An upper level trough was passing through Central New Mexico where an area of deep moisture remained from the previous days. Heavy rain was reported in Catron County which caused a log jam break on the west fork of the Gila River which moved south into Gila Hot Springs.
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The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.
An upper level trough was passing through Central New Mexico where an area of deep moisture remained from the previous days. Heavy rain was reported in Catron County which caused a log jam break on the west fork of the Gila River which moved south into Gila Hot Springs.
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 Sep 14, 1:36 AM MST, 10 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 236 AM MDT SAT SEP 14 2013 .SYNOPSIS... THE BORDERLAND REMAINS UNDER A MOIST PLUME...BUT DRIER AIR IS ON IT'S WAY. TODAY THE AREA WILL SEE MORE SUNSHINE BUT THE WARMER TEMPERATURES THAT RESULT WILL HELP TO PRODUCED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS THE REGION. SOME OF THESE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. THUS THERE REMAINS POTENTIAL FOR LOCAL FLOODING DUE TO PREVIOUS HEAVY RAIN AND WET GROUNDS. WARMER TEMPERATURES AND ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. SOME TROPICAL MOISTURE MAY MOVE UP OVER WEST TEXAS MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH A BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN ACROSS WEST TEXAS. && .DISCUSSION... DEEP MOISTURE PLUME IS STILL STEAMING DIRECTLY OVER/THROUGH THE BORDERLAND. ALOFT AN UPPER TROUGH IS SLOWLY MOVING EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S...MOVING INTO E AZ/W NM. HIGH PRESSURE CENTERS OVER CENTRAL TX AND WEST OF THE BAJA ARE POISED TO CONNECT IN AN ELONGATED W-E RIDGE TO OUR SOUTH. THE TROUGH AND BAJA RIDGE HAVE DIRECTED A DRY SLOT OVER THE WESTERN CWFA...BUT ENOUGH LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THAT AREA FOR STORMS TO FORM...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ADDED DYNAMICS OF THE APPROACHING/PASSING TROUGH. THE BULK OF THE DEEP MOISTURE IS OVER THE EASTERN 1/2 OF THE CWFA. THIS REGION SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE BKN CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS. WILL SEE MORE SUN...LESS RAIN COVERAGE... AND WARMER TEMPS TODAY. TONIGHT AND TOMORROW THE RIDGE LOOKS TO GET ESTABLISHED TO OUR SOUTH. THIS EFFECTIVELY PINCHES OFF THE MOISTURE CONNECTION FROM THE SOUTH. WE WILL SEE PW'S DROP TO BELOW 1 INCH. THE TROUGH TO OUR NORTH IS STILL IN PLAY AND IT COULD ENHANCE SOME STORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NORTHWEST ZONES SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SEE SEE A FURTHER REDUCTION IN STORMS FOR THESE PERIODS. SUNDAY AND MONDAY THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF BETTER SHOWER AND STORM FORMATION VS THE LOWLANDS...AS THE MOISTURE LEVELS DROP PLACING THE LOWLANDS IN MARGINAL STATUS FOR INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE AVAILABILITY. IN ADDITION THE TROUGH PASSING SLOWLY TO OUR NORTH WILL LIKELY AIDE IN PRODUCING STORMS OVER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWFA. AGAIN TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER WITH MORE SUNSHINE AND WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING ALOFT ACROSS THE SOUTH. THE BIG QUESTION FOR DAYS 4-7...TUE-FRI IS: CAN WE RECONNECT TO DEEP MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH. TWO TROPICAL SYSTEMS HANG TO OUR SOUTH...MANUAL IN THE PACIFIC AND INGRID IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. MODELS ARE NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON WHETHER TO ALLOW THAT MOISTURE TO MOVE NORTH AND OVER THE AREA...BUT IT IS A POSSIBILITY. BOTH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF MODELS INDICATE THE MOISTURE SNEAKS UP THROUGH A WEAKNESS IN THE RIDGE...BUT TO OUR EAST...OVER TX...NOT OUR AREA. WE HAVE BEGUN TO INCREASE POPS A BIT OVER THE W TX ZONES BASED ON THIS POSSIBILITY...BUT IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL REMAIN MOSTLY DRY. && .AVIATION...VALID 14/12Z-15/12Z... A MOIST AIR MASS STILL IN PLACE OVER THE AREA BUT BEGINNING TO DRY A BIT. HOWEVER THROUGH AT LEAST MID MORNING...AREAS WITH LOW CIGS AND REDUCED VSBY IN FOG AND RAIN EXPECTED THROUGH 16Z. AREAS OF MVFR EXPECTED MID MORNING WITH A FEW AREAS INTERMITTENTLY DROPPING TO IFR CONDS. MTN TOPS OFTEN OBSCURED. GRADUALLY CLEARING CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR KEPZ...KLRU...KDMN AFT 12Z...AND MOST LOCATIONS AT VFR CRITERIA. HOWEVER...ISOLD-SCT SHRA AND TSRA AFT 18Z WILL ALLOW FOR ISOLD MVFR CONDS IN CIGS AND VSBY IN +RA. && .FIRE WEATHER... VERY MOIST CONDITIONS STILL OVER THE AREA TODAY...BUT THE TREND TOWARD A DRIER...MORE NORMAL ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BEGIN TODAY. A BROAD HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL FORM TO OUR SOUTH AND PINCH OFF THE DEEP SOUTHERLY MOISTURE TAP. SAYING THIS...THE AREA WILL NOT COMPLETELY DRY OUT. THE PATTERN IS FAIRLY COMPLICATED WITH NO STRONG FEATURES MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. TODAY WE EXPECT CONTINUED HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...BUT MORE SUN AND WARMER TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. STILL PLENTY OF MOISTURE TODAY...TO PROVIDE FAIR TO GOOD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR ALL FIRE ZONES. WITH MOIST AIR AND ONLY MODERATE UNSTABLE CONDITIONS...HAINES WILL REMAIN VERY LOW TO LOW. WE STILL HAVE ELEVATED FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL ACROSS THE REGION DUE TO PREVIOUS HEAVY RAIN AND WET GROUND. STORMS SHOULD BECOME MORE ISOLATED SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 85 68 86 69 86 / 20 20 10 20 20 SIERRA BLANCA 87 62 86 64 86 / 10 20 20 20 20 LAS CRUCES 84 63 84 65 84 / 20 20 20 20 10 ALAMOGORDO 87 65 86 67 87 / 30 20 20 20 20 CLOUDCROFT 62 47 62 51 63 / 60 30 40 30 30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 83 61 83 63 84 / 40 30 20 20 10 SILVER CITY 74 60 74 63 76 / 40 30 30 20 20 DEMING 83 62 84 64 84 / 30 20 20 20 10 LORDSBURG 84 63 86 65 85 / 30 30 20 20 10 WEST EL PASO METRO 86 68 86 70 86 / 20 20 20 20 20 DELL CITY 86 62 86 63 86 / 20 20 10 20 20 FORT HANCOCK 89 66 89 67 89 / 10 20 10 10 20 LOMA LINDA 82 63 80 66 82 / 20 20 20 20 20 FABENS 86 68 86 69 86 / 10 20 10 10 20 SANTA TERESA 85 65 85 67 85 / 20 20 20 20 10 WHITE SANDS HQ 84 64 84 66 84 / 30 20 20 20 20 JORNADA RANGE 84 62 84 64 84 / 30 20 20 20 20 HATCH 81 62 81 64 81 / 30 20 20 20 10 COLUMBUS 83 65 84 67 84 / 20 20 20 20 10 OROGRANDE 86 66 86 68 86 / 20 20 20 20 20 MAYHILL 70 52 69 56 71 / 50 30 30 30 30 MESCALERO 73 52 72 56 74 / 50 30 30 30 30 TIMBERON 72 50 71 54 73 / 50 30 30 20 30 WINSTON 72 52 72 56 74 / 60 40 30 30 20 HILLSBORO 78 59 78 62 80 / 50 30 30 20 10 SPACEPORT 83 61 83 63 83 / 40 20 20 20 10 LAKE ROBERTS 75 56 76 60 77 / 60 40 30 30 20 HURLEY 77 59 76 62 78 / 40 30 20 20 10 CLIFF 80 58 83 57 83 / 50 30 20 20 20 MULE CREEK 78 52 81 55 83 / 60 40 20 20 20 FAYWOOD 78 60 77 63 79 / 40 30 20 20 10 ANIMAS 84 63 86 65 85 / 30 30 20 20 10 HACHITA 82 61 84 63 83 / 30 30 20 20 10 ANTELOPE WELLS 82 59 84 61 83 / 20 20 20 20 10 CLOVERDALE 79 59 80 62 81 / 30 20 20 20 10 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 14-BIRD
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 195 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:07 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A debris filled flood wave from a log jam break on the west fork of the GIla River in Catron County caused flash flooding in Gila Hot Springs. Rescues were necessary. Debris crossed roads causing some closures.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, September 2013
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: 476957.