High pressure aloft centered over Arizona put far west Texas under a northwest flow, which contained upper waves that destabilized the atmosphere and triggered strong thunderstorms.
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The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.
High pressure aloft centered over Arizona put far west Texas under a northwest flow, which contained upper waves that destabilized the atmosphere and triggered strong thunderstorms.
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 22, 12:38 PM MST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 138 PM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 .SYNOPSIS... MOIST UNSTABLE AIR WILL FLOW INTO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND WESTERN TEXAS WHILE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE INTO THE REGION. THIS WEATHER PATTERN WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING WARM AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY INCREASE AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS LOW PRESSURE SLOWLY DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA. && .DISCUSSION... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL TEXAS IS COMBINING WITH BROAD THERMAL/HEAT LOW WEST OF THE DIVIDE TO SUSTAIN WIND TRAJECTORIES FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND GULF OF CALIFORNIA CAUSING ABUNDANT INFLOW OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE. THUS SURFACE DEWPOINTS THIS AFTERNOON ARE AROUND 55 TO 60 WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER FROM 1.3 TO 1.5 INCHES. WITH AFTERNOON CAPES EXPECTED FROM 1000 TO 1500 J/KG RESULTANT MODERATE INSTABILITY SHOULD SUPPORT DEEP CONVECTION. EARLY THIS AFTERNOON STORMS ARE MAINLY DEVELOPING OVER HIGH TERRAIN WHERE UPSLOPE IS ACTING TO INITIATE UPDRAFTS. AFTERNOON SURFACE HEATING PLUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES SHOULD FORCE FURTHER CONVECTION AND ANTICIPATE STORMS TO FURTHER INCREASE THIS EVENING AS UPPER SHORT WAVE/VORTICITY AXIS ENTERS THE CWA FROM THE NORTH. ABUNDANT AND DEEP MOISTURE COMBINED WITH SLOW STORM MOVEMENT/WEAK STEERING FLOW SUGGESTS AREAS OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. INSTABILITY MAY ALSO BE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST SMALL HAIL AND DOWNDRAFTS NEAR 50 MPH. SIMILAR LOW LEVEL PATTERN WILL EXIST ON THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS TEXAS AND DEEP LOW PRESSURE WEST OF THE DIVIDE INDUCE EAST TO SOUTHEAST FLOW WITH CONTINUED INFLOW OF MAINLY GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE. WITH PRECIPITABLE ABOVE AN INCH AND CAPES AROUND 1000 J/KG EXPECT MOSTLY SCATTERED CONVECTION THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS ANOTHER WAVE LIKELY DROPS INTO THE CWA FROM THE NORTH. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE STRONG HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE TRANSLATES SLOWLY EAST INTO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS WITH AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH NEW MEXICO BY SATURDAY. SUBSIDENCE ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACH OF RIDGE SHOULD STABILIZE AIR MASS WHILE FLOW AROUND UPPER HIGH ADVECTS DRY AIR ALOFT INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST. THUS PRECIPITABLE WATER WILL LIKELY FALL BELOW AN INCH AFTER THURSDAY. IN ADDITION SHORT WAVES ALOFT WILL TRACK EAST OF THE CWA. THESE FACTORS SHOULD RESULT IN WARM MOSTLY DRY WEATHER FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCES OF THUNDER. LONGER RANGE GUIDANCE FORECASTS RIDGE TO AGAIN DRIFT WEST AFTER SUNDAY ALLOWING FOR UPPER WAVES TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE CWA EARLY NEXT WEEK. GFS ALSO INDICATES WEAK BACK DOOR FRONT ENTERING THE AREA LATE MONDAY. THUS WILL FORECAST AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORMS LATER PERIODS. && .AVIATION...VALID 23/0000Z-24/0000Z... THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION HAS MOISTENED UP OVER THE LAST 24 HRS AND WITH A STRONG DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN NM THIS EVENING...EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WITH ACTIVITY LIKELY CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD PRODUCE SOME HEAVY RAIN WITH VSBYS DOWN TO 3-5SM. ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY IS EXPECTED FOR THU WITH BEST MOISTURE REMAINING ACROSS SOUTHERN NM AND WEST TX WITH HEAVY RAIN AGAIN BEING THE MAIN CONCERN. && .FIRE WEATHER... TONIGHT AND TOMORROW WILL REMAIN FAIRLY ACTIVE WITH SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. THERE IS PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE ACROSS THE FIRE DISTRICT AND WITH LACK OF UPPER LEVEL FLOW DUE TO STRONG UPPER HIGH OVER SOUTHERN UT/NORTHERN AZ STORM MOTION WILL BE SLOW AND ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN. AS THE UPPER RIDGE STARTS TO MOVE SOUTH AND EAST INTO THE NM/AZ BORDER AREA STARTING FRI...DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN FROM THE NW AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL DECREASE WITH THE BEST CHANCES REMAINING OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE DRIER AIR WILL ALSO MEAN DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMING TOWARD 100+ DEGREES OVER THE LOWLANDS STARTING FRIDAY WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FALLING BACK INTO THE MID TEENS TO LOWER 20S BUT WINDS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY LIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 68 90 71 99 74 / 40 30 20 10 10 SIERRA BLANCA TX 61 85 62 97 65 / 50 30 20 10 10 LAS CRUCES 66 92 67 98 70 / 40 30 20 10 10 ALAMOGORDO 63 90 64 98 67 / 40 20 20 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 48 68 47 70 50 / 50 30 30 20 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 64 91 64 97 67 / 30 20 20 10 20 SILVER CITY 60 85 58 87 61 / 30 30 30 20 20 DEMING 64 90 64 98 67 / 30 20 20 10 10 LORDSBURG 65 89 65 95 68 / 30 30 30 20 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 05 ROGASH/26 GRZYWACZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1111 AM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-231715- 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- 1111 AM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH A FEW STORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN MAY FALL OVER VERY ISOLATED AREAS RESULTING IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY WITH A FEW STORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN MAY FALL OVER VERY ISOLATED AREAS RESULTING IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. RAINFALL COVERAGE DECREASING AFTER THURSDAY NIGHT WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. STORMS POSSIBLY INCREASING AGAIN ON TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR REPORTING HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING ALONG WITH HAIL AND HIGH WINDS. ROGASH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 455 PM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 NMZ031-230000- SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN NM- 455 PM MDT WED JUL 22 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN LUNA COUNTY... AT 445 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHWEST LUNA COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AROUND 10 TO 15 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER WITH OCCASIONAL DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. RADAR INDICATES LOCAL AREAS OF 1 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAVE FALLEN ESPECIALLY ON STATE ROAD 180. MOTORISTS ALONG HIGHWAY 180 AND INTERSTATE 10 SHOULD EXERCISE CATION WITH THESE STORMS VERY RAPID DROP IN VISIBILITIES IN DOWNPOURS. SLOW DOWN AND DO NOT ENTER AREAS WHERE WATER IS COVERING OR RUNNING ACROSS ROADWAYS. TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE AKELA...GAGE...DEMING...AND MOST OF INTERSTATE 10. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. NOVLAN
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:49 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds estimated at more than 60 mph downed numerous trees near Del Valle High School in El Paso's lower valley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 191489.