A very moist environment was in place under an upper level ridge. A stationary boundary was draped across southern New Mexico providing the lift for slow moving thunderstorms which caused numerous reports of flash flooding.
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 very moist environment was in place under an upper level ridge. A stationary boundary was draped across southern New Mexico providing the lift for slow moving thunderstorms which caused numerous reports of flash flooding.
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 25, 3:41 AM MST, 8 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 441 AM MDT SUN JUL 25 2010 .SYNOPSIS... THE THREAT FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES TODAY...SO A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING. OUR RAIN CHANCES WILL LESSEN DURING THE COMING WEEK...BUT NOT DISAPPEAR FROM OUR FORECAST. TEMPERATURES TODAY AND MONDAY WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL AND THEN ONLY A COUPLE OF DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... AT LEAST ONE MORE DAY WITH A CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINS AND FLASH FLOODING. SO I HAVE EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. CURRENTLY ABUNDANT MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SIT OVER THE REGION. DEW POINTS ACROSS THE AREA ARE RUNNING IN THE MID 60'S WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE FOR THIS AREA. ALSO PRECIPITAL WATER AMOUNTS CONTINUE TO RUN AROUND 170 PERCENT OF NORMAL. ALL THIS WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER DAY WHERE WE WILL SEE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. NORTHERN LUNA...WESTERN SIERRA AND EASTERN GRANT COUNTIES TOOK ANOTHER DOSE OF HEAVY RAIN LAST NIGHT. ALSO PARTS OF THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS ALSO SAW HEAVY RAIN...RUIDOSO MEASURED 2.34 INCHES OF RAIN. SO THOSE LOCATIONS WILL BE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO EXCESSIVE RAINFALL RUNOFF TODAY. AFTER TODAY THOUGH OUR WIDESPREAD THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN WILL DIMINISH. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...EASTERLY WAVE...WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO WEST TEXAS ON MONDAY. USUALLY WE ASSOCIATE LOUSY WEATHER WITH LOWS (PLEASE NOTE THE ALLITERATION...HAPPY WEATHER IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH PRESSURE) BUT SINCE THIS IS AN EASTERLY WAVE IT ACTS A LITTLE IN REVERSE. AS THE LOW APPROACHES WE WILL ACTUALLY GET SOME SINKING MOTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE...IN ADDITION THE LOW PUSHES THE DEEP MOISTURE TO OUR WEST. SO WE WILL SEE A DOWN TURN IN OUR RAIN CHANCES FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK. BUT BY THE END OF THE WEEK THE EXTENDED MODELS INDICATE THE LOW WILL SLIDE TO OUR WEST WITH AN UPPER HIGH REDEVELOPING TO OUR EAST. THIS WILL AGAIN HELP GIVE US AN UP TURN IN OUR RAIN CHANCES. RIGHT NOW THE DEEPEST MOISTURE LOOKS TO SET UP WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE...RIGHT WHERE THEY REALLY DON'T NEED IT TO WITH ALL THE RAIN THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED. LOOKING AT TEMPERATURES...TODAY WE WILL AGAIN SEE OUR HIGHS RUNNING SEVEN TO NINE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. ON MONDAY WE WILL SEE OUR HIGHS RUNNING AROUND FIVE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. FOR THE MIDDLE PART OF THE WEEK WE WILL SEE OUR HIGHS RUNNING A COUPLE OF DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND FOR THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE RETURN OF THE MOISTURE WE WILL SEE OUR HIGHS RUNNING AROUND FIVE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. && .AVIATION...25/12Z-26/12Z MORE OF THE SAME. MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA WILL HELP GENERATE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TODAY BUT WE COULD SEE SOME MVFR AND EVEN IFR CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. FOCUS FOR THE CONVECTION WILL BE WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE BUT ALL AREAS STAND A CHANCE FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. WE WILL SEE A SLIGHT DRYING TREND STARTING MONDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... ABUNDANT MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SETTLE INTO THE AREA. WE WILL SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. SOME OF THOSE STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN WITH EXCESSIVE RUNOFF. ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAIN A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS. DEW POINTS AND RH'S WILL CONTINUE TO RUN PRETTY HIGH FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS. WE WILL SEE THE DEEPER MOISTURE MOVE TO OUR WEST FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE COMING WEEK...BUT ENOUGH SURFACE MOISTURE WILL REMAIN TO KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST. EXTENDED MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL RETURN TO THE AREA FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND WHICH WILL AGAIN INCREASE OUR RAIN CHANCES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 85 69 89 70 91 / 40 30 20 20 20 SIERRA BLANCA TX 80 64 83 65 85 / 30 30 20 20 10 LAS CRUCES 84 66 88 67 89 / 50 30 20 20 20 ALAMOGORDO 85 63 88 64 90 / 50 30 20 20 20 CLOUDCROFT 64 47 68 48 68 / 50 40 30 20 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 83 63 87 64 87 / 50 30 20 20 20 SILVER CITY 76 55 79 56 80 / 60 40 30 30 20 DEMING 83 63 87 64 88 / 50 40 20 20 20 LORDSBURG 85 64 89 65 90 / 50 40 30 30 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR NMZ022>025-030>032. TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR TXZ055-056. && BRICE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1115 PM MDT SUN JUL 25 2010 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-261730- 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- 1115 PM MDT SUN JUL 25 2010 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 FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AS WELL AS SOUTHWEST TEXAS UNTIL 11:00 PM TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO FOR DETAILS. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. A DEEP SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE BORDERLAND TODAY. WINDS ALOFT ARE LIGHT AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLOW MOVING. THE COMBINATION OF ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND SLOW STORM MOVEMENT WILL MEAN STORMS THAT FORM TODAY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WITH RAINFALL RATES AS HIGH AS TWO INCHES PER HOUR. THE MOST LIKELY ADVERSE IMPACT WILL BE FLASH FLOODING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY SMALL HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH. ALL THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DEADLY LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO SHOVE WEST A BIT MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND CONCENTRATE ALONG THE AZ/NM BORDER. AREAS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE WILL HANG BACK OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CWFA TO WARRANT STORM POTENTIAL CONTINUING OVER AREAS EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE. A RETURN TO WETTER CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE LATER NEXT WEEK AS AN UPPER WAVE MOVES IN FROM THE EAST ACROSS TEXAS .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SPOTTERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA OUR TOLL FREE LINE. BIRD
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 169 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:31 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Significant flooding along Poverty Creek, adjacent properties and low water crossings was reported by a trained spotter.
Numerous buildings and streets were flooded through the town of Truth or Consequences.
Very heavy rain over Las Cruces flooded many buildings and streets across town. New Mexico State University recorded 3.36 inches of rain. At least 6 buildings on the campus had water damage with several roads closed. Several water rescues from stalled vehicles were performed on campus.
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, July 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: 248322, 248323, 248324.