This day started out active with severe thunderstorms erupting over and east of the south central mountains during the early morning hours on the nose of a weak mid level jet. Precipitation began to form in Arizona ahead of an upper level cut off low coming in off the coast of California. Activity expanded over portions of western and central New Mexico throughout the day as the low shifted east. In addition to the upper level system, a back door cold front had also moved into northeastern New Mexico.  Strong to severe thunderstorms developed over the area in this pattern with numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds over northern New Mexico and the eastern plains. A tornado even touched down in the Pecos Wilderness to the north of Pecos.

Thunderstorm Wind in QUAY, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 22:07:00 to 12-OCT-12 22:15:00 (MST-7)
Location: PORTER
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy rain along with quarter sized hail accompanied this storm with an estimated wind gust to 60mph.

Thunderstorm Wind in QUAY, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 22:27:00 to 12-OCT-12 22:40:00 (MST-7)
Location: FORREST
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Hail and heavy rain also accompanied this storm with an estimated wind gust up to 60 mph.

Hail in LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 13:40:00 to 12-OCT-12 13:45:00 (MST-7)
Location: LOS ALAMOS
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Newspaper report with images of significant hail damage to a mobile home in Los Alamos. Home owners reported hail was ping pong ball sized. Location is estimated from article giving home address. Time is estimated, based on radar imagery and other hail reports in the area. All images attached to this event are courtesy of the Los Alamos Daily Post newspaper.

Hail in LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 14:00:00 to 12-OCT-12 14:05:00 (MST-7)
Location: (LAM)LOS ALAMOS AIRPORT
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

KOB-TV reported from the Los Alamos Monitor Newspaper that multiple aircraft at the Los Alamos Airport were damaged.  A thin metal surface on numerous planes was dinged and dented due to large hail. The Airport Manager was reported as saying up to 18 planes were damaged.

Tornado in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 16:08:00 to 12-OCT-12 16:25:00 (MST-7)
Location: GLORIETA
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Numerous large ponderosa pine trees snapped in half.  Log cabin under construction received considerable damage with debris lofted into nearby trees.

Hail in SAN JUAN, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 10:45:00 to 12-OCT-12 10:45:00 (MST-7)
Location: BLANCO
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The Chief of Police in Bloomfield stated he had golf ball size hail at his home SE of Bloomfield in the late morning. Via email correspondence.

Hail in LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 13:40:00 to 12-OCT-12 13:45:00 (MST-7)
Location: LOS ALAMOS
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Quarter size hail reported at the Los Alamos airport.

Hail in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 15:45:00 to 12-OCT-12 15:50:00 (MST-7)
Location: LAMY
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Nickel hail 4.2 miles west northwest of Lamy.

Hail in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 15:45:00 to 12-OCT-12 15:50:00 (MST-7)
Location: LAMY
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Nickel hail 4.3 miles north northwest of Lamy.

Hail in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 16:04:00 to 12-OCT-12 16:10:00 (MST-7)
Location: GLORIETA
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Nickel hail 5 miles north northeast of Glorieta accompanied by very heavy rain and lightning.

Hail in CHAVES, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 18:00:00 to 12-OCT-12 18:02:00 (MST-7)
Location: BOAZ
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Quarter sized hail 2.4 miles east southeast of Boaz lasted for about 2 minutes.

Hail in QUAY, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 22:07:00 to 12-OCT-12 22:15:00 (MST-7)
Location: PORTER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Spotter reported heavy rain with near an inch and a half of precipitation measured as well as hail up to quarter size 3.5 miles north of Porter.

Hail in QUAY, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 22:27:00 to 12-OCT-12 22:37:00 (MST-7)
Location: FORREST
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Spotter reported hail size based on the fact that it knocked off side view mirror of his vehicle 0.7 miles south of Forrest.

Hail in LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 13:45:00 to 12-OCT-12 13:50:00 (MST-7)
Location: LOS ALAMOS
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail piled up to a depth of four inches. County officials had to utilize snow plows to clear hail piles from roadways.

Hail in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 15:45:00 to 12-OCT-12 15:57:00 (MST-7)
Location: CANADA DE LOS ALAMOS
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Large hail reported at Rancheros Campground. Hail lasted for 12 minutes.

Hail in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 15:25:00 to 12-OCT-12 15:40:00 (MST-7)
Location: AGUA FRIA
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Hail up to four inches deep was piled up for an unusually long time. The ground was completely covered, and eyewitnesses reported that it looked as thought it had snowed.

Thunderstorm Wind in UNION, NEW MEXICO
From 12-OCT-12 20:50:00 to 12-OCT-12 21:00:00 (MST-7)
Location: (CAO)CLAYTON ARPT
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Clayton ASOS KCAO recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 62mph.