High pressure aloft was centered over Arizona resulting in northerly flow aloft over southern New Mexico. In addition, a weak back door cold front moved southwestward across the area and stalled near the international border.
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 EPZ wrote it up.
High pressure aloft was centered over Arizona resulting in northerly flow aloft over southern New Mexico. In addition, a weak back door cold front moved southwestward across the area and stalled near the international border.
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 Jul 26, 1:41 PM MST, 3 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 241 PM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 .SYNOPSIS... AN AREA OF UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO CONTROL OUR WEATHER DURING THE NEXT WEEK. EACH DAY WILL SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN AREA MOUNTAINS. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO RUN AROUND FIVE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL DURING MOST OF THE WEEK WHICH WILL GIVE MOST LOWLAND LOCATIONS HIGHS NEAR OR A LITTLE ABOVE 100. && .DISCUSSION... AND THE BEAT GOES ON. NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE FORECAST AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO REMAIN IN CONTROL OF OUR WEATHER. THE HIGH CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO OR NORTHERN MEXICO. NOW THAT THE HIGH HAS DRIFTED A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH WE WILL SEE A WESTERLY FLOW TAKE CONTROL OF OUR WEATHER FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SLIP OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS. THIS WILL ALLOW A LITTLE MOISTURE TO SLIP INTO THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA AND ALLOW ANY POSSIBLE DISTURBANCES IN THE FLOW TO MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF NEW MEXICO. I RAISED THE POPS IN THE SACS INTO THE SCATTERED CATEGORY...BUT KEPT THE LOWLANDS STILL IN THE ISOLATED RANGE FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER HIGH WILL STILL HAVE A LIMITING FACTOR ON THUNDERSTORMS. TUESDAY COULD SEE MORE OF THE SAME...THEN ON WEDNESDAY THE GFS INDICATES THAT THE HIGH WILL AGAIN BEGIN TO DRIFT BACK TOWARD NEW MEXICO. LIKE YESTERDAY THIS WILL HAVE A SUPPRESSING EFFECT ON OUR RAIN CHANCES. PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS OF THE GFS HAD THE UPPER HIGH CONTINUING TO DRIFT EAST AND BEGIN TO GIVE US A MONSOONAL FLOW BY THE END OF THE COMING WEEKEND. BUT THE CURRENT RUNS OF BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF DONT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF A MONSOONAL FLOW THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. LOOKING AT TEMPERATURES...WITH THE HIGH CONTINUING TO LINGER NEAR THE AREA WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE OUR HIGH TEMPERATURES RUNNING AROUND FIVE TO SEVEN DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR MUCH OF THE COMING WEEK. THE LOW TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT LOOKS TO CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THIS COMING WEEK IN THE LOWLANDS. && .AVIATION...VALID 27/0000Z-28/0000Z... MAINLY VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL LIMIT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM THIS EVENING WITH MOST ACTIVITY OVER AREA MOUNTAINS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY INCREASE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS COOLER AIR ALOFT MOVES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT EXCEPT NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. && .FIRE WEATHER... HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL DRIFT TO NORTHERN SONORA TONIGHT AND MONDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND WILL BRING IN COOLER AIR THAT WILL MAKE THE ATMOSPHERE MORE UNSTABLE. A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW WILL HELP TRIGGER ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE GILA AND THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS. BY WEDNESDAY...WINDS ALOFT WILL TURN MORE TO THE WEST AS THAT HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS. THIS WILL BRING DRIER AIR IN FROM THE WEST WITH A SUBSEQUENT DECREASE IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL INTO NEXT WEEKEND. HUMIDITY IN THE MID TEENS TO MID 20S ACROSS LOWER DESERTS EACH AFTERNOON...AND FROM THE UPPER 20S TO MID 30S ACROSS HIGHER ELEVATIONS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 77 102 78 102 77 / 20 20 20 10 20 SIERRA BLANCA TX 68 99 69 99 68 / 20 20 20 10 20 LAS CRUCES 73 101 74 101 73 / 20 20 20 10 20 ALAMOGORDO 70 98 71 98 70 / 20 30 20 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 51 77 52 77 51 / 20 30 30 20 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 70 99 71 99 70 / 20 20 20 10 20 SILVER CITY 64 93 65 92 64 / 20 20 20 20 10 DEMING 70 101 71 100 70 / 20 10 10 10 10 LORDSBURG 71 101 72 101 71 / 20 10 10 10 10 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/PARK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1138 AM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-271745- 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- 1138 AM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER AREA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THIS WEEK...BUT MOST DAYS WILL BE SUNNY AND HOT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 421 PM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NMZ022-023-262315- SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION NM- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/LOWER GILA REGION NM- 421 PM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SIERRA COUNTY NEW MEXICO AT 414 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER 17 MILES NORTHWEST OF TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. IN ADDITION...THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE FROM 1 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN AN HOUR OR LESS AND CAUSE BRIEF FLOODING OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND ARROYOS. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ARREY...CABALLO... CUCHILLO...ELEPHANT BUTTE...HILLSBORO AND MONTICELLO. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT BRIEF...BUT SUDDEN CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND PONDING OF WATER ON THE HIGHWAYS AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL INTO AREAS WHERE WATER IS CROSSING OR PONDING ON ROADWAYS. REMEMBER...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. 20 NOVLAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 520 PM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NMZ023-031-032-270130- SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- SOUTHERN DESERT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES...DEMING... LAS CRUCES 520 PM MDT SUN JUL 26 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD IN SIERRA DONA ANA AND LUNA COUNTIES... AT 5 PM MDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IS SHOWING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST SIERRA COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AROUND 10 TO 15 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF STRONG WINDS AND ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 55 MPH OR MORE. IN ADDITION THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ALSO BRIEF DOWNPOURS WILL PRODUCE RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOURS. RESIDENTS AND MOTORISTS ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 25 FROM TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES DOWN TO RADIUM SPRINGS AND EVENTUALLY MOTORISTS ON INTERSTATE 10 FROM LAS CRUCES TO DEMING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HIGH WINDS...BLOWING DUST REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO UNDER 1 MILE AHEAD OF THE STORMS...AND THEN RAPID REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITIES IN THESE STORMS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. SLOW DOWN AND REMEMBER DO NOT ENTER AREAS WHERE SUBSTANTIAL WATER IS RUNNING ACROSS OR PONDING ON ROADWAYS. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. 20 NOVLAN
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 181 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:32 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A gust of 58 mph was measured at a mesonet station just west of Silver City, NM.
Trees and large limbs were blown down in the Mayhill area. Also, 1.25 inches of rain fell within 15 minutes.
Nickel and quarter size hail fell near the cafe in Weed, NM.
Nickel and quarter size hail fell near the junction of US 82 and NM 130 in the vicinity of Mayhill.
A power outage resulted from 4 power poles blown over.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, July 2009
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: 191594, 191596, 191597, 191599, 191600, 191608.