Almost all of Southwest and South-Central New Mexico started the month in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought. By the end of the month, with the exception of the eastern half of Otero County, every other area was downgraded to Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought due to an unusually wet month across Southwest New Mexico.
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.
Almost all of Southwest and South-Central New Mexico started the month in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought. By the end of the month, with the exception of the eastern half of Otero County, every other area was downgraded to Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought due to an unusually wet month across Southwest New Mexico.
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 Nov 30, 3:27 PM MST, 8 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 327 PM MST WED NOV 30 2011 .SYNOPSIS... WESTERLY WINDS WILL BRING ONE MORE DAY OF WARM DRY WEATHER TO SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND WESTERN TEXAS ON THURSDAY. THURSDAY NIGHT A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION RESULTING IN MUCH COOLER AND WINDY CONDITIONS THURSDAY NIGHT AND ON FRIDAY. IN ADDITION A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE TO THE EAST ACROSS ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE BORDERLAND WITH POSSIBLY HEAVY SNOWS OVER THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. FOR NEXT WEEK TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN RATHER COOL AND THERE WILL BE SLIGHT CHANCES OF MAINLY MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS. && .DISCUSSION... COMPLEX WEATHER SITUATION DEVELOPING FOR THE SOUTHWEST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WHILE MODELS SHOWING RESPECTABLE AGREEMENT ON THE LARGER AND MEDIUM SCALE THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES ON THE MESO ALPHA SCALE WHICH IS RESULTING IN SOME UNCERTAINTIES WITH RESPECT TO PRECIP TYPE AND COVERAGE. UPPER TROUGH EXTENDS INTO THE GREAT BASIN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH 150 KT UPPER JET STREAK TO THE NORTHWEST FORECASTED TO CAUSE THIS SYSTEM TO DEEPEN SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON A RESULTANT DEEP CLOSED LOW SHOULD BECOME ESTABLISHED OVER WESTERN ARIZONA. IN THE SHORTER TERM AS SYSTEM DEVELOPS WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE CWA CAUSING ANOTHER MILD DRY DAY ON THURSDAY. STRONG BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHWEST INTO THE CWA LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING WITH NORTHEAST FLOW BEHIND IT PUSHING IN MUCH COOLER AIR. WIND SPEEDS BEHIND THE FRONT MAY ALSO APPROACH ADVISORY CRITERIA OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA INCLUDING THE EL PASO AREA. BY THURSDAY NIGHT DYNAMIC LIFTING AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW WILL SPREAD OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA WHILE ISENTROPIC LIFT DEVELOPS AS SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT FORCES MOIST AIR TO RISE OVER LOW LEVEL COLD AIR DOME. THIS SITUATION WILL PRODUCE RAIN AND SNOW MIX OVER THE WESTERN LOWLANDS WITH SNOW OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. SCENARIO BECOMES MORE UNCERTAIN FRIDAY NIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY AS ARIZONA LOW WEAKENS INTO AN OPEN WAVE AND LIFTS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA WHILE ANOTHER CLOSED LOW DROPS INTO ARIZONA FROM THE NORTH. GFS GENERATES THE MOST PRECIP DUE TO INITIAL MOISTURE INFLOW ALOFT FROM SOUTHERN BAJA. IN CONTRAST NAM BRINGS A DRY SLOT ACROSS THE REGION WITH ONLY LIGHT RAIN/SNOW AMOUNTS. ECMWF A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THESE MODELS THOUGH CLOSER TO THE GFS. THUS FORECAST WILL BE MOST CONSISTENT TO THE GFS. ACCORDINGLY EXPECT STRONG DPVA TO SPREAD ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS FRIDAY NIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY WITH 40 TO 50 KT SOUTHERLY FLOW AT 700 MB PUSHING ABUNDANT MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. WARM ADVECTION ALOFT ALSO INDICATED BY WIND AND TEMPERATURE FIELDS FURTHER CONTRIBUTING TO THE LIFT RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD PRECIP COVERAGE. PREDICTED TEMPERATURE FIELDS INDICATE POSSIBLE HEAVY SNOW WILL FALL ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH RAIN/SNOW MIX BELOW. SNOW AMOUNTS MAY REACH WARNING CRITERIA OVER THE GILA AND SACS WITH POSSIBLE ADVISORY NEEDED FOR NORTHERN AND WESTERN LOWLANDS. ALL MODELS INDICATE WAVE BEING EAST OF THE CWA BY SATURDAY NOON WITH DRY AIR INFLOW AND NVA ENDING MOST PRECIP. HOWEVER NORTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL SUSTAIN TRANSPORT OF VERY COOL AIR INTO THE CWA THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. IN ADDITION SERIES OF VORT CENTERS WILL RESULT IN SLIGHT CHANCES OF MAINLY MOUNTAIN SNOWS NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...VALID 01/00Z-02/00Z. STRONG PACIFIC UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BY THURSDAY EVENING...THOUGH THE MAIN EFFECTS OF THIS SYSTEM WILL NOT AFFECT OUR AREA UNTIL LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO DOMINATE OVER THE NEXT 24 HRS...WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS TOMORROW MORNING. MEANWHILE... A STRONG BACKDOOR COLD WILL MOVE WEST OF THE SACRAMENTO AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AFTER 18Z THURSDAY. SCATTERED LOWER CLOUDS WILL DEVELOP WITH UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE SACRAMENTOS AND SLOWLY INCREASING UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE. EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT...LIKELY REACHING AWW CRITERIA AT ELP DURING THE EVENING. EXPECT STRONG GUSTS OVER 40 KNOTS ALONG WEST-FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES. && .FIRE WEATHER... A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON WHILE A STRONG BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THURSDAY EVENING. EAST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT COULD GUST OVER 40 MPH THURSDAY NIGHT ALONG WEST-FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES. MOISTURE FROM THE PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO WESTERN NM ON FRIDAY....MOVING EAST OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY. WITH COOLER AIR IN PLACE... SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP BELOW 6000 FEET...AND EVEN LOWER AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES SATURDAY MORNING. SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED... ESPECIALLY IN THE GILA REGION...WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE EVEN IN THE LOWER DESERTS. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WHEN MAX TEMPS MAY BE STUCK BELOW 50 EVEN IN THE LOWLANDS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 41 68 35 48 37 / 0 0 10 30 60 SIERRA BLANCA TX 38 63 32 47 33 / 0 0 10 20 50 LAS CRUCES 35 67 33 46 31 / 0 0 10 30 60 ALAMOGORDO 34 64 29 44 28 / 0 0 10 30 60 CLOUDCROFT 25 46 22 31 22 / 0 10 30 40 70 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 33 63 27 44 29 / 0 0 10 30 40 SILVER CITY 34 61 28 41 26 / 0 10 30 50 40 DEMING 33 68 32 47 32 / 0 0 10 40 50 LORDSBURG 36 67 30 47 33 / 0 0 30 50 30 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 05 ROGASH/25 HARDIMAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 627 AM MST WED NOV 30 2011 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-011330- 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- 627 AM MST WED NOV 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. BROAD HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION TODAY WILL KEEP CONDITIONS DRY AND MILD. EXPECT SUNNY SKIES...TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...AND LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MUCH OF THURSDAY WILL BE NICE WITH MILD TEMPERATURES...FAIRLY LIGHT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW...AND PARTLY SUNNY SKIES WITH INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS. THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING BEGINS A TRANSITION TO A PERIOD OF UNSETTLED AND POTENTIALLY IMPACTING WEATHER. FIRST A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE FROM THE NORTHEAST. THIS FEATURE WILL ARRIVE WITH 25-35 MPH OR STRONGER WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME BLOWING DUST. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING A DEEP UPPER-LEVEL PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE REGION FROM THE WEST. THIS FEATURE WILL PROVIDE SOME INSTABILITY AND DYNAMICS WHICH WILL GIVE RISE TO INCREASING PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OVERNIGHT. SNOW MOUNTAINS AND COLD RAIN BELOW 7000 FT. FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER WITH INCREASING RAIN AND SNOW CHANCES ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION AS THE UPPER SYSTEM TRACKS OVER THE AREA. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO UNDER 5000FT ON SATURDAY AND ANY PRECIPITATION THAT FALLS SATURDAY NIGHT ON THE STORMS BACKSIDE SHOULD FALL AS NOW AT ALL LOCATION. AS MUCH AS 5-10 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER AREA MOUNTAINS...WITH TRACE TO LIGHT LOWLAND ACCUMULATIONS. THE SYSTEM WILL EXIT THE REGION EARLY SUNDAY. THE REST OF THE PERIOD WILL BE FAIR AND CHILLY AS RIDGING ALOFT WORKS BACK OVER THE SOUTHWEST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... BIRD
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The entire zone started out in Extreme(D3) drought and was downgraded to Severe(D2) drought by the end of the month. Rainfall at the Truth or Consequences Airport was 2.85 inches which was 2.40 inches above normal.
All of the zone started out in Extreme(D3) drought with the exception of the far southeast where it was Severe(D2). At the end of the month, the entire area was in Severe(D2) drought. The Cooperative Observer at New Mexico State University reported 1.52 inches of rain which was almost an inch above normal.
The far eastern Sacramento Mountains started out in Exceptional(D4) drought while the remainder of the mountains were in Extreme(D3) drought to start out the month. At the end of the month, the entire area was in Extreme(D3) drought. At total of 3.63 inches of liquid fell at the Cooperative Observer in Cloudcroft during the month. This was 1.40 inches above normal. The yearly precipitation, however, was about 10 inches below normal.
All of Luna County started out in Extreme(D3) drought and ended the month in Severe(D2) drought. The Deming Airport reported 1.87 inches of liquid during the month which was 1.25 inches above normal.
The entire zone started out in Extreme(D3) drought and at the end of the month, the southeast portion of Hidalgo County was in Severe(D2) drought while the remainder of the area was downgraded to Moderate(D1) drought. The Cooperative Observer at Antelope Wells reported 2.50 inches of rain which was 1.48 inches above normal. After starting out the first 6 months of the year with 0.00 inches of rain, Antelope Wells ended the year about 1 inch above normal with 13.37 inches total thanks to a very wet November and December.
The far southwest portion of the zone started out the month in Exceptional(D4) drought while the remainder of the area was in Extreme(D3) drought. At the end of the month, the extreme eastern and western portions of the zone were in Severe(D2) drought and the remainder of the zone was downgraded to Moderate(D1) drought. The Cooperative Observer at Faywood reported 1.98 inches of precipitation for the month which was 1.09 inches above normal.
The zone started out the month with drought conditions ranging from Exceptional(D4) drought across the far southeast portion of Otero County to Severe(D2) across the southwest portion of the zone. At the end of the month, the western half of the zone was in Severe(D2) drought but Exceptional(D4) drought continued across the southeast. |The Cooperative Observer in Orogrande reported 0.94 inches of precipitation for the month which was 0.32 inches above normal.
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, December 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: 356640, 356641, 356642, 356643, 356644, 356645, 356646.