A potent upper level storm system brought strong to severe thunderstorms and high winds to west Texas on the 26th. Severe storms ahead of the approaching system produced large hail and damaging winds during the pre-dawn hours across the southeastern Permian Basin.
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.
A potent upper level storm system brought strong to severe thunderstorms and high winds to west Texas on the 26th. Severe storms ahead of the approaching system produced large hail and damaging winds during the pre-dawn hours across the southeastern Permian Basin. As the upper low passed just north of the region during the afternoon, severe mountain winds were observed in the Davis Mountains. Very high based and shallow convection beneath the mid level cold pool resulted in additional severe winds over the Upper Trans Pecos region during the late afternoon hours.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 26, 2:52 PM CST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
252 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005
.SHORT TERM...
BEST HEIGHT FALLS WILL OCCUR ACROSS WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW
MEXICO DURING THIS EVENING AS THE CORE/CENTER OF AN AMPLIFYING
MID/UPPER LEVEL LOW TRACKS EASTWARD ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN. WILL
CONTINUE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE EVENING
HOURS...AS COLD CORE 500MB TEMPERATURES OF -27C AND EXIT REGION OF A
90KT MID-LEVEL JET PASSING ACROSS WEST TEXAS PROVIDES STEEPENING
LAPSE RATES ALOFT AND LINGERING POCKETS OF LIFT/ASCENT. AS INDICATED
IN LATEST SPC OUTLOOK...MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL WITH THE STRONGEST
STORMS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.
PRECIP WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST LATER TONIGHT...CLEARING THE
EASTERN PERMIAN BASIN BY DAYBREAK EASTER SUNDAY. AS THE STRONGER
COLD AIR ADVECTION FROM THE NORTH COMMENCES AND THE 850MB 0C
ISOTHERM POKES SOUTHWARD INTO THE CWFA OVERNIGHT...MAY SEE A BRIEF
CHANGEOVER FROM RAIN TO A RAIN/SNOW MIX ACROSS THE NORTHERN PERMIAN
BASIN AND LEA COUNTY NM BY MIDNIGHT...NEAR THE TAIL END OF THE
PRECIP DURATION.
.LONG TERM...
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE SCANT SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BEHIND
THIS SYSTEM AS GULF MOISTURE WILL BE WIPED OUT. LOOKS LIKE FAST
FLOW WITH STORM SYSTEMS PASSING BY TO THE NORTH MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK.
FORECAST AREA SHOULD BE ON THE WARM AND DRY SIDE OF THESE SYSTEMS WITH
HIGH WINDS AND FIRE WEATHER THE MAIN CONCERN...IF SYSTEMS DO NOT DIG
FURTHER SOUTH THAN CURRENTLY ADVERTISED.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX 36 61 39 78 / 70 0 0 0
CARLSBAD NM 33 66 40 82 / 40 0 0 0
DRYDEN TX 40 69 45 81 / 30 0 0 0
FORT STOCKTON TX 38 66 45 86 / 30 0 0 0
GUADALUPE PASS TX 28 60 41 74 / 30 0 0 0
HOBBS NM 32 66 41 82 / 40 0 0 0
MARFA TX 29 62 31 77 / 30 0 0 0
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 35 64 41 81 / 60 0 0 0
ODESSA TX 36 65 41 82 / 50 0 0 0
WINK TX 37 67 40 87 / 50 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST SATURDAY
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONE...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY
COUNTY.
TX...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST SATURDAY
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...
AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
&&
01/12HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 300 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-272035- ANDREWS-BIG BEND AREA-BORDEN-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-CRANE- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-DAWSON-ECTOR-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS-GAINES- GLASSCOCK-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY- HOWARD-LOVING-MARFA PLATEAU-MARTIN-MIDLAND-MITCHELL- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-REAGAN- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-SCURRY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY- TERRELL-UPTON-VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-WARD-WINKLER- 300 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 (135 PM MST SAT MAR 26 2005) THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. A WINTERY MIX OF RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PERMIAN BASIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE) HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 355 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 TXZ060-067-262245- WARD TX-WINKLER TX- 355 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT... THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR EASTERN WARD AND SOUTHEASTERN WINKLER COUNTIES. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTH OF WICKETT AT 352 PM CST...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. HOWEVER...SMALL HAIL COULD ACCOMPANY THIS STORM AS IT MOVES NEAR MONAHANS. NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 456 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 TXZ061-262345- ECTOR TX- 456 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT... THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR ECTOR COUNTY THROUGH 545 PM CST. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NOTREES AT 456 PM CST...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. HOWEVER...SMALL HAIL...ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 55 MPH COULD ACCOMPANY THIS STORM AS IT MOVES THROUGH ECTOR COUNTY. NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
646 PM CST SAT MAR 26 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0321 AM TSTM WND DMG 7 WSW CRANE 31.35N 102.46W
03/26/2005 CRANE TX PUBLIC
SMALL BRANCHES BLOWN DOWN BY WIND.
0322 AM HAIL RANKIN 31.23N 101.94W
03/26/2005 0.75 INCH UPTON TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
0328 AM HAIL 6 S CRANE 31.31N 102.35W
03/26/2005 0.25 INCH CRANE TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
MULTIPLE REPORTS OF PEA SIZED HAIL NEAR THE CITY OF
CRANE.
0329 AM HAIL 1 SSW CRANE 31.38N 102.36W
03/26/2005 0.88 INCH CRANE TX CO-OP OBSERVER
0400 AM HAIL 26 NNE BIG LAKE 31.54N 101.29W
03/26/2005 0.25 INCH REAGAN TX CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
021 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe mountain winds affected the Davis Mountains in southwestern Texas during the afternoon of the 26th. A gust to 72 MPH was recorded at the McDonald Observatory.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2005
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: 5442264.