Another month with below normal precipitation, especially over the lower elevations lead to more areas transitioning from Extreme(D3) drought to Exceptional(D4) drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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.
Another month with below normal precipitation, especially over the lower elevations lead to more areas transitioning from Extreme(D3) drought to Exceptional(D4) 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 Apr 30, 10:21 PM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM 1121 PM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 200 AM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025 - Temperatures near normal, to slightly above, for early May. - Dry areawide with slightly breezy afternoons through Thursday. - Moisture pushes into eastern areas for Friday and Saturday, bringing low to medium thunderstorm chances, especially from the Rio Grande Valley and eastward, and area mountains. - Hazardous weather day looking likely Sunday as strong winds, blowing dust, and critical fire danger return. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 143 PM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025 Today's departing storm system is keeping the region a bit cooler on continued breezy wind conditions that have turned more westerly on the back side of the exiting upper trough. We keep the dry air pouring in with all the associated moisture staying well to our north. Tonight will be seasonal, with dry conditions and light winds. Thursday follows with a minor shortwave ridge passing across the region. This will allow for a warming of 3-5 degrees, with afternoon highs back above the seasonal average. Winds will also be lighter as pressure gradients at all levels loosen. Winds will shift back to SW and keep the fetch of dry air streaming in. Friday begins a moisture intrusion from the east, as we see high pressure at the surface push a boundary of gulf moisture in from W TX and the Eastern NM Plains, across the Central Mountain Chain, and into the Rio Grande Valley. Models vary a bit on the strength and depth of the moisture push, but it is safe today that Friday's initial push will be limited to the RG and east for all but Sierra Country into the Black Range area. Those area will see some POPs, with spotty light rain, and isolated thunderstorms possible. Friday night, into Saturday, the east push of moisture makes a stronger push west to the Continental Divide. This means dewpoints rising into the 40s along the dryline (around DMN) to the 50s east for Saturday. PWATs will rise to the 0.50-0.75" levels for our central and eastern zones. Heating and weak convergence will allow for some destabilization, with LIs 0 to -3 and CAPE 200-600 J/kg in those central and eastern zones. Thus isolated to scattered shower and storms are expected. Severe storms not expected, but strong outflow winds, with blowing dust is possible. Sunday the moisture gets a shove back east, where it will linger over OTERO and HUDSPETH counties, with the rest of the region back to dry conditions. This is due to the next Pacific low pressure system approaching. We will see a return of S-SW winds, which will strengthen as the gradients tighten aloft, and we develop a sharp surface trough right over the area. Winds of 20-30 mph look likely with gusts 30-40 mph possible. This will result in blowing dust and Critical fire weather conditions for our central and western zones. Watch for wind, dust, and fire headlines in the coming days. Monday looks to continue breezy to windy as the upper low will be show to lift, due to a blocking pattern downstream, over the Central and Eastern U.S. We could repeat Sunday with more headlines for the same hazards. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1120 PM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025 VMC through forecast period under west flow aloft. Skies FEW- SCT250 with broken high clouds over central NM overnight, becoming clear again Thursday afternoon. Surface winds light overnight 270-300 at 05-10 knots. Southwest winds 220-250 at 08-12 knots this afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 143 PM MDT Wed Apr 30 2025 After another day of Elevated fire weather conditions, due to dry and breezy conditions, winds will slacken quickly this evening, but RH recover will continue quite poor overnight. For Thursday a minor shortwave ridge moves over helping to add a few degrees to the afternoon max temperatures, drop afternoon minRH to critically low values, but also slack winds to their lightest of the week. However due to fuel conditions and extreme dryness, conditions will continue somewhat elevated. Friday be being to see some east wind influence that will bring in some low-level, shallow gulf moisture. This will bring the dryline into our region, to the Rio Grande valley and Gila for Friday, and to the Continental Divide for Saturday. This will aid in RHs late this week and lower the fire danger threat, at least east of the Rio Grande. Both days will have low-medium rain/thunderstorm chances. Mostly east of the RGV on Friday, but even the Black Range could see something Friday. Saturday, rain/storm chances extend a bit more west into all but the SW deserts. Dry lower levels will bring the threat of dry lightning. Sunday looks to bring our next day of Critical fire weather conditions for all but the SACs. Winds will increase from the S-SW ahead of a potent upper low, resulting in critical to extreme fire weather conditions mainly west of the RGV. Fire weather products will likely be needed for Sunday. Seasonal temperatures are expected through next weekend. Min RHs range from 5-15% through Thu, then 15-40% east of the RGV by Sat. Vent rates will be mostly excellent. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... El Paso 55 86 56 86 / 0 0 0 10 Sierra Blanca 49 82 51 81 / 0 0 0 10 Las Cruces 47 82 49 82 / 0 0 0 20 Alamogordo 48 83 48 82 / 0 0 0 30 Cloudcroft 36 60 36 57 / 0 0 0 50 Truth or Consequences 52 82 52 80 / 0 0 0 50 Silver City 46 74 46 76 / 0 0 0 20 Deming 46 84 47 85 / 0 0 0 10 Lordsburg 44 81 46 83 / 0 0 0 10 West El Paso Metro 55 83 57 84 / 0 0 0 10 Dell City 46 86 48 80 / 0 0 0 10 Fort Hancock 50 89 52 89 / 0 0 0 10 Loma Linda 52 78 53 76 / 0 0 0 10 Fabens 50 87 53 87 / 0 0 0 10 Santa Teresa 49 82 50 83 / 0 0 0 10 White Sands HQ 57 84 57 83 / 0 0 0 20 Jornada Range 46 82 46 82 / 0 0 0 30 Hatch 46 84 46 84 / 0 0 0 30 Columbus 51 84 53 85 / 0 0 0 0 Orogrande 49 81 49 80 / 0 0 0 20 Mayhill 41 74 39 64 / 0 0 0 50 Mescalero 39 71 39 66 / 0 0 0 50 Timberon 38 69 38 66 / 0 0 0 30 Winston 39 75 38 70 / 0 0 0 50 Hillsboro 47 81 48 79 / 0 0 0 30 Spaceport 45 82 46 80 / 0 0 0 40 Lake Roberts 41 76 41 76 / 0 0 0 30 Hurley 43 78 43 79 / 0 0 0 20 Cliff 41 81 42 83 / 0 0 0 20 Mule Creek 43 77 43 78 / 0 0 0 10 Faywood 47 77 48 77 / 0 0 0 20 Animas 44 83 46 84 / 0 0 0 0 Hachita 44 82 46 83 / 0 0 0 0 Antelope Wells 46 82 47 82 / 0 0 0 0 Cloverdale 47 76 48 76 / 0 0 0 0 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. NM...None. && FORECASTER...30-Dennhardt
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
No change was noted in drought conditions in May with the southern half of the zone remaining in Exceptional(D4) drought and the north in Extreme(D3) drought. The Cooperative Observer in Cliff reported just a trace of precipitation which was 0.39 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Exceptional(D4) drought during the month of May.
The entire zone remained in Exceptional(D4) drought. The Redrock Cooperative Observer reported 0.07 inches of precipitation which was 0.35 inches below normal.
The zone started May with Exceptional(D4) drought over the north and Extreme(D3) drought across the south. By the end of the month, the entire zone was in Exceptional(D4) drought. The Antelope Wells Cooperative Observer reported no precipitation which was 0.24 inches below normal.
May started out with the northern half of the zone in Exceptional(D4) drought with the south in Extreme(D3) drought. By the end of the month, the entire zone was in Exceptional(D4) drought.
The northwest portion of the zone started out in Exceptional(D4) drought with the rest of the zone in Extreme(D3) drought. By the end of May, all areas except the far northeast was placed into Exceptional(D4) drought. The Deming Airport reported 0.03 inches of precipitation which was 0.12 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought through the month of May. The Hillsboro Cooperative Observer reported 0.02 inches of precipitation which was 0.66 inches below normal.
The zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought through the month of May. The Truth or Consequences Airport reported 0.08 inches of precipitation which was 0.47 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought through the month of May.
No change was noted in drought conditions with the far southern areas remaining in Exceptional(D4) drought with the remainder of the zone in Extreme(D3) drought. The Cooperative Observer at New Mexico State University received 0.11 inches of precipitation which was 0.27 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought for the month. The Mountain Park Cooperative Observer reported 0.67 inches of precipitation which was 0.17 inches below normal.
Extreme(D3) drought continued through the month of May for the entire zone.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought through the month of May. The Cooperative Observer in Elk reported 0.79 inches of precipitation which was 0.20 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought in May.
Exceptional(D4) drought continued across the entire zone in May. The Cooperative Observer in White Signal received just a trace of precipitation which was 0.38 inches below normal.
The month started out with the western half of the zone in Exceptional(D4) drought and the east in Extreme(D3) drought. At the end of May, the entire zone was in Exceptional(D4) drought.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought. The Cooperative Observer at the White Sands Missile Range reported 0.04 inches of precipitation which was 0.41 inches below normal.
The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought through the month of May.
Extreme(D3) drought continued through the entire month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, May 2025
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: 1263051, 1263052, 1263055, 1263058, 1263060, 1263061, 1263064, 1263068, 1263069, 1263072, 1263073, 1263074, 1263075, 1263080, 1263082, 1263089, 1263095, 1263096, 1263098.