After a long period of time where much of Southwest New Mexico was in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought, many locations fell into the Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought during the month of August.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
After a long period of time where much of Southwest New Mexico was in Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought, many locations fell into the Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought during the month of August.
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 31, 1:35 PM MST, 10 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 235 PM MDT TUE JUL 31 2012 .SYNOPSIS... UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO CONTROL OUR WEATHER...AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO INTO THE COMING WEEKEND. THE AREA OF UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL MINIMIZE OUR RAIN CHANCES...MAINLY TO SPOTS NEAR THE ARIZONA BORDER. IN ADDITION TO OUR LACK OF RAIN WE WILL SEE TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL...LOWLAND TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT OR A LITTLE ABOVE 100 THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... VERY LITTLE CHANGE TO THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS. UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE HAS COME IN TO CONTROL OUR WEATHER AND IT IS SHOWING NO SIGNS OF RELINQUISHING CONTROL ANYTIME SOON. THIS IS THE TIME OF THE MONSOON SEASON WHEN WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME OF OUR HEAVIER RAINS...ANYTIME FROM JULY 15TH THROUGH AUGUST 15TH. BUT THIS YEAR IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL GET WELL INTO AUGUST WITHOUT ANY GOOD MONSOON FLOW OR RAINS. MOST OF THE MONSOON MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE IN ARIZONA WITH SOME SPILL OVER INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO. POPS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO THE WESTERN ZONES...MAINLY WEST OF THE DIVIDE. EAST OF THE DIVIDE WE WILL SEE A SOME AFTERNOON BUILD-UPS WHICH COULD PRODUCE A FEW SPRINKLES...BUT WE WILL BE VERY HARD PRESSED TO GET MUCH MORE. WHAT WE WILL GET ARE SOME VERY WARM TEMPERATURES. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RUN AROUND FIVE TO SEVEN DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WILL GIVE MOST LOWLAND LOCATIONS HIGHS AT OR A LITTLE ABOVE 100 THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. FOR THE WEEKEND WE MAY SEE A BRIEF WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME RAIN. THE GFS IS INDICATING THAT AN EASTERLY WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AND BRING IN SOME MOISTURE. THIS FEATURE IS NOT NOTICEABLE IN THE EITHER THE DGEX OR ECMWF THOUGH...SO DON'T GET YOUR HOPES TO HIGH. I'VE KEPT THE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND AND TRENDED THE TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT. WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. THE FIRST PART OF NEXT HAS THE RIDGE REASSERTING ITSELF SO THINGS LOOK TO DRY OUT AND WARM UP. && .AVIATION....VALID 01/00Z-02/00Z. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OVER NMEX AND N TEXAS WILL SUPPRESS MOST CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INTO MIDWEEK BRINGING GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS WITH NO CEILINGS OVER MOST OF THE REGION. HOWEVER THERE WILL BE A FEW AREAS OF BRIEF MVFR CEILINGS(BKN060-080 BKN120-200) AND VISIBILITIES IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 20Z AND 03Z...MAINLY WEST OF A TCS TO DMN LINE (MOST ACTIVITY NEAR NM/AZ BORDER) AND ISOLD TCU/CB/TS OVR SACRAMENTOS. && .FIRE WEATHER... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL DOMINATE EASTERN NM...NORTHERN TX AND OKLAHOMA MOST OF THIS WEEK AND THUS BRING HOT AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER THIS WEEK. THERE WILL BE SOME ISOLATED PM SHOWERS AND TSTMS WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE MAINLY CONCENTRATED NEAR THE AZ BORDER AND A FEW CLOUD BUILDUPS/TSTMS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN ELSEWHERE IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. ABUNDANT SUNSHINE AND DRIER CONDITIONS WILL MEAN A WARMING TREND WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES OVER MOST AREAS BY MIDWEEK. MIN RH VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 25% TO 30% LOWLANDS AND 35% TO 40% ABOVE 7500 FT. MONDAY DROPPING ABOUT 5% ALL AREAS TUESDAY. FOR THE MOST PART THE HAINES INDEX WILL CONTINUE IN THE 3 CATEGORY TODAY AND TUESDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 74 100 76 101 75 / 10 10 10 10 10 SIERRA BLANCA 67 96 69 97 68 / 10 10 10 10 10 LAS CRUCES 68 98 70 99 69 / 10 10 10 10 10 ALAMOGORDO 68 100 70 101 69 / 10 10 10 10 10 CLOUDCROFT 51 77 53 78 52 / 20 20 10 10 10 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 68 98 70 99 69 / 10 10 10 10 10 SILVER CITY 62 93 64 94 63 / 30 30 20 20 20 DEMING 68 99 70 100 69 / 20 10 10 10 10 LORDSBURG 69 100 71 101 70 / 30 20 20 20 20 WEST EL PASO METRO 76 99 78 100 77 / 10 10 10 10 10 DELL CITY 65 101 67 102 66 / 10 10 10 10 10 FORT HANCOCK 71 101 73 102 72 / 10 10 10 10 10 LOMA LINDA 66 94 68 95 67 / 10 10 10 10 10 FABENS 72 99 74 100 73 / 10 10 10 10 10 SANTA TERESA 72 100 74 101 73 / 10 10 10 10 10 WHITE SANDS HQ 70 98 72 99 71 / 10 10 10 10 10 JORNADA RANGE 65 99 67 100 66 / 10 10 10 10 10 HATCH 66 99 68 100 67 / 10 10 10 10 10 COLUMBUS 69 99 71 100 70 / 20 10 10 10 10 OROGRANDE 72 101 74 102 73 / 10 10 10 10 10 MAYHILL 54 86 56 87 55 / 20 20 10 10 10 MESCALERO 54 87 56 88 55 / 20 20 10 10 10 TIMBERON 55 86 57 87 56 / 20 20 10 10 10 WINSTON 57 89 59 90 58 / 30 20 20 20 20 HILLSBORO 62 92 64 93 63 / 20 10 10 10 10 SPACEPORT 67 97 69 98 68 / 10 10 10 10 10 LAKE ROBERTS 58 92 60 93 59 / 30 30 20 20 20 HURLEY 63 94 65 95 64 / 20 10 10 10 10 CLIFF 61 100 63 101 62 / 20 20 20 20 20 MULE CREEK 58 96 60 97 59 / 30 30 20 20 20 FAYWOOD 62 94 64 95 63 / 20 10 10 10 10 ANIMAS 66 97 68 98 67 / 30 20 20 20 20 HACHITA 66 97 68 98 67 / 30 10 10 10 10 ANTELOPE WELLS 66 97 68 98 67 / 30 20 20 10 10 CLOVERDALE 62 92 64 93 63 / 40 20 20 20 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/NOVLAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1140 AM MDT TUE JUL 31 2012 NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-011745- UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-SOUTHERN GILA HIGHLANDS/BLACK RANGE- SOUTHERN GILA FOOTHILLS/MIMBRES VALLEY- SOUTHWEST DESERT/LOWER GILA RIVER VALLEY-LOWLANDS OF THE BOOTHEEL- UPLANDS OF THE BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- EASTERN BLACK RANGE FOOTHILLS-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES- NORTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY-SOUTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY/MESILLA VALLEY- CENTRAL TULAROSA BASIN-SOUTHERN TULAROSA BASIN- WEST SLOPES SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET- SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 7500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET-OTERO MESA- WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY-EASTERN/CENTRAL EL PASO COUNTY- NORTHERN HUDSPETH HIGHLANDS/HUECO MOUNTAINS-SALT BASIN- SOUTHERN HUDSPETH HIGHLANDS- RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF EASTERN EL PASO/WESTERN HUDSPETH COUNTIES- RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF EASTERN HUDSPETH COUNTY- 1140 AM MDT TUE JUL 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NM AND TX. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT MOST THE AREA WILL BE HOT AND DRY TODAY...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE RAIN CHANCES WILL CONTINUE OUT WEST...WHILE THE EAST WILL BE SUNNY...HOT AND DRY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Cooperative Observer at Buckhorn reported 2.27 inches of rain which was only 0.28 inches below normal for the month.
The entire zone dropped from Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Cooperative Observer in White Signal reported 2.04 inches of rain which was 0.63 inches below normal.
The area went from Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Cooperative Observer in Faywood reported 0.87 inches of rain. The August average is 2.69 inches.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Lordsburg Cooperative Observer reported 0.61 inches of rain which was 1.35 inches below normal.
The zone went from Severe(D2) drought to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Cooperative Observer in Animas reported 1.01 inches of rain which was 1.23 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) drought to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th.
The southwestern portion of the zone was in Severe(D2) drought through the entire month. The remainder of the area went from Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought on August 14th. The Deming ASOS reported 1.06 inches of rain which was 0.52 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) drought to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Hillsboro Cooperative Observer reported 0.74 inches of rain which was 1.66 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Severe(D2) to Moderate(D1) drought on August 28th. The Cooperative Observer at Elephant Butte Dam reported 2.07 inches of rain which was 0.06 inches above normal.
The northern half of the zone was in Severe(D2) drought for the entire month. The southern areas went from Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought on August 14th. The Jornada Range Cooperative Observer reported 0.61 inches of rain. The average rainfall for August is 1.95 inches.
The northern half of the zone was in Severe(D2) drought through the month. The southern half went from Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought on August 14th. The White Sands National Monument Cooperative Observer reported 0.45 inches of rain which was 1.30 inches below normal.
The entire zone was in Severe(D2) drought through the month of August.
The entire zone went from Extreme(D3) drought to Severe(D2) drought. The Cooperative Observer in Cloudcroft reported 5.04 inches of rain which was 0.42 inches below normal.
The entire zone went from Extreme(D3) to Severe(D2) drought.
The month started out with Severe(D2) drought in the southwest and Extreme(D3) drought elsewhere. By the end of the month, the entire zone was in Severe(D2) drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2012
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: 410334, 410336, 410339, 410340, 410341, 410342, 410343, 410346, 410348, 410353, 410354, 410356, 410358, 410359, 410361.