In addition to cold temperatures, there were strong northeasterly winds associated with the arctic air mass. At least one home was reported damaged as winds gusted to an estimated 40 miles an hour along the west slopes of the Franklin Mountains.

Temperatures warmed rapidly into the 70s by October 12 as southerly winds pushed much warmer air back into the region. But this also marked the beginning of a period of stormy weather. From October 10 to the 12 an unseasonably powerful low pressure system moved slowly across southern California into Arizona, pulling moisture northward into the southern Rockies. The weather pattern was made more complex when the remnant of tropical storm Olivia was pulled into northern Baja. As a result showers and thunderstorms increased over southern New Mexico and western Texas during this period.

On October 11 heaviest rains fell across the lower Gila Mountains where one to two inches were reported. Fortunately no flooding occurred since the area was suffering from a dry spell at this time. By October 12 the strongest thunderstorms had moved into west Texas with hail up to an inch in diameter falling near Sierra Blanca in Hudspeth County.

The next period of unsettled weather began on the night of October 14-15 as a weak cold front moved into the area from the north, while an upper level disturbance approached from the west. Small hail fell in Las Cruces with up to a half inch of rain between Las Cruces and El Paso. Thunderstorm activity shifted eastward during October 15 and 16 with Hudspeth County, Texas especially hard hit. Half inch hail fell near Dell City on the 15 with hail up to an inch in diameter occurring around the Dell City vicinity during the late

Heavy rains and thunderstorms developed over much of the borderland from October 21-23 as another deep low pressure system moved across northern Baja and southern Arizona. On the 21 the strongest storms occurred between Truth or Consequences and Alamogordo where rainfall amounts generally ranged from half an inch to an inch. During October 22 and through the morning hours of the 23^rd, thunderstorms became more active to the west with half inch to one inch rains falling this time between Deming, Silver City and Lordsburg. Pea-sized hail was also reported in the Silver City vicinity.

However the most exciting moments evolved during the late afternoon and early evening of October 23

Photograph of a wall cloud with possible funnel near
Mesilla N.M. courtesy of Ralph Reynolds.

as a line of thunderstorms formed along a cold front pushing into south central New Mexico.

Continued on page 3