A weak back door cold front pushed westward across far west Texas while a minor upper disturbance moved in from the west. These features had plenty of low level moisture to work with.
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.
A weak back door cold front pushed westward across far west Texas while a minor upper disturbance moved in from the west. These features had plenty of low level moisture to work with.
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 30, 1:36 PM MST, 8 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 236 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL COMBINE WITH A WEAK UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM TO GIVE US SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING...A FEW OF THOSE STORMS COULD BE STRONG. AFTER TODAY UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BACK INTO THE AREA AND LESSON OUR RAIN CHANCES AND GET OUR AFTERNOON HIGHS BACK ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... YESTERDAY IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WOULD BE ABLE TO PUSH ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...BUT THIS MORNINGS MODELS AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE FRONT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUSH AT LEAST TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. ALSO A WEAK SHORT WAVE IS STILL EVIDENT IN THIS MORNINGS MODELS RUNS AND IS WEAKLY VISIBLE IN THE WATER VAPOR SAT. IMAGE. WITH THESE TWO WEATHER ELEMENTS BEARING DOWN ON US I HAVE UPPED THE POPS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE INTO THE SCATTERED CATEGORY. THERE IS ALSO SOME SPEED AND ROTATIONAL SHEER...NOT A LOT...BUT ENOUGH THAT A FEW STORMS MAY APPROACH OR BRIEFLY EXCEED SEVERE LEVELS LATER THIS EVENING. AFTER TODAY WE WILL SEE OUR OLD FRIEND THE UPPER HIGH BEGIN TO DRIFT BACK TOWARD NEW MEXICO. BUT FIRST ON FRIDAY LOOKS LIKE WE WILL STILL STAND A SLIGHT CHANCE AT SEEING SOME RAIN BEFORE THE SUBSIDENCE OF THE HIGH GETS FULLY GOING. THE RIDGE WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE OUT SO WE WILL CONTINUE OUR SUNNY WARM WEATHER FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. RAIN CHANCES WILL DROP BELOW MENTIONABLE LEVELS AS MOISTURE WILL BE SLIM AND WE WILL BE ALMOST DIRECTLY UNDER THE HIGH. BUT HERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS...MAYBE...BOTH THE EXTENDED GFS AND ECMWF ARE INDICATING A MONSOON FLOW NOT FOR THIS WEEKEND BUT FOR NEXT WEEKEND. WE WILL SEE AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO. LOOKING AT TEMPERATURES...WITH THE FRONT MAKING IT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WE WILL ACTUALLY SEE NEAR NORMAL HIGHS ON FRIDAY...BUT THAT WONT LAST LONG. AS THE RIDGE RETURNS WE WILL SEE OUR AFTERNOON HIGHS JUMP BACK AROUND FIVE DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND AND MOST OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...VALID 31/0000Z-01/0000Z... ADDITIONAL LIFT AHEAD OF ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE CIRCULATING OVER AND AROUND HIGH PRESSURE TO SOUTH AND WEST...WILL GENERATE ISOLD-SCT CB/TSRAGS/ BRIEF IFR VSBYS THRU 31/07Z THIS EVENING. SCT ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BE CONCENTRATED EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE...WHERE SHORTWAVE WILL INTERACT WITH TAIL END OF WEAK BACK-DOOR COLD FRONT AND ATTENDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SURGE FROM THE ENE. VRB35G50KT PSBLE WITH SOME STORMS...AS ATMO REMAINS FAIRLY DRY WITH 35-45 DEGREE DEWPOINT SPREADS CURRENTLY NOTED ACROSS SRN NM/W TX. ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE GRAZES BY A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST FRIDAY. ANY LIFT WITH THIS FEATURE...SFC HEATING AND RECYCLED MOISTURE SHOULD YIELD ISOLD ACTIVITY ALL AREAS AFT 31/18Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE WEST COAST AND ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO...WHILE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE CENTRAL U.S.A. THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO PLACE SUPPORTIVE JET STREAM DIVING SOUTHEAST OVER THE HIGH PLAINS...IN A POSITION TO CARRY SHORT-WAVE DISTURBANCES CLOSE ENOUGH TO OUR EAST FOR PERIODS OF INCREASED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ONE WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS AT THIS TIME...IS GENERATING SCATTERED STORMS AS IT INTERACTS WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BROUGHT IN BY APPROACH OF WEAK BACK DOOR COLD FRONT LAST NIGHT. ANOTHER EVEN WEAKER WAVE LATER FRIDAY...MAY INITIATE SOME ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY FOR OUR ZONES BUT AGAIN LIKELY EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE. MODELS CONTINUE TO FORECAST APPROACH OF UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL PAC LOW OFF W COAST MID NEXT WK...AND ATTENDANT WARM ADVECTION TO BUILD RIDGE EAST OVER US. WHILE THIS WOULD MAINTAIN ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS...A WEAK RETURN MOIST EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW MAY DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN MEXICO/SOUTHERN AZ/NM...INITIATING A RETURN TO A MORE CLASSIC MONSOONAL PATTERN LATER NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 74 94 75 97 74 / 30 10 20 10 20 SIERRA BLANCA TX 66 94 67 96 67 / 30 10 20 20 20 LAS CRUCES 70 94 71 97 70 / 20 10 20 10 20 ALAMOGORDO 68 92 69 96 69 / 30 10 20 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 49 69 49 73 49 / 40 20 30 20 30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 68 92 69 95 69 / 20 10 20 10 20 SILVER CITY 61 87 63 90 63 / 10 10 20 20 10 DEMING 68 94 69 97 69 / 20 10 10 10 10 LORDSBURG 69 93 70 96 70 / 10 10 10 10 10 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/TRIPOLI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1251 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-311600- 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- 1251 PM MDT THU JUL 30 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 A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE EAST WILL COMBINE WITH A WEAK STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST TO GIVE US SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE AREAS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE. A FEW STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE RAIN THREAT WILL DECREASE THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AS UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER SHOULD REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER VIA OUR 800 NUMBER.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 557 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 NMZ024-025-310100- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 557 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING TOWARD ALAMOGORDO AND NORTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS... AT 553 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND BLOWING DUST REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO A MILE OR LESS AT TIMES 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF TULAROSA. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. LITTLE RAIN IS EXPECTED AS THIS THUNDERSTORM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BOLES ACRES... CLOUDCROFT...HIGH ROLLS...LA LUZ...MESCALERO AND BENT. JMG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 817 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 TXZ056-310330- HUDSPETH TX- 817 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 A COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN HUDSPETH COUNTY OVER THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. AT 815 PM MDT...THERE WAS ONE CLUSTER OF STORMS CENTERED ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF FORT HANCOCK AND ANOTHER CLUSTER ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH OF SIERRA BLANCA. ALL OF THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHERN HUDSPETH COUNTY AND AFFECT SIERRA BLANCA AND I-10 EAST OF FORT HANCOCK. THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD PRODUCE UP TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 50 MPH WINDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT AND ANY OF THESE STORMS COULD QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE. GRZYWACZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 823 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 NMZ024-025-310330- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 823 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2009 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF OTERO COUNTY... AT 815 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF OTERO COUNTY. THEY EXTENDED FROM JUST EAST OF MESCALERO SOUTHWARD TO NEAR OROGRANDE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST. SOME OF THESE STORMS WERE STRONG AND ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT...MAYHILL...PINON...SACRAMENTO AND TIMBERON AS WELL AS THE RURAL LOCATIONS OF EASTERN AND SOUTHERN OTERO COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE NOT PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...PERSONS IN THESE PARTS OF OTERO COUNTY ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA SOURCES FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES OR WARNINGS. BIRD
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:54 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced major street flooding in Dell City.
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: 191621.