A severe thunderstorm moved slowly southward through the Mimbres Valley and released a substantial amount of large hail on and around the town of Mimbres.
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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 EPZ wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm moved slowly southward through the Mimbres Valley and released a substantial amount of large hail on and around the town of Mimbres.
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 El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 1:34 PM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 234 PM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 .SYNOPSIS... ABUNDANT MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. DAY TIME TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THE NEXT FEW DAYS...THEN WARM TO NEAR NORMALS NEXT WEEK. DRIER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... LITTLE CHANGE IN OUR CURRENT ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS REMAINS OVER THE AREA...REINFORCED BY A MOIST LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW. WEAK UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES...DRIFTING THROUGH A LONG WAVE RIDGE STRADDLING THE ROCKIES...CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT ALONG WITH DAY TIME HEATING TO TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT LIES ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER. HEAVY RAINFALL REMAINS A POSSIBILITY AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMALS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SLOW MOVING STORMS COULD PRODUCE A LOT OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME...RESULTING IN SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE LOW LYING AREAS AND DRAINAGES. ENOUGH DIRECTIONAL SHEAR REMAINS TO ALLOW A FEW OF THE STORMS TO DEVELOP INTO SUPER CELLS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. MOISTURE LEVELS WILL BEGIN DROPPING ON SUNDAY AS THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST...FACILITATED BY A STRONGER WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW. RAIN CHANCES SHOULD END BY SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH A WARMER AND DRIER PATTERN EXPECTED THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...VALID 18/00Z-19/00Z. MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED NEAR THE SCATTERED STORMS THAT WILL LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH TOWARDS 18/12Z...AND THEN REINVIGORATE TOWARDS 18/20Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 58 84 61 86 61 / 40 30 30 30 30 SIERRA BLANCA TX 51 76 52 81 52 / 40 30 30 30 30 LAS CRUCES 55 84 59 85 59 / 40 30 30 30 30 ALAMOGORDO 51 79 54 81 54 / 40 40 30 30 30 CLOUDCROFT 41 60 40 64 40 / 40 40 40 30 40 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 54 82 58 84 58 / 50 30 30 30 40 SILVER CITY 48 77 50 81 52 / 40 30 30 30 40 DEMING 54 83 59 88 59 / 40 30 30 30 30 LORDSBURG 55 83 58 88 58 / 30 30 20 20 30 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 04/24
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 633 AM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-181245- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/LOWER GILA REGION-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION- TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- SOUTHERN DESERT-EL PASO-HUDSPETH- 633 AM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS AGAIN A POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TODAY. IN ADDITION THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE FOR HAIL AND STRONG WINDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRIDAY WILL BE MUCH LIKE THURSDAY WITH A CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL SEE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BE LESS. ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY WE WILL BEGIN TO SEE A DRYING AND WARMING TREND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY BE CALLED ON FOR REPORTS TODAY AND FRIDAY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 223 PM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-172230- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/LOWER GILA REGION-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION- TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- SOUTHERN DESERT-EL PASO-HUDSPETH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SILVER CITY...TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES... ALAMOGORDO...MESCALERO...CLOUDCROFT...TIMBERON...LORDSBURG... DEMING...LAS CRUCES...EL PASO...SIERRA BLANCA...DELL CITY 223 PM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES. THE RELATIVELY SLOW MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL STORMS TODAY WILL ONLY WORK TO INCREASE THE THREAT OF LOCALIZED FLOODING. IN ADDITION...SOME OF THE MORE VIGOROUS STORMS THAT DEVELOP MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. INSTABILITY WILL BECOME MORE LIMITED AFTER SUNSET...THUS DIMINISHING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER...THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...WEATHER RADIO OR THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/ELPASO FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND ADVISORIES. PIEPER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED EXPIRATION TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 223 PM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-180600- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/LOWER GILA REGION-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION- TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- SOUTHERN DESERT-EL PASO-HUDSPETH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SILVER CITY...TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES... ALAMOGORDO...MESCALERO...CLOUDCROFT...TIMBERON...LORDSBURG... DEMING...LAS CRUCES...EL PASO...SIERRA BLANCA...DELL CITY 223 PM MDT THU MAY 17 2007 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES. THE RELATIVELY SLOW MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL STORMS TODAY WILL ONLY WORK TO INCREASE THE THREAT OF LOCALIZED FLOODING. IN ADDITION...SOME OF THE MORE VIGOROUS STORMS THAT DEVELOP MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. INSTABILITY WILL BECOME MORE LIMITED AFTER SUNSET...THUS DIMINISHING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER...THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...WEATHER RADIO OR THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/ELPASO FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND ADVISORIES. PIEPER
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 161 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:57 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, mainly quarter to pin pong ball size, accumulated to a depth of at least a foot in Mimbres. The sound that accompanied the hail shaft while still in the distance was described as a roar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, May 2007
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: 36748.