After being put into Moderate(D1) drought for a short time, South Central New Mexico was put into Severe(D2) drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 being put into Moderate(D1) drought for a short time, South Central New Mexico was put into Severe(D2) drought.
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 14, 1:37 AM MST, 11 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 237 AM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012 .SYNOPSIS... THE SUMMER MONSOON PATTERN HAS HAD TROUBLE STAYING ESTABLISHED ACROSS FAR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AS HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT CONTINUES OVER THE REGION. AS A RESULT ONLY MARGINAL MOISTURE RESIDES OVER THE BORDERLAND. THIS GENERALLY LIMIT STORM ACTIVITY. HOWEVER SEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES EACH AFTERNOON WILL WORK TO GENERATE SCATTERED AFTERNOON STORMS ACROSS AREA MOUNTAINS AND ISOLATED LOWLAND STORMS LATE IN THE DAY MOST OF THIS WEEK. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY A SLIGHT INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED BEHIND A WEAK FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .DISCUSSION... THE BROKEN MONSOON PATTERN CONTINUES AS A HIGH PRESSURE CENTER ALOFT REMAIN STRADDLED ACROSS SE AM AND SW NM. THIS IS KEEPING DEEP SEATED MONSOONAL FLOW/MOISTURE WELL TO OUR SOUTH. HOWEVER THE HIGH IS NOT SO DOMINATE THAT MOISTURE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO PENETRATE IT. THUS WE FIND OUR ATMOSPHERE WITH A BIT OVER 1" PW. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT IMPRESSIVE GIVEN THE SEASON...AND IT IS ONLY MARGINAL FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT GIVEN HIGH PRESSURE/WARM TEMPS ALOFT AND NO DISCERNIBLE DISTURBANCES ALOFT OR FORCING BELOW. THUS THE REGION WILL RELY ON SURFACE HEATING AND ORTHOGRAPHIC UPSLOPE FLOW AS DESTABILIZING FORCES. ALL THIS POINTS TOWARD MIDDAY MTN STORMS AND EVENING LOWLAND STORMS...IN THE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED RANGE OF COVERAGE. EXPECT A REPEAT WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THE UPPER HIGH SHIFTS NW TO S NV. THIS LOOKS TO ALLOW A BIT MORE MOISTURE TO MOVE INTO OUR REGION. PREVIOUS MODELS SHOWED A NICELY DEFINED SURFACE FRONT TO PUSH OUT OF THE PLAINS INTO OUR AREA. THIS CREATED A STRONG FOCUS IN THE MODELS FOR PCPN DEVELOPMENT AND ADDITIONAL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FOR OUR AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THIS SOLUTION IS NOT SO APPARENT IN THE CURRENT SUITE OF MODEL OUTPUT. WITH THE UPPER HIGH NO LONGER OVERHEAD WITH POTENTIAL FOR IMPULSES TO SKIRT THE AREA AND SOME MEASURE OF INCREASED MOISTURE BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF SHOWERS AND STORMS FOR THE FRI AFT-SAT NIGHT PERIODS EVEN IS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEVER ARRIVES. THUS POPS ARE HIGH FOR THAT DURATION. THIS PERIOD OF INCREASED MOISTURE AND BETTER RAIN CHANCES MAY EXTEND INTO SUNDAY. SUNDAY AND MORE SO MONDAY-TUESDAY THE UPPER HIGH IS PROGGED TO EITHER DROP BACK SE AND RECENTER OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO OR STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND ACROSS THE ENTIRE SW. THIS SHOULD MEAN A NOTICEABLE WARMING AND DRYING OF THE ATMOSPHERE WITH A CORRESPONDING LOWERING OF POPS AND RAISING OF TEMPERATURES TO END THIS FORECAST CYCLE. && .AVIATION....VALID 14/12Z-15/12Z. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TERMINALS. SCT-BKN120-150 MID- LEVEL DEBRIS CLOUDS THIS AM LEFT OVER FROM OVERNIGHT SHOWERS. CLEARING THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT MORNING HRS WITH SCT070 FAIR WX CU BY MID MORNING. ISOLD- SCT MOUNTAIN THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AFT 18Z...WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE LOWLANDS AFT 22Z. BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CONDS IN VCTY OF STORMS WITH GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS TO 40KTS...BLDU OR RA MAY REDUCE VSBY TO 1MI. && .FIRE WEATHER... UPPER RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE REGION BUT IS SLOWLY WEAKENING. THIS WEAKENING HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME MOISTURE TO MOVE BACK OVER THE AREA. TODAY MARGINAL ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE IS IN PLACE. DAYTIME HEATING AND OROGRAPHIC SLOPE FLOW WILL GENERATE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MIDDAY AND PM STORMS OVER AREA MOUNTAINS. EXPECT ISOLATED LOWLAND STORMS TO FORM LATE AFTN/EARLY EVE. EXPECT A REPEAT WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY-FRIDAY THE UPPER HIGH WILL SLOWLY SHIFT WESTWARD...ALLOWING WEAK DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED IN THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TO SKIRT THE AREA. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SLIGHT UP-TICK IN AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...THOUGH STORMS WILL TEND TO FAVOR HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS WITH ISOLATED ACTIVITY IN THE LOWLANDS. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT MAY SNEAK INTO THE PICTURE ON THURSDAY...INCREASING CHANCES OF MORE WIDELY SPREAD PRECIPITATION THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. IN THE MEANTIME...EXPECT LIGHT WINDS AND TEMPERATURES CONTINUING TO RUN 5 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 97 75 98 75 97 / 10 10 10 10 20 SIERRA BLANCA 92 68 92 69 91 / 10 20 10 10 20 LAS CRUCES 95 69 96 69 95 / 10 20 10 10 20 ALAMOGORDO 93 70 98 70 97 / 20 20 10 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 71 52 74 53 76 / 30 30 30 30 30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 94 71 97 71 96 / 20 20 10 20 20 SILVER CITY 86 65 89 64 88 / 30 30 20 20 20 DEMING 94 72 96 70 95 / 10 20 10 20 20 LORDSBURG 99 71 95 71 94 / 20 20 20 20 20 WEST EL PASO METRO 96 77 98 77 97 / 10 20 10 10 20 DELL CITY 97 70 98 71 97 / 10 20 20 10 20 FORT HANCOCK 98 72 101 71 100 / 10 20 10 10 20 LOMA LINDA 90 69 93 69 92 / 10 20 10 20 20 FABENS 99 75 101 73 100 / 10 20 10 10 20 SANTA TERESA 95 74 98 74 97 / 10 20 10 10 20 WHITE SANDS HQ 93 72 97 73 96 / 10 20 10 20 20 JORNADA RANGE 95 67 98 67 97 / 10 20 10 20 20 HATCH 94 68 96 67 95 / 20 20 10 20 20 COLUMBUS 95 72 96 71 95 / 20 20 10 20 20 OROGRANDE 95 74 100 74 99 / 10 20 10 10 20 MAYHILL 80 61 85 62 84 / 30 30 30 30 30 MESCALERO 83 57 88 57 87 / 30 30 30 30 30 TIMBERON 79 59 86 59 85 / 30 30 30 30 30 WINSTON 85 61 87 60 87 / 30 40 20 30 30 HILLSBORO 89 66 94 65 93 / 20 20 20 20 20 SPACEPORT 94 70 99 69 98 / 20 20 10 20 20 LAKE ROBERTS 89 62 91 60 90 / 30 30 20 30 30 HURLEY 89 66 91 65 90 / 20 20 20 20 20 CLIFF 97 64 97 62 96 / 20 20 20 20 30 MULE CREEK 92 60 91 59 90 / 20 20 20 30 30 FAYWOOD 89 65 90 64 89 / 20 20 20 20 20 ANIMAS 98 68 94 67 93 / 20 20 20 20 20 HACHITA 97 68 96 66 95 / 10 20 20 20 20 ANTELOPE WELLS 96 68 93 67 92 / 20 10 20 20 20 CLOVERDALE 91 68 89 63 88 / 30 20 20 20 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 14-BIRD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1203 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012 NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-151730- 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- 1203 PM MDT TUE AUG 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NM AND TX. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE WITH VERY ISOLATED LOCATIONS RECEIVING UP TO AN INCH OF RAINFALL RESULTING IN A RISK OF MINOR FLOODING. WINDS MAY GUST TO 40 MPH WITH A FEW STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH ACTIVITY INCREASING THURSDAY NIGHT. MOSTLY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE OVER A FEW AREAS...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. WINDS ALSO GUSTING TO 40 MPH WITH SOME STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED...MAINLY TO MONITOR AND REPORT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING. ROGASH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
On August 14th, all areas except the southeast portion of the zone were put into Severe(D2) drought. Only 0.72 inches of rain was reported at the New Mexico State University Cooperative Observer. This was 1.16 inches below normal.
The northern half of the zone went from Moderate(D1) to Severe(D2) drought on August 14th. The southern areas remained in Moderate(D1) drought for the entire month. The Cooperative Observer at Orogrande reported 2.27 inches of rain for the month which was 0.30 inches above normal.
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: 410363, 410366.