A weak monsoon pattern was in place with a upper high over central Texas and a southeast surface flow into south-central New Mexico. There was a weak boundary that extended through Luna County into eastern Arizona which was the focus for thunderstorms.
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 monsoon pattern was in place with a upper high over central Texas and a southeast surface flow into south-central New Mexico. There was a weak boundary that extended through Luna County into eastern Arizona which was the focus for thunderstorms. Very weak flow of less than 5 knots which limited storm motion and allowed for heavy rain to occur.
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 5, 2:05 PM MST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 305 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 .SYNOPSIS... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS RELATIVELY DEEP MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE BORDERLAND. BY SUNDAY AND THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...AN UPPER HIGH MOVES OVER OUR AREA AND THE PERSISTENT MOISTURE DECREASES. THIS WILL MEAN ONLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS FOR NEXT WEEK. WITH THE DECREASE IN STORMS AND INCREASE IN SUNSHINE...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL. LOWLAND HIGHS WILL BE AROUND OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE 100 DEGREES. && .DISCUSSION... UPPER HIGH PERSISTING OVER TEXAS...WITH RIDGE EXTENDING WEST OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA. THE CENTER OF THE UPPER HIGH IS SHOWING STRONG SUBSIDENCE OVER MOST OF TEXAS BUT THE RIDGE FURTHER WEST APPEARS TO ONLY BE OFFERING WEAK CAPPING AT BEST. TCU/CB ARE FORMING ON NEARLY EVERY MOUNTAIN PEAK IN OUR CWA...SO OROGRAPHICS NOT HAVING MUCH TROUBLE POPPING THROUGH WHAT CAPPING THERE IS. NAM12 LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW SHOWED CONVERGENCE AREAS THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EAST HALF OF THE SACS AND THE WESTERN BLACK RANGE...PRETTY WELL IN LINE WHERE THE AFTERNOON CONVECTION OCCURRED. SAME MODEL SHOWS MAIN CONVERGENCE AREA THIS EVENING EXTENDING FROM EASTERN HUDSPETH UP THROUGH THE TULAROSA BASIN. KEPT THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TONIGHT PRETTY GENERIC AT LOW SCATTERED CATEGORY AS TROUGH IN THE WESTERLIES HAS PUSHED REMAINS OF TROPICAL PLUME BACK OVER MOST OF THE CWA. WILL HAVE TO WATCH AND SEE IF THE EASTERN CWA FOCUS MATERIALIZES. OTHERWISE...NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE BIG PICTURE. MODELS STILL SHOWING UPPER HIGH RE CENTERING OVER NEW MEXICO BY SUNDAY AND PERSISTING THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. WHAT IS LEFT OF THE PLUME HANGS AROUND SATURDAY BUT BY SUNDAY IS MOSTLY FLUSHED OUT OF AREA. MINOR RAMPING DOWN OF POPS AFTER SUNDAY LOOKS GOOD AS DECREASE IN OVERALL ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE COMBINED WITH SLIGHTLY STRONGER CAPPING SHOULD INHIBIT MUCH OF OUR CONVECTION. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SHOULD BE LIMITED MAINLY TO OROGRAPHIC THUNDERSTORMS...THOUGH STILL LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE IN FOR REMAINDER OF THE AREA DURING THE EVENINGS. && .AVIATION...VALID 06/00Z-07/00Z. WIDESPREAD 3-5SM TSRA BKN030-040 OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL DRIFT INTO THE LOWLANDS AND BECOME ISOLATED TOWARDS THE EVENING HOURS. STILL EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE IN OVERALL PATTERN OVER THEN EXT 24 HOURS...SO EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS SATURDAY. && .FIRE DISCUSSION... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON WILL BECOME MORE ISOLATED AS THEY WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE LOWLANDS THIS EVENING. WEAK STEERING FLOW ALOFT WILL PROMOTE SLOW MOVING PULSE-STORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE HIGHLY-LOCALIZED FLOODING. CONDITIONS WILL BE SIMILAR AGAIN ON SATURDAY...BUT AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE REPOSITIONS ITSELF AND BUILDS OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST...EXPECT A DOWNWARD TREND IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE EARLY NEXT WEEK. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE IN PLACE TO STILL ALLOW FOR HIGH ELEVATION THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENT WILL BE LESS FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO SURVIVE INTO THE LOWLANDS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 78 101 79 102 79 / 30 10 20 10 20 SIERRA BLANCA TX 73 97 74 98 75 / 20 10 10 10 20 LAS CRUCES 75 100 76 101 77 / 30 10 20 10 20 ALAMOGORDO 72 97 73 99 74 / 30 10 10 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 50 72 51 73 51 / 30 30 10 30 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 72 98 73 99 74 / 30 10 20 10 20 SILVER CITY 65 89 64 90 65 / 30 20 20 20 20 DEMING 73 100 74 100 75 / 30 10 20 10 20 LORDSBURG 72 99 73 101 74 / 20 10 20 10 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && HEFNER/HARDIMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1110 AM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-061715- 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- 1110 AM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON OVER MOUNTAINS AND TO THE REST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PATTERN TO CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THIS PERIOD WITH ISOLATED AFTERNOON MOUNTAIN THUNDERSTORMS AND ISOLATED EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ALL AREAS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL...WITH LOWLAND HIGH TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 100 DEGREES MOST OF THIS PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR FLOODING TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THIS OFFICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 244 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ023-052130- SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION NM- 244 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING EASTERN SIERRA COUNTY THROUGH 330 PM MDT... AT 240 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 36 MILES WEST OF TULAROSA...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN SIERRA COUNTY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 308 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ024-032-052200- SOUTHERN DESERT NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 308 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING EASTERN DONA ANA AND EXTREME WESTERN OTERO COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM MDT... AT 303 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES EAST OF LAS CRUCES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WHITE SANDS MAIN POST... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 310 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ024-025-052200- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 310 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM THREATENING CENTRAL OTERO COUNTY THROUGH 400 PM MDT... AT 308 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TIMBERON...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... TIMBERON... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 356 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ030-052245- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL NM- 356 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING SOUTHEASTERN HIDALGO COUNTY THROUGH 445 PM MDT... AT 354 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ANTELOPE WELLS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ANTELOPE WELLS... ALAMO HUECO... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 520 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 NMZ030-060000- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL NM- 520 PM MDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY THROUGH 600 PM MDT... AT 514 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES NORTH OF ANTELOPE WELLS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THIS STORM...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO DANGEROUS LEVELS ON AREA ROADWAYS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY.
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:22 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Staff at Deming Aerostat reported water flowing across Hermanas Road. Over an inch of rain fell in a short period of time at the location according to Doppler Radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2011
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: 339640.