A very moist air mass remained in place across the region as a result of the seasonal monsoon flow. An upper level disturbance moved in from the northwest and managed to destabilize the atmosphere and resulted in numerous strong to severe 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 very moist air mass remained in place across the region as a result of the seasonal monsoon flow. An upper level disturbance moved in from the northwest and managed to destabilize the atmosphere and resulted in numerous strong to severe thunderstorms.
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 23, 12:50 PM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 150 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL COMBINE WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE AT THE SURFACE TO HELP DEVELOP SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING...HEAVY RAIN WITH SOME OF THE STORMS IS POSSIBLE. RAIN CHANCES WILL DECREASE SOME FOR FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .DISCUSSION... THIS HAS BEEN A SUMMER OF LOTS OF BLOWN OPPORTUNITIES FOR RAIN. TODAY LOOKS TO BE ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE TO GET SOME RAIN...WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO LATER THIS EVENING. AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES IN IT WILL HELP DESTABILIZE OUR ATMOSPHERE AND HELP GENERATE SOME THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION THIS MORNING'S SOUNDING GAVE US A PW (PRECIPITABLE WATER) VALUE OF 1.41...WHICH IS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SOME HEAVY RAINS SO ISOLATED FLOODING WILL BE A POSSIBILITY. WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE JUST EXACTLY WHERE THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL POP UP THIS EVENING. MOVEMENT WILL GENERALLY BE FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST. ON FRIDAY...THOUGH THE BEST DYNAMICS WILL HAVE MOVED EAST...WE WILL STILL SEE SOME OF THE TROUGH HANGING BACK SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WE WILL SEE A LITTLE DRIER AIR WORK INTO THE REGION WHICH WILL AGAIN HELP REDUCE...BUT NOT ELIMINATE OUR RAIN CHANCES. FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK THE EXTENDED MODELS ARE IN A BIT OF A DISAGREEMENT. THE GFS AND DGEX BUILD THE RIDGE DIRECTLY OVER NEW MEXICO. THIS POSITION WILL CONTINUE TO REDUCE OR EVEN ELIMINATE OUR RAIN CHANCES. BUT THE ECMWF HAS THE HIGH FURTHER TO OUR EAST WHICH ALLOWS PLENTY OF MOISTURE TO SLIDE UP FROM THE SOUTH AND CONTINUE OUR RAIN CHANCES. FOR NOW I WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AND WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT FUTURE FORECAST MODEL RUNS BRING. TAKING A QUICK LOOK AT TEMPERATURES. WE WILL SEE NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY. FOR THE WEEKEND AS WE BEGIN TO DRY OUT WE WILL SEE HIGHS RUNNING A COUPLE OF DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK THE FORECAST IS A LITTLE TRICKY. IF THE GFS WORKS OUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE OUR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEK...BUT IF THE ECMWF IS CORRECT WE COULD ACTUALLY SEE SOME SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. FOR NOW I'VE GONE WITH PERSISTENCE AND HAVE KEPT THE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE FORECAST. && .AVIATION....VALID 24/00Z-25/00Z. WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING THROUGH AREA...WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE SCT SHRA/+TSRAGS/WND VRB30G45-50KT/SCT-BKN GIGS 060-080 AGL THROUGH FIRST PART OF THIS EVENING. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY TRANSITION TO LOWLANDS AFT 01Z...WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DRIVING ACTIVITY MAINLY OVER THESE AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE THROUGH 12Z. THE TROUGH WILL USHER IN SLIGHTLY DRIER MORE STABLE AIR AFTER 18Z FRIDAY. THIS WILL MEAN MAINLY ISOLD SHRA/TSRAGS OVER AREA MOUNTAINS. SCT ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE FOR LOWLANDS IN HUDSPETH AND EASTERN OTERO COUNTIES FRIDAY AFTERNOON. && .FIRE WEATHER... A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE FOUR CORNERS...WILL CONTINUE TO ENHANCE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS EVENING. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY TRANSITION TO LOWLANDS EARLY... WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DRIVING STORMS MAINLY OVER THESE AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE THROUGH 6 AM. HEAVY RAIN REMAINS THE MAIN THREAT... ESPECIALLY ACROSS DRAINAGES IN THE GILA NATIONAL FOREST FROM THE WHITEWATER-BALDY BURN COMPLEX. THIS INCLUDES LITTLE DRY CREEK...PINE CREEK...SACATON CREEK...MOGOLLON AND TURKEY CREEK DRAINAGES. IN THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS...THIS INCLUDES BONITO CREEK FROM THE LITTLE BAER FIRE. RELATIVELY DRIER MORE STABLE AIR WILL FOLLOW PASSAGE OF THE TROUGH FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESTRICT ACTIVITY TO MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. SCATTERED AFTERNOON ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED ACROSS HUDSPETH AND EASTERN OTERO COUNTIES FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ISOLATED AFTERNOON STORMS ARE FORECAST FOR ALL AREAS SATURDAY. MIN RH FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 20S ACROSS THE LOWLANDS...TO 60 PERCENT OR MORE OVER THE HIGH COUNTRY. RH SHOULD FALL 8-12 PERCENT SATURDAY...WITH WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT EXPECTED OVER THE AREA BEHIND THE TROUGH. HAINES INDICES WILL RANGE FROM 2-3 TODAY AND FRIDAY...CLIMBING TO 4 ACROSS THE SOUTHERN DESERTS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THIS TROUGH MAY SEND A WEAK BACKDOOR COLD FRONT OUR WAY LATER SUNDAY. THIS COULD ENHANCE STORM ACTIVITY AGAIN FOR US SUNDAY EVENING AND MONDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY REMAIN 2-5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH MONDAY...POSSIBLY FALLING NEAR OF JUST BELOW NORMAL BEGINNING TUESDAY WITH SOUTHEAST FLOW...BEHIND FRONTAL PASSAGE SHOULD THIS OCCUR. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 73 93 72 94 71 / 40 20 20 10 10 SIERRA BLANCA 66 88 62 88 65 / 30 20 20 10 10 LAS CRUCES 67 90 69 93 66 / 40 20 20 10 10 ALAMOGORDO 68 92 65 94 66 / 40 20 20 20 10 CLOUDCROFT 49 69 48 73 50 / 50 30 30 40 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 68 91 66 93 68 / 40 20 20 20 10 SILVER CITY 62 81 59 86 62 / 30 30 30 30 20 DEMING 67 88 62 96 67 / 30 20 20 10 10 LORDSBURG 68 90 61 97 66 / 30 20 20 10 10 WEST EL PASO METRO 74 91 67 93 74 / 40 20 20 10 10 DELL CITY 66 94 65 94 65 / 30 20 20 20 10 FORT HANCOCK 70 93 66 95 68 / 40 20 20 10 10 LOMA LINDA 66 85 66 85 66 / 40 20 20 10 10 FABENS 72 92 65 94 71 / 40 20 20 10 10 SANTA TERESA 72 90 66 93 70 / 40 20 20 10 10 WHITE SANDS HQ 71 91 64 95 68 / 40 20 20 10 10 JORNADA RANGE 65 91 61 94 63 / 40 20 20 10 10 HATCH 66 89 63 93 64 / 40 20 20 10 10 COLUMBUS 69 90 66 94 68 / 40 20 20 10 10 OROGRANDE 72 92 66 95 71 / 40 20 20 10 10 MAYHILL 57 79 56 81 58 / 50 30 30 40 20 MESCALERO 55 81 55 84 56 / 50 30 30 40 20 TIMBERON 55 77 56 80 58 / 50 30 30 30 20 WINSTON 59 84 53 84 59 / 40 30 30 40 20 HILLSBORO 64 86 56 88 64 / 40 20 20 20 10 SPACEPORT 67 90 63 94 66 / 40 20 20 20 10 LAKE ROBERTS 59 85 55 85 59 / 40 30 30 40 20 HURLEY 63 85 63 86 63 / 30 20 20 10 10 CLIFF 60 89 56 92 58 / 30 20 20 20 10 MULE CREEK 55 82 56 88 55 / 30 20 20 20 20 FAYWOOD 63 86 58 87 62 / 30 20 20 10 10 ANIMAS 65 88 62 96 62 / 30 20 20 10 10 HACHITA 65 89 62 96 63 / 30 20 20 10 10 ANTELOPE WELLS 65 87 61 93 63 / 30 20 20 10 10 CLOVERDALE 62 79 60 85 61 / 30 20 20 10 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/TRIPOLI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1107 AM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-241715- 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- 1107 AM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NM AND TX. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL COMBINE WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE TO HELP FORM SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL OF OVER AN INCH WHICH MAY LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WE WILL DRY OUT A LITTLE FOR FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NWS EL PASO OFFICE VIA OUR 800 NUMBER OR THROUGH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 408 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 NMZ411-413-TXZ418-419-232300- EASTERN/CENTRAL EL PASO COUNTY TX-SOUTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY/MESILLA VALLEY NM-SOUTHERN TULAROSA BASIN NM-WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY TX- 408 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING SOUTHERN DONA ANA AND NORTHWESTERN EL PASO COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM MDT... AT 404 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEASBURG TO 21 MILES WEST OF SUNLAND PARK...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THE WIND GUSTS WILL LIKELY OCCUR AHEAD OF ANY RAINFALL. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NORTHEAST EL PASO... WEST EL PASO... LAS CRUCES... ANTHONY... EAST MESA... TALAVERA... BERINO... SAN MIGUEL... FAIRACRES... ANTHONY GAP... FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK... SOLEDAD CANYON... DRIPPING SPRINGS... KILBOURNE HOLE... 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. JMG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 504 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 NMZ412-414-415-232345- CENTRAL TULAROSA BASIN NM-SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 7500 FEET NM-WEST SLOPES SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET NM- 504 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING EXTREME NORTHEASTERN DONA ANA... EXTREME EASTERN SIERRA AND NORTHWESTERN OTERO COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM MDT... AT 502 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 19 MILES NORTHWEST OF TULAROSA TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TULAROSA...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... TULAROSA... BENT... THREE RIVERS... 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. JMG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX
526 PM MDT THU AUG 23 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0513 PM TSTM WND GST KELP 31.80N 106.40W
08/23/2012 M61 MPH EL PASO TX ASOS
&&
EVENT NUMBER EPZ1200243
JAHThe El Paso radar (KEPZ), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:03 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The ELP ASOS at El Paso International Airport reported a thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph in association with a severe thunderstorm.
A trained spotter reported a 67 mph thunderstorm wind gust along with 1.12 inches of rain in 50 minutes as a severe thunderstorm moved past.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 410532, 410533.