An active round of severe thunderstorms affected the southeastern New Mexico plains during the late evening hours of the 25th and the very early morning hours of the 26th. Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours along the higher terrain of the New Mexico mountains, and produced large hail up to the size of hen eggs and damaging winds as they propagated southeast.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.
An active round of severe thunderstorms affected the southeastern New Mexico plains during the late evening hours of the 25th and the very early morning hours of the 26th. Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours along the higher terrain of the New Mexico mountains, and produced large hail up to the size of hen eggs and damaging winds as they propagated southeast. In Eddy County, large hail punctured the roof of a Lakewood home and allowed heavy rain to enter the structure. In addition, an aircraft hanger was damaged by severe thunderstorm winds at the Lovington Airport in Lea County.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 2:10 PM MST, 8 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
410 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2005
.UPDATE...
MODIFIED THE ZONE TEXT AND GRIDS BEFORE TRANSMISSION TO INCLUDE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH BOX #333 UNTIL 11 PM CDT FOR THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE PERMIAN BASIN.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 240 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2005/
SHORT TERM...
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN THE VICINITY OF THE GLASS
MOUNTAINS/STOCKTON PLATEAU EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS AN OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT/S SOUTHERN PLAINS MCS HAS PUSHED
SOUTHWESTWARD INTO THESE AREAS. AS WITH THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE LAST
FEW DAYS...THE CONVECTION IS STRUGGLING DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF AN
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER MEXICO. EXPECT ADDITIONAL WIDELY
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN
THIRD OF THE CWA AS A COMBINATION OF HEATING OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN
AND THE PRESENCE OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY...AND AN INCREASE IN LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE BEHIND IT...WILL ALLOW FOR THIS. ALTHOUGH MID LEVEL
LAPSE RATES ARE AROUND 8.5 C/KM...CAPE VALUES ARE NOT VERY HIGH IN
THESE LOCALES AND 0 TO 6 KM BULK SHEAR VECTORS ARE ONLY PROGGED TO
BE IN THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE UNTIL LATE TONIGHT WHEN THEY INCREASE TO
25 TO 35 KT. THEN AGAIN...WE COULD SEE AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO PUT
OUT STRONG WINDS DUE TO THE DRY MID LEVELS.
WESTERLIES WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTH TONIGHT AND WILL SHUNT THE
AFOREMENTIONED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TO THE SOUTH. AT THE SURFACE...A
STRONG COLD FRONT WAS MAKING IT/S WAY SOUTH THROUGH THE NORTHERN
TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO...AND WAS ON THE VERGE
OF PASSING THROUGH THE KDHT AREA AT 25/18Z. THE FRONT IS FURTHER
SOUTH THAN PROGS WERE ABLE TO HANDLE...PROBABLY DUE TO OUTFLOW FROM
A CENTRAL PLAINS NOCTURNAL MCS. EXPECT THE FRONT TO COME CRASHING
SOUTH INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING...THEN PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA
BY SUNRISE THURSDAY. A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE EASTERN
HALF OF THE CWA AWAITS THE ARRIVAL OF THIS FRONT. CAPES OF 2500 TO
3000 J/KG AND LI/S AROUND -7 C WILL COINCIDE WITH STEEP MID LEVEL
LAPSE RATES OF 8.5 C/KM IN THESE AREAS. 0 TO 6 BULK SHEAR VECTORS
ARE PROGGED TO BE 35 TO 45 KT IN THESE SAME AREAS...ALTHOUGH MID
LEVEL WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE 10 KT OR LESS UNTIL 26/06Z. STILL
THINK WE COULD SEE QUITE A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OVER THE
NORTHERN/NORTHEASTERN CWA BY EARLY EVENING...THEN ADVECT
SOUTHEASTWARD INTO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS.
ANOTHER MCS MAY DEVELOP OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON/
EVENING IN REGION OF GOOD UPSLOPE FLOW...AND TRACK SOUTH/
SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE MAF CWA. IF THIS MCS DEVELOPS...NOT CERTAIN
WE/LL SEE MUCH SEVERE WEATHER WHEN IT MOVES INTO THE CWA.
BUT...SINCE THERE MAY BE QUITE A FEW OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FOR IT TO
INTERSECT WITH FROM EARLIER CONVECTION...WILL GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE
SEVERE WORDING FOR LOCATIONS ROUGHLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE PECOS
RIVER.
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL DEFINITELY BE POSSIBLE WITH CONVECTION THROUGH
TONIGHT. DEWPOINTS ARE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ACROSS THE
NORTHERN AND EASTERN CWA...AND EXPECTED TO RISE A LITTLE MORE. THIS
YIELDS PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS NEAR 1.5 INCHES. WILL MENTION
HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE ZONES...AND INCLUDE MENTION OF FLASH FLOODING
IN THE HWO.
LASTLY...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE
TIGHT. TIGHT ENOUGH FOR WINDS IN THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS TO REACH
40 MPH SUSTAINED...WITH GUSTS OVER 55 MPH POSSIBLE. THEREFORE...
WILL ISSUE A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS FROM LATE
EVENING UNTIL MID MORNING THURSDAY.
LONG TERM...
LOOKS LIKE THE SWITCH TO A BASICALLY AN ACTIVE PATTERN HAS BEGUN
THIS FORECAST CYCLE. PAINTED THE HIGHEST CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE
SOUTHEAST PERMIAN BASIN AND THE LOWER TRANS PECOS THURSDAY MORNING
DUE TO THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX EXITING. THINKING THEIR WILL BE A
LULL THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT WITH THE ATMOSPHERE WORKED OVER...
WITH ONLY 10-20 POPS WARRANTED.
ANTICIPATING ANOTHER COMPLEX FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WITH RECOVERY
AND HEATING WITH THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW
WITH THE NEXT BOUNDARY SHIFTING SOUTH. STORMS SHOULD ALSO FORM IN THE
MOUNTAINS AS WELL AND TRANSLATE INTO THE PLAINS. WENT HIGH CHANCE POPS
MANY AREAS...TRANSITION INTO LIKELY OR HIGHER POPS MAY BE NEEDED CLOSER
TO EVENT.
WENT WITH 20-30 POPS SATURDAY WITH THE APPROACH OF A 500 MILLIBAR
TROUGH AXIS AND NEXT SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. PAINTED
THE BEST CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE BIG BEND AND LOWER TRANS PECOS
WHERE THE FRONT HAS BEST CHANCE OF RESIDING AND AHEAD OF THE TROUGH
AXIS THE LONGEST. BEYOND SATURDAY LOOKS ACTIVE THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE EXTENDED.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY LOOK TO REMAIN ACTIVE WITH ANOTHER NORTHERN STREAM
FRONT AND UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. UPSLOPE FLOW AND CONTINUED
UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WARRANT AT LEAST SLIGHT POPS AT THIS
TIME NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. COOLED TEMPERATURE THROUGH THE FORECAST
CYCLE IN WET REGIME AND FREQUENT FRONTAL PASSAGES.
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 10 AM CDT
THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONE...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF
EDDY COUNTY.
TX...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 10 AM CDT
THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONE...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
&&
67/12HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 314 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2005 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-261929- ANDREWS-BIG BEND AREA-BORDEN-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-CRANE- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-DAWSON-ECTOR-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS-GAINES- GLASSCOCK-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY- HOWARD-LOVING-MARFA PLATEAU-MARTIN-MIDLAND-MITCHELL- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-REAGAN- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-SCURRY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY- TERRELL-UPTON-VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-WARD-WINKLER- 314 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2005 (214 PM MDT WED MAY 25 2005) THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE PECOS RIVER FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL LATE TONIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY WITH THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHICH COULD RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY RESULT IN VERY STRONG WINDS THROUGH THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS. THE STRONGER WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE THURSDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND POSSIBLY FLASH FLOODING...THURSDAY MORNING AS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WINDS DOWN. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. SINCE THE GROUND MAY STILL BE SATURATED FROM RAINFALL ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND SPOOTER GROUPS SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST INFORMATION. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE) HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
935 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0712 PM HAIL 9 E ST. LAWRENCE 31.70N 101.39W
05/25/2005 0.88 INCH GLASSCOCK TX TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL HAIL FELL FROM 712PM UNTIL 730PM.
0730 PM HAIL 3 E ST. LAWRENCE 31.70N 101.49W
05/25/2005 1.25 INCH GLASSCOCK TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
SHERIFFS OFFICE HAD REPORT OF HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL 1
INCH DEEP EAST OF ST. LAWRENCE
0843 PM HAIL 15 WNW ST. LAWRENCE 31.78N 101.78W
05/25/2005 0.75 INCH MIDLAND TX PUBLIC
PENNY HAIL FELL ON THE MIDLAND/GLASSCOCK COUNTY LINE ON
FARM TO MARKET ROAD 1379
0910 PM HAIL GARDEN CITY 31.87N 101.48W
05/25/2005 0.88 INCH GLASSCOCK TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REPORTED NICKEL SIZE HAIL
FALLING IN GARDEN CITY.
0843 PM HAIL 12 SSE SPRABERRY 31.77N 101.75W
05/25/2005 0.75 INCH GLASSCOCK TX PUBLIC
PENNY HAIL WAS REPORTED ON THE MIDLAND/GLASSCOCK COUNTY
LINE AT FARM TO MARKET ROAD 1379
0720 PM TSTM WND DMG IMPERIAL 31.27N 102.69W
05/25/2005 PECOS TX FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED SEVERAL 250
GALLON DIESEL TANKS BLOWN OVER AND A TRAMPOLINE THAT WAS
BLOWN ONTO A HOUSE.
0734 PM HAIL MCCAMEY 31.13N 102.22W
05/25/2005 0.75 INCH UPTON TX BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
RGOULDThe Lubbock radar (KLBB), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:52 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer recorded a severe thunderstorm wind gust to 66 MPH with a home weather station. No reports of damage were received.
The Artesia Fire Department reported large hail up to the size of golfballs over U.S. Highway 82 east of the city.
Large hail ranging in size from quarters to hen eggs severely damaged the roof of a residence in Lakewood. This caused water from heavy rainfall to enter the structure.
A 58 MPH thunderstorm wind gust was measured at the Lovington Airport. These winds severely damaged an aircraft hanger.
Motorists traveling on County Road 1 reported large hail in far southwestern Lea County.
An automated fire weather observing site measured a thunderstorm wind gust to 58 MPH in rural northeastern Eddy County.
Severe thunderstorm winds blew down large tree limbs at a rural residence southwest of Eunice.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, May 2005
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: 5450484, 5450487, 5450485, 5450486, 5450488, 5450489, 5450490, 5450491.