constitutional rights of the people of Bernalillo County.
Again, Gov. "Malevolent" Michelle Lujan Grisham is acting like a Nazi dictator.
KRQE reported:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said she will enact a temporary ban on carrying firearms in any public space across Bernalillo County. The governor made the announcement during a news conference Friday.
Sitting alongside the Albuquerque Police Chief and Bernalillo County Sheriff. The governor says part of this new order is a 30-day suspension on open and concealed carry on public property for anyone other than law enforcement or licensed security. “I’ve warned everyone that we expect a direct challenge, probably as you’re writing this we’re getting a challenge, and that’s the way it should work. But I have to take a tough direct stand, or basically I’m just ignoring the fact that we lost an 11-year-old, another child,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham.
The order is effective as of Friday, September 8, 2023, and only applies to Bernalillo County. The governor is basing the order on the county averaging more than 1,000 violent crimes per 100,000 people, and a lot of emergency room visits for gun injuries.
As for enforcement, she admits it will be “complicated” but they’re working with New Mexico State Police and district attorneys on how it will work. The governor says anyone caught breaking the order will fall under a “civil violation” connected to her public health order.
In response:
“A child is murdered, the perpetrator is still on the loose, and what does the governor do? She throws the mayor of Albuquerque under the bus and then targets law-abiding citizens with an unconstitutional gun order. Tragically, this is what we have come to expect from an administration that refuses to take responsibility for the crime epidemic gripping our state. It is time for the governor to stop pointing fingers and admit that her soft-on-crime approach has failed and put the safety of all New Mexicans in great jeopardy.”
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER SEN. GREG BACA (R-BELEN)
As far as her unconstitutional executive order goes, the people of New Mexico should tell Gov. "Malevolent" Michelle Lujan to, "take your executive order and stick up your old gazoo, Michelle!"
She has no authority to suspend the constitutional rights of anyone, not even for a day. None.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, storm clouds over the mesas. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Yesterday afternoon and evening brought rain to the Jamestown, New Mexico area. This saved me some money on my water bill so I don't have to water the trees. We got a big downpour at one point yesterday.
It looks like the monsoon weather pattern has finally arrived.
According to KRQE:
The best surge of monsoon moisture so far this year arrives Tuesday. This will bring scattered to widespread showers and storms across much of New Mexico Tuesday afternoon. These storms will be capable of heavy rainfall and could bring burn scar flash flooding, especially over burn scars in southern New Mexico. Again, high temperatures will be a degree or two cooler than Monday.
Scattered afternoon storms will return again Wednesday afternoon, but there will be less coverage than on Tuesday. High pressure will begin to build to our southwest, eventually cutting off the monsoon moisture by Friday as rain chances mainly stay across the southern mountains by Friday afternoon.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, the bad weather started in Wells, Nevada that led to flight cancellations in 2021. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Many flights were cancelled due to thunderstorm activity last weekend. This happened to me in 2021 when trying to return home from Wells, Nevada. During that trip, thunderstorms were practically everywhere along my flight route (Twin Falls to Salt Lake City to Albuquerque).
This resulted in my flight being cancelled. I had to stay overnight in a hotel in Salt Lake City. I rebooked a flight for the next day. Thank goodness I was able to do my rebooking with my cell phone with Internet access. Unfortunately, the hotel room cost came out of my pocket.
KRQE has posted an article on what to do and what one's rights are if their flight(s) is cancelled.
They begin it with:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid peak summer travel, thousands of air travelers faced flight cancellations and delays this weekend and Monday as thunderstorms rolled in across the U.S. East Coast and Midwest.
In addition to bad weather, a technology failing also contributed to to airline disruptions. The Federal Aviation Administration briefly paused operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports Sunday evening due to a problem with the communications system at a major air traffic control facility. Departures resumed after repairs were completed.
Beyond D.C., a chain of flights were also delayed or halted at other major travel hubs — including New York, Chicago and Atlanta — as thunderstorms moved across the country.
Nearly 2,000 U.S. flights were canceled on Saturday and Sunday combined, according to flight tracking service FlightAware, and more than 1,400 U.S. flights had been canceled as of 2:45 p.m. ET Monday. Thousands of additional travelers experienced delays.
Staying calm — and knowing your rights — can go a long way if your flight is canceled, experts say.
To read more, go here.
This sounds like fun!
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| Above, Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
What would a meteorite impact look like in New Mexico? Well, one can easily find out with a new simulator.
KRQE reported:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Have you ever wondered what would happen if a hurling chunk of space rock smashed into Albuquerque? Now you can find out thanks to a new simulator website.
“It’s a scientifically solid simulation,” said Geoff Skelton, a planetarium technician at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. “Most of the information is pretty ballpark of what you’d expect to actually happen.”
The simulator (linked here) lets you pick the parameters of an asteroid and drop it anywhere in the U.S. Then, it will tell you the potential damages. It was built by coder Neal Agarwal based on research by Gareth Collins and Clemens Rumpf.
“You can drop one on your ex’s house,” Skelton from the history museum said. Or, if you want to be nice, you can drop one outside city limits and see a lower death count.
To read more, go here.
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| USGS map. |
Grants, New Mexico is about 35 miles east of Jamestown. It sustained an earthquake last evening.
From KRQE:
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – An earthquake was reported in New Mexico around 7 p.m. It was recorded as a 3.8 magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey, an earthquake took place near Mount Taylor. A map coordinator showed the location is just over 20 miles northeast of Grants.
I had just gotten home about 45 minutes earlier, but I felt no shaking.
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| Above, lava (right) as seen near Grants off Interstate 40. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The Grants area has a history of volcanic activity with lava fields to east and south of town (from what I could see from Interstate 40). I guess this means that the faults are still active.
To read more, go here.
A shooting in New Mexico yesterday made national news.
It took place in the city of Farmington, New Mexico. It is a few miles from the Colorado border and I have driven through it several times while en route to Durango and Ouray, Colorado. It is about 123 miles north of Jamestown.
Reports stated that the shooter, killed by police, was 18 years old.
According to KRQE:
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – At least four people are dead, including the suspect, and several others are injured following a shooting in Farmington Monday morning. Police said the suspect was shot and killed by officers on the scene.
The shooting unfolded around 10:57 a.m. along N. Dustin near Ute Street. Farmington Police claimed an 18-year-old man was “actively firing” on people in the neighborhood. The suspect has yet to be identified but is thought to be the only suspect involved.
Police say at least three people were killed by the suspect before officers killed him. An officer from Farmington Police and another from State Police were among six wounded in the shooting, according to the department. Police have yet to identify any of the victims or their ages.
Of course, the Democrats will waste no time to politicize the shooting.
To read more, go here.
