Around 12:30 pm MDT on Friday, March 23, thunderstorms began to develop over the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.  Thunderstorms continued to rapidly develop, becoming severe over portions of Eddy County at 1:45 pm MDT.  Thunderstorms also were developing over eastern portions of Culberson County during this time and these thunderstorms would eventually affect Lea County later in the afternoon.
At 3:39 pm MDT, a thunderstorm located in western portions of Lea County just northwest of the community of Halfway began to exhibit supercellular characteristics.  This prompted the issuance of a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 3:42 pm MDT for western portions of Lea county.  As the supercell thunderstorm moved northeast at 30 mph, the storm continued to intensify.  The presence on radar of an intensifying mesocyclone (storm rotation) and a bounded weak echo region, along with key spotter information relayed into our office through amateur radio Net Control Operations prompted an upgrade to a tornado warning.  Spotters indicated a developing wall cloud over the area had become fully formed with increasing surface wind inflow.  A tornado warning was issued for northern portions of Lea County at 4:28 pm MDT.

Tornado in LEA, NEW MEXICO
From 23-MAR-07 16:45:00 to 23-MAR-07 16:47:00 (MST-7)
Location: CROSSROADS
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A fourth tornado was witnessed three miles southwest of Crossroads where it destroyed a 10' x 10' oil field pump house.  This tornado remained over open country for the most part and was assigned an F0 rating.

Tornado in LEA, NEW MEXICO
From 23-MAR-07 16:07:00 to 23-MAR-07 16:14:00 (MST-7)
Location: MC DONALD
Tornado F-scale: EF2
Property damage: 28.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

At 4:50 pm MDT, spotters indicated the presence of two wall clouds.  Primary indications are that the new wall cloud spawned a second tornado with the supercell thunderstorm 7 1/2 miles west of the community of McDonald, just south of Lea County Road 147.  Survey of damage along county road 147 led to an estimation of tornado width of 50 yards at this point.
The tornado continued to intensify as it moved northeast.  Significant damage was seen 7 1/2 miles southwest of Tatum over ranchland.  At this location, 13 wooden power poles were damaged, three snapped off at ground level and others snapped three to twelve feet above ground.  A water trough weighing an estimated 300 pounds was thrown from the tornado for several hundred feet.  The tornado was visually estimated to be a half mile in width and described as clean in appearance.  Damage along this track supports this estimate.  It is believed that this tornado lifted just south of N.M. Highway 380, six and a half miles west of Tatum.  Spotters also confirmed that the tornado exhibited multiple vortex structure at times during its life cycle.

Tornado in LEA, NEW MEXICO
From 23-MAR-07 15:32:00 to 23-MAR-07 15:38:00 (MST-7)
Location: LOVINGTON
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

At 4:32 pm MDT, a trained Skywarn spotter, reported a tornado touchdown with a small debris cloud approximately 12 miles WSW of Lovington.  At 4:36 pm MDT, trained spotters viewed the same tornado from N.M. Highway 457 looking southward.  Damage survey interviews with officials and residents revealed that the brief tornado remained over open pasture lands.  An EF0 rating was assigned to this tornado.

Tornado in LEA, NEW MEXICO
From 23-MAR-07 16:36:00 to 23-MAR-07 16:38:00 (MST-7)
Location: CROSSROADS
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

At 5:34 pm MDT, radar indicated redevelopment of a stronger mesocyclone just west of N.M. Highway 206, five miles south of Crossroads.  At 5:36 pm MDT, spotters had visual indications of a rope tornado six miles south of Crossroads.  This remained over range land just west of N.M. Highway 206.  An EF0 rating was assigned to this tornado.