New Mexico flood: Drought, burn scar to exacerbate threat

The northern half and eastern part of New Mexico, including the central mountains will experience an active afternoon with some severe storms that could bring flooding.

An upper low-pressure system, along with a surface trough, is enhancing shower and thunderstorm activity, mainly in the afternoon hours across much of New Mexico. Storms and showers will move from north to south.

Rainfall across some areas could reach up to 3 inches near Ruidoso and up to 1.5 inches just east of Santa Fe. These might not seem like high rainfall totals, but they can certainly cause flooding due to the level of drought experienced in the region and the rain falling over burn scars. Rain just simply does not drain properly over dry or burned terrain.

Time out the showers and storms in our WeatherRadar and plan accordingly. Make sure to stay away from flooded roads and not cross them. Water levels can rise quickly.