A passing upper level trough and associated strong mid level winds mixing to the surface combined with a tight surface pressure gradient over the area to produce high winds across portions of the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico and the adjacent plains.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 passing upper level trough and associated strong mid level winds mixing to the surface combined with a tight surface pressure gradient over the area to produce high winds across portions of the Guadalupe Mountains in New Mexico and the adjacent plains.
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 Dec 30, 10:21 AM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1121 AM CST THU DEC 30 2010
.DISCUSSION...
THE HIGH WIND WARNING...WIND ADVISORY AND RED FLAG WARNING WILL
REMAIN AS THEY ARE. WIND SPEEDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AREAWIDE AS
TEMPERATURES RISE. THE LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION IS INCLUDED
BELOW.
&&
.AVIATION...
ALTHOUGH VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AREAWIDE THROUGH THE NEXT 24
HOURS...GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE
REGION LATE THIS MORNING AND PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WINDS
WILL BE STRONGEST AT KCNM...WHERE GUSTS NEAR 50KT ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE 19Z-23Z TIME FRAME. ELSEWHERE...SUSTAINED SOUTHWEST WINDS
AROUND 25KT WITH GUSTS AROUND 35KT APPEAR LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON.
THERE WILL BE A LULL IN WINDS BEGINNING AROUND 31/01Z...BUT WEST
WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN OVERNIGHT BEHIND AN EASTWARD MOVING PACIFIC
COLD FRONT. THEREFORE...BLUSTERY WINDS WILL INCREASE AGAIN AT
CARLSBAD THIS EVENING...THEN SPREAD EAST TO MIDLAND BY 31/09Z.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER LULL IN THE WINDS FRIDAY MORNING...HOWEVER
STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVER THE AREA WILL RESULT IN WESTERLY WINDS
INCREASING AGAIN LATE FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. 67
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... SOUTHEAST PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...NORTHERN LEA COUNTY...
SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... EDDY COUNTY PLAINS.
TX...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...CRANE...DAVIS/APACHE
MOUNTAINS AREA...DAWSON...ECTOR...GAINES...LOVING...MARFA
PLATEAU...MARTIN...MIDLAND...PECOS...PRESIDIO VALLEY...
REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...UPTON...WARD...
WINKLER.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...BORDEN...CRANE...
DAWSON...ECTOR...GAINES...HOWARD...LOVING...MARFA PLATEAU...
MARTIN...MIDLAND...MITCHELL...PECOS...PRESIDIO VALLEY...
SCURRY...WARD...WINKLER.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ FRIDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...GUADALUPE
MOUNTAINS.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 427 AM CST THU DEC 30 2010 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-311030- 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- 427 AM CST THU DEC 30 2010 /327 AM MST THU DEC 30 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT INCREASING WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL AREAS TODAY. HIGH WINDS ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 90 MPH...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS. WIND IMPACTS WILL BE MOST NOTABLE ON U.S. HIGHWAY 62 180 THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS... ESPECIALLY THOSE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. HIGH WINDS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EDDY COUNTY PLAINS... VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR REGION...UPPER TRANS PECOS AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED. A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY. ACROSS MOST OF THE PLAINS...WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH WILL OCCUR TODAY AND A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST MAY ALSO OCCUR ACROSS THE PLAINS. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO NEAR ONE MILE...ESPECIALLY NEAR CONSTRUCTION SITES AND PLOWED FIELDS. DRY...WARM AND WINDY WEATHER WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS...WESTERN AND CENTRAL PERMIAN BASIN...TRANS PECOS REGION...DAVIS MOUNTAINS... MARFA PLATEAU AND BIG BEND REGION. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO AVOID THE USE OF OPEN FLAMES OR ANY ACTIVITIES THAT MAY GENERATE SPARKS. ACCIDENTAL IGNITIONS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GROW QUICKLY INTO WIND-DRIVEN WILDFIRES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE GUADALUPE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY AND A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. CONTINUED DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS...NORTHERN PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS MAY BRING ISOLATED AND BRIEF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON. .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 Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 183 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:27 UTC.
2 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief thunderstorm combined with environmental windy conditions to produce a strong wind gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2010
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: 269741, 269738, 275640.