Moist easterly upslope flow with an upper level ridge centered over area allowed for slow moving thunderstorms to produce very heavy rains over the Sacramento Mountains.
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.
Moist easterly upslope flow with an upper level ridge centered over area allowed for slow moving thunderstorms to produce very heavy rains over the Sacramento Mountains.
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 Aug 23, 1:45 AM MST, 10 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 245 AM MDT MON AUG 23 2010 .SYNOPSIS... FOR YET ANOTHER DAY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BRING WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO THE BORDERLAND. LOWLAND TEMPERATURES WILL MAX OUT NEAR 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG AFTERNOON HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PRODUCE ISOLATED STORMS. THE MOST LIKELY AREAS WILL BE AREA MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS LOWLAND LOCATIONS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE. TUESDAY AFTERNOON A RATHER STRONG BACKDOOR COOL FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS BOUNDARY WILL HELP FOCUS INCREASED STORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE REGION LATE TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN A COOLING TREND TUESDAY WITH DAILY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. AFTER DRIER CONDITIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO WORK BACK INTO THE REGION FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST OVER THE WEEKEND AS A MONSOONAL PATTERN RETURNS. && .DISCUSSION... NOT A LOT OF CHANGE TO OUR WEATHER TODAY FROM YESTERDAY'S WEATHER. UPPER HIGH REMAINS PARKED OVER S NM AND W TX. HEIGHTS AND THICKNESSES ARE PROGED TO INCH UP A BIT TODAY. MOISTURE IS DOWN A TAD ALSO. WITH A HIGH OF 98 SUNDAY AT ELP...WE SHOULD SEE 99 OR 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THUS ANOTHER DAY INN WHICH WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IS THE MAIN STORY. THE UPPER HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPRESS A LOT OF CONVECTIVE INITIATION TODAY... ESPECIALLY E OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WHERE MOISTURE IS MORE LIMITED AND SFC DEWPOINTS SHOULD MIX LOWER. BETTER MOISTURE HAS SHIFTED W AND N AND THUS BETTER POPS WILL BE WEST ZONES AND THE MOUNTAIN ZONES IN THE NORTH TODAY. A PACIFIC TROUGH WILL PASS NORTH OF THE REGION...BUT IT APPEARS TOO FAR NORTH TO HAVE MUCH INFLUENCE. THUS PROBABLY JUST ISOLATED COVERAGE OVER MOST AREAS... THE EXCEPTION COULD BE THE N GILA REGION. TUESDAY THINGS FINALLY CHANGE. THE PASSING UPPER TROUGH MENTIONED ABOVE WILL CROSS THE ROCKIES...THIS BOUNCES THE UPPER HIGH TO OUR WEST AND HELPS A COOL FRONT DIVE SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NM DURING THE DAY. WE'LL STILL BE WARM...BUT TEMPS WILL BEGIN TO COOL. IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS WE SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE THE STRONGER N/NE WINDS MOVE IN WITH THE FRONT. SOME INCREASES IN MOISTURE WILL ALSO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOUNDARY. WE SHOULD BE AN INCREASE IN STORM DEVELOP AND AREAL COVERAGE TUESDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH THE ADDITIONAL FORCING OF STRONG SURFACE CONVERGENCE. THERE IS DOUBT ON THE CONTINUED AFFECTS OF THE FRONT FOR WED AFTN THROUGH EARLY THU. THE NAM FORCEFULLY SWEEPS THE MOISTURE S AND W OUT OF A LARGE PORTION OF THE CWFA...AND THUS DIMINISHES POPS CONSIDERABLY. GFS HOLDS THE MOISTURE AND POPS UP. I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE SOME DRYING AND STABILIZATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO COOLER TEMPERATURES...SO I'M LEANING TOWARDS THE DRIER NAM SOLUTION. FRIDAY THE BATTERED UPPER HIGH LOOKS TO GET FLATTENED BY A LONG WAVE PACIFIC TROUGH WHICH MAKES PROGRESS EAST INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. THE UPPER HIGH RECEDES TO THE EASTERN US. THIS LOOKS TO SET UP A DEEP SOUTHERLY CHANNEL OVER AZ/NM WHICH BRINGS BACK THE MONSOONAL MOISTURE FOR NEXT WEEKEND. IT APPEARS WE'LL GO BACK TO A MORE MOIST PATTERN WITH SCATTERED STORMS FOR THIS PERIOD. && .AVIATION...VALID 23/12Z-24/12Z... UPR LVL HI REMAINS CNTRD OVR S NEW MEXICO. ENOUGH MOISTURE AND DAYTIME INSTABILITY IN PLACE FOR ISOLD LOWLAND AND SCT HIGH ELV CONVECTION. BEST TSRA CHC WILL BE W OF RIO GRANDE VALLEY. ONLY SLGT CHC ISOLD ACTIVITY AREA WIDE 18Z TIL 06Z. 00Z-06Z FEW- SCT070CB SCT-BKN140 SCT-BKN200-250 AGL WITH AREAS MVFR/IFR IN TSRA. GNLY ENE-ESE SFC WINDS 5-12 MPH THRU THE PD. AFT 06Z FEW080 SCT140 SCT250 ALL HGTS AGL. NIL-LGT MECH TURBC ONR MTNS...SVR TURBC WITHIN 10 MI OF CB/TS...MOGR THERMALS SFC TO CU BASE 16Z- 02Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OVER NEW MEXICO WILL REMAIN SETTLED OVER THE REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN BE ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE BORDERLAND TODAY. THIS DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL ALSO WORK TO DAMPEN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT SOMEWHAT...KEEPING STORMS ISOLATED. THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE REMAINING OVER THE AREA FOR DAYTIME HEATING TO FORCE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ISOLATED STORMS TODAY. BETTER CHANCES STILL CONTINUE WEST OF RIO GRANDE. BIG CHANGES COME TUESDAY AFTERNOON AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL DROP INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP SHARPLY BACK TO NORMAL OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. THIS BACKDOOR FRONT WITH ITS UPSLOPE EASTERLY WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE RAIN AND STORM CHANCES FOR THE ENTIRE REGION TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY. MIN RH VALUES WILL BE LOWER TODAY WITH ALL AREAS IN THE 20S EXCEPT 30S IN THE SACRAMENTOS. FOR THE MOST PART THE HAINES INDEX WILL BE IN THE 3 CATEGORY FOR ALL AREAS TODAY AND MONDAY. THE LAL INDEX WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 LOWLANDS TO 3 MOUNTAINS TODAY. SURFACE WINDS WILL BE GENERALLY EASTERLY UNDER 10 MPH SUNDAY AND LIGHT AND VARIABLE MONDAY ACROSS THE ZONES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 100 74 94 69 88 / 10 10 20 30 30 SIERRA BLANCA TX 99 70 90 64 86 / 10 10 20 30 30 LAS CRUCES 99 70 92 65 87 / 10 20 20 30 30 ALAMOGORDO 96 69 84 64 82 / 10 20 30 40 20 CLOUDCROFT 75 52 63 45 64 / 20 20 40 60 30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 95 69 87 62 86 / 20 20 30 40 30 SILVER CITY 88 64 85 59 81 / 20 30 40 40 30 DEMING 98 70 93 66 88 / 10 20 20 30 30 LORDSBURG 97 69 98 65 94 / 20 20 20 30 30 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 14/BIRD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1105 AM MDT MON AUG 23 2010 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-241715- 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- 1105 AM MDT MON AUG 23 2010 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 WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH MINOR FLOODING ALONG DRAINAGES AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM SOME OF THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH ON TUESDAY. THIS MAY RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME OF THE STORMS APPROACHING SEVERE CRITERIA OF LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. STORMS WILL BE MORE ISOLATED ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY A FEW MAY STILL BE STRONG WITH LARGER HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. THE DEEP MOISTURE PLUME WILL RETURN TO THE REGION AS PART OF A SOUTHERLY FLOW FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE FROM SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR FLOODING TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THIS OFFICE. LUNDEEN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 1152 AM MDT MON AUG 23 2010 NMZ024-025-231845- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 1152 AM MDT MON AUG 23 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING NORTHEASTERN OTERO COUNTY THROUGH 1245 PM MDT... AT 1142 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF OTERO COUNTY. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH MAY OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... TIMBERON... ELK SILVER... SIXTEEN SPRINGS... SILVER LAKE... WEED... SACRAMENTO... PINON... MAYHILL... BLUFF SPRINGS... TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. ROGASH
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:18 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm drainage culverts on Highway 130 near mile marker 16 were plugged and 2 feet of water was flowing over the highway. The highway was impassable.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2010
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: 256904.