Ahead of a potent upper level storm system that moved into the desert southwest, winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere increased. As a result, high winds occurred over the Guadalupe Mountains.
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.
Ahead of a potent upper level storm system that moved into the desert southwest, winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere increased. As a result, high winds occurred over the Guadalupe Mountains.
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 Feb 13, 10:39 PM MST, 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1139 PM CST WED FEB 13 2008
.AVIATION...
SOUTH WINDS WILL REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE 12 KNOTS THROUGH MOST OF
THE NIGHT AS A LOW LEVEL JET ENHANCES ALONG WITH DEEPENING SURFACE
LOW PRESSURE ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO/WESTERN KANSAS. THIS LOW
PRESSURE CENTER WILL MOVE SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND WEST
TEXAS DURING THE DAY THURSDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES
SOUTHWARD INTO THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THIS WILL ALLOW
WINDS TO VEER SOUTHWEST AND INCREASE NEAR OR ABOVE 15 KNOTS
THURSDAY AFTERNOON... PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE KMAF...KHOB AND KCNM
TAF SITES. MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE WILL KEEP CEILINGS BROKEN
ABOVE 15000 FT...BUT VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM CST WED FEB 13 2008/
DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CURRENTLY MOVING SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT
BASIN IS EXPECTED TO KEEP THE WEATHER PATTERN ACTIVE ACROSS WEST
TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE WEATHER
PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MUCH LESS ACTIVE FOR THE EARLY PART OF
NEXT WEEK.
ANOTHER WARM DAY IS EXPECTED THURSDAY AS A DRY AIRMASS AND
DOWNSLOPE SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY WINDS REMAIN IN PLACE. READINGS
WILL BE WARMEST ALONG THE RIO GRANDE AND LOWER TRANS PECOS REGION
WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES LIKELY TOPPING OUT IN THE LOWER 80S. ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE
REGION WITH HIGHS EXCEEDING CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS BY AT LEAST 10
DEGREES. GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY... PARTICULARLY
ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6000
FEET. MODEL CROSS SECTIONS SHOW A FAVORABLE MOUNTAIN WAVE
SIGNATURE ACROSS THE GUADALUPES BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT...WITH
INCREASING 700MB WINDS. STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ABOVE
MENTIONED MOUNTAIN RANGES BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUING
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WE HAVE OPTED TO UPGRADE THE HIGH
WIND WATCH TO A WARNING. INCREASING CLOUD COVER COULD LIMIT WIND
GUSTS...BUT GIVEN THE ADVERTISED 700MB WIND SPEEDS...CONFIDENCE IS
HIGH ENOUGH FOR A HIGH WIND WARNING.
ATTENTION WILL THEN TURN TO AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL LOW AND
LOW-LEVEL COLD AIRMASS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE REGION BEGINNING
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. THE CURRENT FORECAST CALLS FOR A LOW CHANCE
OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT
PLAINS BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT. THE CURRENT MODEL DATA SUGGESTS
A COLD FRONT MAY BE DELAYED A FEW HOURS VS. THE CURRENT FORECAST.
THIS ALONG WITH VERY WARM 850MB TEMPERATURES ARGUE FOR CHANGING
PRECIPITATION TYPE TO ALL LIQUID ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO
AND NORTHWESTERN CULBERSON COUNTY TO ALL LIQUID FOR THURSDAY
EVENING. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS WILL BE TO KEEP A MENTION OF
SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS DURING
THE LATE EVENING HOURS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS APPEAR TOO WARM TO
SUPPORT ANY FROZEN PRECIPITATION...EVEN WITH WET-BULB COOLING
EFFECTS. COLD AIR WILL DEEPEN THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN AS AN ARCTIC
AIRMASS PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA AND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS RATHER HIGH WITH THE
TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES OUT OF THE RAOB NETWORK BY
SATURDAY MORNING. THE 00Z ECMWF AND 12Z GFS HAD SHOWN GOOD
AGREEMENT...WITH A PEEK AT THE 12Z ECMWF TRENDING A LITTLE FARTHER
NORTH WITH THE SYSTEM. FOR NOW...IT DOES APPEAR THE BEST
OPPORTUNITY FOR WINTER WEATHER WILL OCCUR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT
WITH MID-LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION AND COLD 850MB TEMPERATURES. FOR
NOW...IT APPEARS THE BEST SHOT AT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL
RESIDE ACROSS THE GUADALUPE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEASTERN NEW
MEXICO PLAINS AND WESTERN PERMIAN BASIN. MUCH OF SATURDAY/S
FORECAST WILL HINGE ON WHAT HAPPENS FRIDAY AND HOW QUICKLY THE LOW
EJECTS TO OUR EAST. FOR NOW...WE WILL KEEP CHANCES IN THE 20-30%
RANGE SATURDAY WITH PRECIPITATION DECREASING FROM WEST TO EAST.
IMPROVING WEATHER IS CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED FOR SUNDAY THROUGH THE
EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK AS RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS
OVER THE AREA.
FIRE WEATHER...
BREEZY CONDITIONS DID DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON BUT IT APPEARS WIND
SPEEDS MAY REMAIN JUST BELOW RED FLAG CRITERIA FOR MOST
LOCATIONS. HOWEVER...WINDS CONTINUE TO SLOWLY INCREASE ACCORDING
TO AREA OBSERVATIONS AS RH/S DIP INTO THE 10-20% RANGE ACROSS MANY
LOCATIONS. UNCERTAINTIES IN THE THU FORECAST PREVENT UPGRADING
THE FIRE WATCH ATTM AND WILL HOLD OFF FOR THE MID SHIFT TO
EVALUATE FURTHER. WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE HIGHER TOMORROW...HOWEVER
THEY MAY WELL TAPER OFF DURING PEAK HEATING AS THE COLD FRONT
APPROACHES THE PERMIAN BASIN. ALSO INCREASING UPPER CLOUDS MAY PUT
A DAMPER ON AFTERNOON TEMPS AND LIMIT FULL MIXING. FIRE WX DANGER
WILL BE PUT ON HOLD FOR THE WEEKEND AS THE BIG COOL DOWN KEEPS
HUMIDITIES WELL ABOVE RFW CRITERIA.
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY
COUNTY.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM 11 AM TO 6 PM MST THURSDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN NF/LNZ...
SOUTHEAST PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
TX...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT CST /11 PM MST/ TONIGHT TO 6 PM
CST /5 PM MST/ THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...
DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM 12 PM CST /11 AM MST/ TO 7 PM CST /6 PM
MST/ THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...DAVIS/APACHE
MOUNTAINS AREA...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...REEVES COUNTY AND
UPPER TRANS PECOS...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 739 PM CST WED FEB 13 2008 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-150145- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND- GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU-BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 739 PM CST WED FEB 13 2008 /639 PM MST WED FEB 13 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE DAVIS AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE DAVIS AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY MORNING. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT AND DEVELOPING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND POSSIBLE WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. CHANCES FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWS ARE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK AND INTENSITY OF THIS DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM. .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://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A high wind event, lasting 20 hours, produced winds up to 87 mph in the Guadalupe Mountains.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2008
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: 82229.