Video of the tornados

Another view of the Tornado

Here is another view of the tornado kicking up dust in the desert.

Second Tornado Forming

A second tornado across the street that never really took shape.

Tornados in Southern New Mexico

A tornado several miles from my place of work

As I was driving to work from class yesterday afternoon during a bit of a thunderstorm, I saw something a bit odd. I noticed a bit of a cone shape protruding from a large swirling grey cloud just ahead. I have often seen odd cloud formations, but the definate shape to this one had an ominous feel. As I pulled into the parking lot, it became quite obvious by the dust kicking up from the ground below what I was observing: a tornado. The tornado lasted about a half hour or so and came within two miles of where I work.

To make things more ominous, just across the street some dust began to swirl, much like a dust devil. The only difference being the long thin white funnel decending from the clouds. Thankfully, that formation really never took shape.

Apparently New Mexico averages about nine tornados per year, though most of them in the Eastern part of the state.