Weather
Highlights
The summer of
2004 was one of the stormiest in many years across southern New
Mexico and far western Texas. From June through September numerous
showers and thunderstorms rumbled across the region dumping
heavy rain and hail and occasionally producing damaging winds.
At least one small tornado was also generated from area
thunderstorms.
The summer weather pattern included several east-to-west moving
or "back door" cold fronts which generated many of the
thunderstorms. In addition, a number of upper- level disturbances
moved across the southern Rockies further contributing to
the stormy weather. This was in dramatic contrast to the
unusually dry summer of 2003. |
On June 24, 2004, thunderstorms produced this
small tornado over Santa Teresa
N.M. ( Photographed by Charlotte Rogash) |
June 2: Hot day across the
deserts with El Paso tying a record with a high of 102 degrees.
June 3: Two clusters of thunderstorms merge over over Dona Ana
County in the Las Cruces area. Widespread hail, including hail
the size of golf balls, fall around the city with wind gusts
over 60 mph. Almost 3 inches of rain fall at Radium Springs and almost 2 inches of rain
fall in 40 minutes just east of
Las Cruces causing street flooding.
June 17: Severe thunderstorms move across Hudspeth County with
nickel-sized hail near Fort Hancock.
June 19: Late afternoon and evening thunderstorms drop almost 2
inches of rain over El Paso with widespread street flooding.
continued on page 2 |
On the night of June 27-28, 2004, showers and
thunderstorms with heavy rains and numerous cloud-to-ground
lightning strikes moved through the El Paso, Texas and Santa
Teresa, N.M. area. (Photographed by Mike Hardiman) |