A strong upper trough moved across portions of Arizona into the region. Accompanying this trough was a 120 knot upper level jet with 40 knot winds near the low levels of the atmosphere.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A strong upper trough moved across portions of Arizona into the region. Accompanying this trough was a 120 knot upper level jet with 40 knot winds near the low levels of the atmosphere. As a result, a deep surface low developed over southeastern Colorado and the Texas Panhandle resulting in a very tight pressure gradient and strong surface winds. The winds also resulted in restricted visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for some locations.
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 10, 12:32 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1232 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009
.DISCUSSION...
SEE DISCUSSION BELOW.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
WILL UPGRADE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS AND NORTHWEST PERMIAN
BASIN TO A RED FLAG WARNING THROUGH 03Z BASED ON LATEST
OBSERVATIONS.
12
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX 35 65 37 69 / 0 0 0 0
CARLSBAD NM 31 63 33 72 / 0 0 0 0
DRYDEN TX 39 70 43 71 / 0 0 0 0
FORT STOCKTON TX 37 68 42 77 / 0 0 0 0
GUADALUPE PASS TX 27 57 38 65 / 0 0 0 0
HOBBS NM 31 62 33 71 / 0 0 0 0
MARFA TX 23 61 28 70 / 0 0 0 0
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 33 64 35 70 / 0 0 0 0
ODESSA TX 34 64 36 71 / 0 0 0 0
WINK TX 34 67 35 74 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...EDDY COUNTY
PLAINS...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY...NORTHERN LEA
COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... SOUTHEAST PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...EDDY COUNTY PLAINS...NORTHERN
LEA COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY.
TX...BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST /8 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...BORDEN...
CRANE...DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...DAWSON...ECTOR...
GAINES...GLASSCOCK...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...HOWARD...
LOVING...MARFA PLATEAU...MARTIN...MIDLAND...MITCHELL...
PECOS...PRESIDIO VALLEY...REAGAN...REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER
TRANS PECOS...SCURRY...TERRELL...UPTON...VAN HORN AND
HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR...WARD...WINKLER.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...BORDEN...CRANE...
DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...DAWSON...ECTOR...GAINES...
GLASSCOCK...HOWARD...LOVING...MARFA PLATEAU...MARTIN...
MIDLAND...MITCHELL...PECOS...PRESIDIO VALLEY...REAGAN...
REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...SCURRY...TERRELL...
UPTON...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR...WARD...WINKLER.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... PRESIDIO VALLEY...TERRELL.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...BORDEN...CRANE...
DAWSON...ECTOR...GAINES...GLASSCOCK...HOWARD...LOVING...
MARFA PLATEAU...MARTIN...MIDLAND...MITCHELL...PECOS...
REAGAN...REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...SCURRY...
UPTON...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR...WARD...WINKLER.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST /11 PM MST/ TONIGHT FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...GUADALUPE
MOUNTAINS.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 100 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-110945- 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- 100 PM CST TUE FEB 10 2009 /1200 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY PRODUCING VERY STRONG WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS PLAINS. ACROSS THE GUADALUPE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS OF WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH...WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 85 MPH ARE LIKELY. STRONG WINDS IN COMBINATION WITH CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE PERIODS OF BLOWING DUST AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITH VALUES FREQUENTLY FALLING BELOW 1 MILE. ALL TRAVELING OR WORKING OUTSIDE TODAY SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AS WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT NORMAL OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONALLY...ALL TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY THOSE UTILIZING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AS MANEUVERING OF VEHICLES WILL BECOME DIFFICULT. VERY STRONG WINDS IN COMBINATION WITH CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE CRITICAL AND VERY DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION TODAY THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. WITH FUEL CONDITIONS REMAINING VERY DRY AND CURED...ANY FIRES THAT START WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RAPID SPREAD. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS AND ALL OF WEST TEXAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY 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://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Dust storm reduced visibility to less than 1/4 of a mile. Two vehicles were involved in an accident along the intersection of SH 17 and CR 2448. There was also an accident with three vehicles involved between mile markers 210 and 211 on I-10.
A gust of high wind blew a tractor trailer over on SH 17. Both lanes were blocked between Marfa and Fort Davis.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2009
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: 156873, 156874, 156875, 156876, 156877, 156878, 156879, 156880, 156881, 156886, 156887, 156888, 156891, 156889, 156890.