Low-level moisture and moderate to strong dynamics came together for a minor outbreak of severe weather on this afternoon and evening. At the surface a slowly moving cold front acted as a focus, while a strongly difluent flow in the upper levels helped to intensify storms.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.
Low-level moisture and moderate to strong dynamics came together for a minor outbreak of severe weather on this afternoon and evening. At the surface a slowly moving cold front acted as a focus, while a strongly difluent flow in the upper levels helped to intensify storms. CAPE values were around 1500 J/kg with SRH values near 150 m2/s2. For a period in the late afternoon many storms were exhibiting rotation with several of these storms taking right turns.
The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:40 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
This storm had a long history of severe weather while crossing Southeast New Mexico. The storm quickly moved through the northwestern corner of Andrews County, then moved into southern Gaines County where it eventually weakened.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 1998
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5670966.