Hail and Damaging Winds in New Mexico, July 3, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in New Mexico, July 3, 1997
Start: 1997-07-03T17:18
End: 1997-07-03T18:30
Location: New Mexico

July 3, 1997 · NWS MAF · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Storms developed in the mountains of central and south-central New Mexico. As the storms moved off the mountains a continuous line developed that extended N-S through Eddy County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $13,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.

Storms developed in the mountains of central and south-central New Mexico. As the storms moved off the mountains a continuous line developed that extended N-S through Eddy County. Good southeast inflow kept the storms going through evening. Damaging outflow winds occurred in the southern half of the county. The maximum temperature at the Carlsbad Airport was 104 degrees with dew points near 50 degrees. During the evening dew points rose into the middle and upper 50s in the region, but was still conducive to downbursting storms.

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 195 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Eddy

When: July 3, 5:18 PM MST
Where: Eddy County, 3 mi E of Carlsbad
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 32.420, -104.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Eddy

When: July 3, 6:20 PM MST
Where: Eddy County, Black River
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.200, -104.250

A downburst knocked down 4 utility poles in Black River Village. The poles were left lying to the SSE. A person with a hand-held anemometer measured a peak gust of 71 mph near the location of the poles.

Thunderstorm Wind, Eddy

When: July 3, 6:30 PM MST
Where: Eddy County, Loving
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 32.280, -104.100

An open-ended 30x40 foot barn made of poles and corrugated metal was destroyed by microburst winds. The owner of the barn said that the roof was first lifted and then the walls collapsed. The east side of the barn had no wall and with the winds coming in from the east, the air was caught and began the lifting process. A survey of the site found a strongly divergent pattern to damage in the local area.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Mexico in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, July 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5610999, 5611000, 5611001.