Severe weather still possible for Las Cruces

LAS CRUCES — Las Cruces has been spared, so far, of severe weather but the chance it could happen still continues.

After storms Saturday, that brought golf ball and egg-sized hail, Las Cruces has been relatively quiet. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, no rain had been recorded in Las Cruces since Sunday.While areas east of El Paso were under tornado warnings Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, skies in Las Cruces were mostly clear at those times.

But it's probably best Las Crucens aren't lulled into a false sense of security. The National Weather Service, in Santa Teresa, has forecast high possibilities of severe thunderstorms, with large hail and damaging winds, for Las Cruces through at least Wednesday. A 70 percent chance of severe storms is possible Tuesday night, with the possibilities for similar storms to occur Wednesday.

There is a 50 percent chance for severe storms Wednesday, and a 40 percent chance Wednesday night in Las Cruces. A weather briefing issued by the National Weather Service early Tuesday afternoon did not rule out the possibility a tornado warning could be issued for Las Cruces through Wednesday. Tornadoes are considered rare for southern New Mexico and far west Texas, but current atmospheric instability across the region has increased the chance for severe weather.

Through Monday, 8.64 inches of rain has fallen at Las Cruces International Airport, where the Weather Service has automated equipment to measure and record rain. The airport is the official weather reporting station in Las Cruces.

However, varying unofficial rainfall amounts have been reported across Las Cruces this year, through the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). At the Las Cruces Sun-News, a CoCoRaHS member, 9.93 inches of rain has fallen from Jan. 1 through Monday.

A chance for rain will remain in Las Cruces' forecast through at least Saturday. High temperatures are anticipated to be in the mid to high 70s through Friday