An upper level low was over the California/Nevada border and was moving eastward. A surface trough was also across southeast New Mexico and far West Texas aiding in lift.
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 MAF wrote it up.
An upper level low was over the California/Nevada border and was moving eastward. A surface trough was also across southeast New Mexico and far West Texas aiding in lift. Very moist and unstable conditions were present allowing for thunderstorms to develop across southeast 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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 22, 1:06 PM MST, 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 306 PM CDT Thu May 22 2014 .DISCUSSION... Potent upper level low pressure area in southern California will continue to be the main weather influence through much of the next week as it very slowly moves east toward the forecast area. For this evening the best chance of thunderstorms will be west of a Lamesa...Midland...Fort Stockton line closest to the upper low and surface trough and aided by moist and unstable upslope flow. A few storms could be strong to severe given capes forecast to be in the 1000-2000 j/kg range and 0 to 6 kilometer shear values of 20 to 40 knots. The convection will attempt to move eastward overnight and Friday morning as the low level jet kicks in and a mid level shortwave tracks across the Permian Basin. Will go with chance pops in southeast New Mexico and the Permian Basin late tonight and Friday morning with slight pops further south and west into the higher terrain of extreme southwest Texas. Localized flash flooding will be a concern given hard ground due to drought and poor drainage areas in urban areas. Another round of thunderstorms is expected to redevelop across the western half of the forecast area Friday afternoon closet to the upper low and surface trough with upslope flow. These storms will also have the potential to become severe given capes approaching 2000 j/kg and 0 to 6 kilometer shear of 30 to 35 knots. Kept the pops in the slight chance category (no severe storm wording) further east across the eastern Permian Basin and lower Trans Pecos Friday afternoon and Friday night. Confidence was not high enough at this time that the convection will move that far east late Friday night and early Saturday given current model signals. Do not see a strong signal for widespread flash flooding these periods but localized flash flooding will be possible given the aforementioned ground conditions. By Saturday through Monday the upper level storm system is forecast to track only very slowly northeastward from Arizona toward the central Rockies. This should allow the dryline to move further east toward the west Texas/eastern New Mexico border. In turn the best chance for thunderstorms will shift eastward into west Texas especially the Permian Basin. Severe thunderstorms will be an increasing concern with increasing winds and diffluent flow aloft and significant instability progged. Flash flooding will be a concern as well particularly Saturday and Sunday as large scale lift increases above the dryline with the eastward advancement of the upper low. By next Tuesday the upper low is forecast to be passing by to the north of the forecast area. Thunderstorms will still be possible across the eastern Permian Basin along a surface trough/front with unstable cyclonic northwest flow aloft progged to be in place. Temperatures are expected to be below normal Friday through Tuesday with abundant cloud cover persisting underneath cyclonic flow aloft. Temperatures are expected to warm to near normal next Wednesday and Thursday as the upper low pulls away to the northeast. Will keep the forecast dry for now these days given significant model divergence that far out in the extended forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ANDREWS TX 65 83 64 82 / 50 50 30 40 BIG SPRING TX 67 82 66 82 / 50 50 40 50 CARLSBAD NM 61 85 62 84 / 40 30 40 40 DRYDEN TX 69 88 67 91 / 50 50 30 30 FORT STOCKTON TX 66 86 66 87 / 40 30 30 30 GUADALUPE PASS TX 58 80 58 78 / 40 30 40 40 HOBBS NM 59 81 59 79 / 50 50 40 40 MARFA TX 54 84 51 85 / 60 30 30 30 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 65 83 66 83 / 50 50 30 40 ODESSA TX 67 84 66 83 / 40 40 30 40 WINK TX 68 86 67 84 / 40 30 30 30 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 49/12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 208 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2014 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-231915- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND-GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU- BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 208 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2014 /108 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON FROM SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO, SOUTHWARD OVER THE UPPER TRANS PECOS, DAVIS MOUNTAINS AND INTO THE BIG BEND REGION, WITH SOME STORMS SPREADING INTO THE PERMIAN BASIN OVERNIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS NEAR 60 MPH. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE, IN ADDITION TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. URBAN AREAS WILL BE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT OVER ALL OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS. SEVERE STORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE, BUT MAINLY WEST OF A SEMINOLE, ODESSA AND SANDERSON LINE. QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE, AS WILL LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND AHEAD OF A LARGE, SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVING TOWARD THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. SEVERE STORMS, IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL, WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, IF NOT MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT /LOWER CASE/ HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 236 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2014 NMZ029-033-222000- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY- 136 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING CENTRAL LEA COUNTY UNTIL 200 PM MDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF LOVINGTON AT 136 PM MDT...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 MPH. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE. && LAT...LON 3313 10375 3330 10335 3293 10330 3283 10348 TIME...MOT...LOC 1936Z 143DEG 20KT 3296 10346
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
313 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2014
NMZ027-028-TXZ057-058-258-222115-
GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS-
VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS-
REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-
213 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING
NORTH CENTRAL CULBERSON AND SOUTH CENTRAL EDDY COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM
MDT/415 PM CDT/...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 16 MILES SOUTH OF CARLSBAD CAVERNS
NATIONAL PARK AT 213 PM MDT/313 PM CDT/...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IN ADDITION TO PENNY SIZE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...DEADLY
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN
HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK
SAFE SHELTER NOW.
&&
LAT...LON 3218 10461 3234 10424 3210 10418 3167 10449
3184 10469
TIME...MOT...LOC 2013Z 214DEG 27KT 3194 10457SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 316 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2014 NMZ028-222045- EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- 216 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING NORTH CENTRAL EDDY COUNTY UNTIL 245 PM MDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL EDDY COUNTY AT 216 PM MDT...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. SMALL HAIL TO PENNY SIZE AND WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND STRONG WINDS... DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER... YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER NOW. && LAT...LON 3297 10390 3285 10394 3279 10414 3297 10433 TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 158DEG 25KT 3292 10412
The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 201 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:25 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm moved across Eddy County and produced a 60 mph wind gust ten miles south of Whites City. No damage was reported.
Heavy rain moved across Eddy County and produced flash flooding about 20 miles west southwest of Carlsbad. Five feet deep of flowing water was reported on Eddy County Road, aka Dark Canyon Road. This road was blocked by county road crews. No damage was reported so the cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
Penny sized hail was reported six miles southwest of U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 137.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, May 2014
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: 509651, 509652, 509654.