New Mexico, 2015

Hail and Damaging Wind in New Mexico, October 5, 2015

October 5, 2015 · NWS EPZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

An upper low was moving through Southern California with southwest flow aloft across the region. A surface low and associated cold front moved through Southern New Mexico.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.

An upper low was moving through Southern California with southwest flow aloft across the region. A surface low and associated cold front moved through Southern New Mexico. Dew points were well into the 50s and southeast surface winds provided sufficient wind shear for severe thunderstorms.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 5, 2:31 AM MST, 11 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 5, 2:31 AM MST, 11 hours 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 5, 5:00 AM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
600 AM MDT MON OCT 05 2015

NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-061245-
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-
600 AM MDT MON OCT 05 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NM AND TX.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. A
FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL UP TO AN INCH IN
DIAMETER...WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALLS. THERE IS
ALSO A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A TORNADO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE
WEATHER WILL BE FROM THE ARIZONA BORDER EAST TO A LAS CRUCES TO EL
PASO LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL AT LEAST AN INCH
IN DIAMETER...WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HEAVY RAINFALLS. THERE WILL
ALSO BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A TORNADO ON TUESDAY.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THURSDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT POSSIBLE LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALLS WITH POSSIBLE FLOODING
TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

ROGASH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 5, 12:46 PM MST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 5, 1:10 PM MST, 49 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 5, 1:52 PM MST, 7 minutes before
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The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 172 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hidalgo

When
October 5, 1:59 PM MST to 2:05 PM MST
Where
Hidalgo County, 0.59 mi W of Animas
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
31.950, -108.810

Power poles down in Animas.

Hail, Grant

When
October 5, 2:15 PM MST
Where
Grant County, 1.35 mi WNW of White Signal
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
32.560, -108.370

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, October 2015

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 605104, 605103.