Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2025

Mesoscale Discussion 708

May 5, 202511 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at May 5, 2025, 8:27 PM CDT for 11 counties in Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 5, 2025, 8:27 PM CDT (01:27 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2025, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Tornado watch 227

Counties Crane County, TX, Crockett County, TX, Ector County, TX, Irion County, TX, Midland County, TX, Pecos County, TX, Reagan County, TX, Terrell County, TX, Upton County, TX, Ward County, TX, Winkler County, TX

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:28 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watches that followed

Watches SPC issued over any of the same counties within four hours of this discussion.

The nearest sounding before it

Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 82 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Midland Regional, TX at 00:00Z on 2025-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 769 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Midland Regional, TX at 00:00Z on 2025-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 279 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
769 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-87 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1323 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
72 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
279 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
544 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
13.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

359 
ACUS11 KWNS 060128
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 060127 
TXZ000-NMZ000-060330-

Mesoscale Discussion 0708
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0827 PM CDT Mon May 05 2025

Areas affected...parts of swrn TX and adjacent sern NM

Concerning...Tornado Watch 227...

Valid 060127Z - 060330Z

The severe weather threat for Tornado Watch 227 continues.

SUMMARY...Potential for the development of at least a couple of
intense supercells posing a risk for large hail and tornadoes is
likely to increase through 10 PM-Midnight CDT.  A new tornado watch
will be needed.

DISCUSSION...Although attempts at deep convective development
persist along the dryline, and east of the dryline to the northwest
of Del Rio, relatively warm/dry air in the lower/mid-troposphere has
still contributed to at least some suppression.  The strong westerly
shear, and continued westward retreat of the dryline toward the
Guadalupe and Davis Mountains, also have likely inhibited
development.

However, it does appear that thunderstorm initiation may be
increasingly underway near the intersection of the dryline and
stalled surface front near Wink TX.  And potential for intensifying
thunderstorm development is likely to increase considerably further
across the Pecos Valley toward the Del Rio TX vicinity through mid
to late evening.  Low-level moisture characterized by lower to mid
60s surface dew points is advecting along/south of the Edwards
Plateau, toward the Pecos Valley, as a short wave trough pivots
northeastward toward the region.

As mid-level height falls spread across the region coincident with
the low-level moistening and destabilization, which may included
CAPE increasing to 2000-3000 J/kg, the development of at least a
couple of intense supercells appears increasingly likely through
03-06Z.

..Kerr.. 05/06/2025

...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...

ATTN...WFO...EWX...SJT...MAF...

LAT...LON   32450356 31700124 31160054 29930102 30010221 30510291
            31510351 32450356 

MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY...100-130 MPH
MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST...65-80 MPH
MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE...2.00-3.50 IN

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 8:57 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAndrews, Bandera, Crane, Crockett, Ector, Edwards and 23 more9 hr
May 5, 11:30 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCrane, Crockett, Loving, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell and 3 more2 hr
May 6, 2:33 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCoke, Concho, Crane, Crockett, Edwards, Gillespie and 23 more87 min
May 6, 3:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBandera, Bell, Blanco, Bosque, Brown, Burnet and 48 more8 hr
May 6, 5:06 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Comanche, Concho and 19 more84 min
May 6, 6:11 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazos and 27 more3 hr
May 6, 7:55 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Comanche, Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Erath and 11 more95 min
May 6, 8:13 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCAustin, Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Brazos, Burleson and 37 more12 hr
May 6, 9:17 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAnderson, Bosque, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis and 18 more58 min
May 6, 9:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAnderson, Bosque, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Collin and 30 more6 hr
May 6, 10:50 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAustin, Bastrop, Bell, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell and 20 more85 min
May 6, 1:19 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAngelina, Hardin, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Sabine and 3 more86 min
May 6, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAngelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Jasper and 11 more8 hr
May 6, 2:15 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBailey, Castro, Cochran, Deaf Smith, Gaines, Hale and 7 more90 min
May 6, 3:48 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAngelina, Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette and 25 more87 min
May 6, 6:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHardin, Jasper, Newton, Orange119 min

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 2025Every mesoscale discussion in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.