A moist, moderately unstable environment was in place with weak upper level winds. Slow moving storms produced very heavy rains quickly over El Paso County.
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 moist, moderately unstable environment was in place with weak upper level winds. Slow moving storms produced very heavy rains quickly over El Paso County.
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 24, 1:26 PM MST, 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
226 PM MDT SAT JUL 24 2010
.SYNOPSIS...
ABUNDANT MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION...IN COMBINATION WITH WEAK
UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCES...WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT
OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THAT COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. SOME DRYING
OF THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION WILL BEGIN DURING THE EARLY PART OF
THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK...BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE
TO SUPPORT ISOLATED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT HAS FAVORED THE EASTERN CWA SO
FAR THIS AFTERNOON...AND THIS IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE 1200
UTC NAM RUN. THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION...IN CONCERT
WITH SUPPORT FROM NEW AND REMNANT BOUNDARIES AS WELL AS FROM UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL KEEP A RISK OF HEAVY RAIN A POSSIBILITY
FOR ALL FORECAST AREAS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL REMAIN
UNSEASONABLY HIGH THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH UPPER AIR PROFILES THAT
SUPPORT VERY EFFICIENT RAIN RATES.
MODEL DISCREPANCIES RELATIVE TO QPF AND POPS RESULTED IN A
PROBLEMATIC FORECAST. THE BIGGEST SEPARATION WAS APPARENT TONIGHT
WITH THE NAM PRODUCING A MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE FORECAST IN TERMS
OF BOTH POPS AND QPF. MODELS ARE A BIT MORE IN LINE ON SUNDAY...WITH
ENOUGH JUSTIFICATION TO SUPPORT EXTENDING THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WE EXTENDED THE WATCH APPROPRIATELY AND
ALSO BUMPED UP POPS INTO SUNDAY EVENING.
BOTH MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN INTRODUCING SOME DRYING TO THE AREA
DURING THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH
UPPER LEVEL CYCLONIC FEATURE CURRENTLY OVER TEXAS WILL SERVE TO
QUIET THE WEATHER DOWN AT THAT TIME AS IT SLOWLY MOVES WESTWARD. ON
THE OTHER HAND...THIS VERY SAME FEATURE MAY AID IN SUPPORTING AN
UPTICK IN ACTIVITY TOWARD THE MIDDLE AND END OF THE WEEK. HAVE
GONE WITH A PERSISTENCE FORECAST FOR NOW FOR THE MIDDLE AND LATTER
PORTION OF THE WEEK PENDING ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.
&&
.AVIATION...VALID 25/00Z-26/00Z
WEAK BUT RATHER BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING SLOWLY NE OVER
NM...WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW SUB-TROPICAL STREAM OF MOIST UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD OVER E-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS WILL
MEAN SCT +TSRAGS/VSBY 1-3SM/TOPS 400 AND SFC WINDS VRB 35G50KTS
AREA-WIDE...WITH ACTIVITY CONCENTRATED E OF RIO GRANDE LATER TODAY.
ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF TROPICAL WAVES APPROACHING FROM THE
GULF...WILL SHOVE THIS MOISTURE BACK WESTWARD TOWARDS AZ BORDER
SUNDAY. AS A RESULT...LOOK FOR SCT-NMRS +TSRAGS/TOPS 450...SIMILAR
VSBY/WINDS AND CIGS BKN030-050 AND BKN-OVC100-160 WITH STORMS. GIVEN
AMPLE MOISTURE AND ATTENDANT LIFT WITH LOW...DEVELOPMENT OF LARGER
THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WITH LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT IS NOT OUT OF REALM
OF POSSIBILITIES. INDIVIDUAL CELLS WILL GENERALLY TRACK 10-15 MPH
FROM SSE-NNW.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
WEAK BUT RATHER BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING SLOWLY NE OVER
NM...WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW SUB-TROPICAL STREAM OF MOIST UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD OVER E-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS EVENING. WITH SUMMER
HEATING...THIS WILL MEAN CONTINUED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS
AREA-WIDE...WITH ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO CONCENTRATE EAST OF THE RIO
GRANDE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF
TROPICAL WAVES APPROACHING FROM THE GULF...WILL SEND THIS MOISTURE
BACK TOWARDS THE ARIZONA BORDER SUNDAY. THIS WILL INCREASE STORM
COVERAGE FOR ALL ZONES. APPROACH OF WAVE AND SUBTLE INCREASE IN
SOUTHEAST FLOW ALOFT WILL WORK TO SEND MOISTURE STREAM FURTHER
WESTWARD OUT OF THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK...WHERE WE MAY ACTUALLY SEE
A DOWN-TURN IN SHOWER/STORM COVERAGE. BY MID WEEK...WAVE IS
EXPECTED TO AGAIN RAMP-UP ACTIVITY. MIN RH WILL RANGE GENERALLY
FROM 30%-40% IN THE NM BOOTHEEL...40%-50% ACROSS OTHER LOWLAND
AREAS...AND OVER 50% GENERALLY ABOVE 7000 FT. HAINES INDICIES OF
2-3 WILL BE FOUND FOR MOST AREAS THIS WEEKEND...WITH 4 EXPECTED
TODAY FOR THE NEW MEXICO BOOTHEEL. VALUES OF 2-3 ANTICIPATED ALL
AREAS NEXT WEEK. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS REMAIN THE SIGNIFICANT THREATS WITH
STORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
EL PASO 69 87 69 90 70 / 50 40 30 20 20
SIERRA BLANCA TX 63 82 64 84 65 / 50 30 30 20 20
LAS CRUCES 66 86 66 89 67 / 50 50 30 20 20
ALAMOGORDO 62 87 63 89 64 / 50 50 30 20 20
CLOUDCROFT 47 66 47 69 48 / 60 50 40 30 20
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 62 85 63 88 64 / 60 50 30 20 20
SILVER CITY 55 78 55 80 56 / 60 60 40 30 30
DEMING 63 85 63 88 64 / 50 50 40 20 20
LORDSBURG 62 87 64 90 65 / 50 50 40 30 30
&&
.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR NMZ022>025-
030>032.
TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR TXZ055-056.
&&
00/22HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 148 PM MDT SAT JUL 24 2010 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-251730- 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- 148 PM MDT SAT JUL 24 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 IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AS WELL AS SOUTHWEST TEXAS. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO FOR DETAILS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM TODAY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WITH RAINFALL RATES AS HIGH AS TWO INCHES PER HOUR...POSSIBLE FLOODING...SMALL HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AS WELL AS SOUTHWEST TEXAS THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO FOR DETAILS. ABUNDANT MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY. THIS MOISTURE WILL LEAD ONCE AGAIN TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. MOISTURE WILL DECREASE DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN OVER THE SOUTHWEST. A RETURN TO WETTER CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE LATER NEXT WEEK. .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.
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 16 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:58 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
El Paso Times reported flooding near Hillside Drive and Doniphan Drive in El Paso. Rosa's Cantina was damaged with up to a foot of water standing inside of it. Rainfall report of around 1.52 inches in 35 to 40 minutes was reported in the vicinity.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 248747.