A tight surface pressure gradient combined with strong mid level winds to produce high winds in the Guadalupe and Davis 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.
A tight surface pressure gradient combined with strong mid level winds to produce high winds in the Guadalupe and Davis 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 May 10, 8:00 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
900 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010
.UPDATE...
SEE PUBLIC DISCUSSION BELOW.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
WILL UPGRADE THE WIND ADVISORY TO A HIGH WIND WARNING IN THE DAVIS
MOUNTAINS MAINLY ABOVE 6000 FEET AND ADD THE NORTHERN THIRD OF LEA
COUNTY NEW MEXICO PER NEWLY PROGGED 850 TO 700 MILLIBAR GRADIENT
AND MIXING HEIGHTS.
UPDATED PRODUCTS TO BE SENT SHORTLY.
12
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 643 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010/
DISCUSSION...
SEE LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.
AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS AS WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THIS MORNING...
WITH SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 25-35 KNOTS WITH A
FEW GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS BY MIDDAY. OUTSIDE POSSIBILITY OF BRIEF
MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO BLOWING DUST THIS AFTERNOON.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 417 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010/
DISCUSSION...
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS UPPER TROUGH OVER NW AZ...W/ATTENDANT SFC
TROUGH MOVING THRU CO. H7 JET ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL
TRANSLATE EAST TO SE NM/WEST TEXAS LATER TODAY...FOR AN EXTREMELY
CRITICAL FIRE WX DAY FOR MUCH OF THE REGION. 00Z H7 ANALYSIS SHOWS THE
GFS INITIALIZED TOO WEAK ON THE JET...WHILE THE NAM WAS A LITTLE TOO
STRONG. HOWEVER...EVEN W/THE WEAKER GFS...HIGH WIND THRESHOLDS WILL
BE MET IN THE GUADALUPES AND ADJACENT AREAS LATER TODAY AS THESE
WINDS MIX DOWN...COUPLE W/THE LEESIDE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL
PLAINS. MOST OF THE REST OF THE FA WILL REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA.
MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF A LITTLE ON H85 TEMPS OVER THE PAST FEW
RUNS...BUT AFTERNOON HIGHS SHOULD TOP OUT WELL ABOVE NORMAL. A
SECONDARY TROUGH WILL MOVE ONSHORE IN NRN CA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...AND MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES TUESDAY
NIGHT...MAINTAINING DRY...SW FLOW OVER THE AREA THRU WEDNESDAY.
WHILE ALL MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT TRACKING THIS FEATURE FURTHER
NORTH THAN TODAY/S TROUGH...HIGH WINDS/CRITICAL FIRE WX CONDITIONS
WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN THE GUADALUPES...SE
NM...AND THE VAN HORN AREA.
WEDNESDAY...RETURN MOISTURE/DRYLINE WILL SURGE WESTWARD AHEAD OF A
COLD FRONT AS A LARGE TROUGH DEVELOPS SPLIT FLOW OVER THE DESERT
SW. THE GFS HAS SLOWED A LITTLE OVER THE PAST 24 HRS W/THE
FRONT...BRINGING INTO THE NRN ZONES AROUND 12Z THURSDAY. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF THE FRONT YIELD SBCAPES IN
EXCESS OF 2500 J/KG...STEEP MID-LEVEL LRS...AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR
FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS/MCS. PWATS ARE FORECAST TO BE WELL IN
EXCESS OF AN INCH...W/LCL-FZL DEPTHS APPROACHING 3.5KM...SO HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ALSO. FRONT IS PROGGED TO STALL THURSDAY
EVENING OVER THE LOWER TRANS PECOS...AND EVEN RETREAT NORTH A LITTLE
FRIDAY. W/THE UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST...FLOW ALOFT STAYS
SW...W/PLENTY OF SHORTWAVES MOVING THRU THE FLOW THRU AT LEAST
SATURDAY. W/PLENTY OF MOISTURE IN PLACE...CAN/T RULE OUT A CHANCE
OF CONVECTION EACH DAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX 94 56 97 67 / 10 0 0 10
CARLSBAD NM 96 53 98 54 / 0 0 0 0
DRYDEN TX 102 65 99 69 / 10 10 10 10
FORT STOCKTON TX 100 61 102 62 / 10 0 0 10
GUADALUPE PASS TX 89 55 89 55 / 0 0 0 0
HOBBS NM 92 53 97 51 / 0 0 0 0
MARFA TX 90 43 91 47 / 0 0 0 0
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 97 57 99 62 / 10 0 0 10
ODESSA TX 97 57 99 64 / 10 0 0 10
WINK TX 104 54 106 57 / 10 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN NF/LNZ...SOUTHEAST
PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN
NF/LNZ...SOUTHEAST PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... EDDY COUNTY PLAINS...GUADALUPE
MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... EDDY COUNTY PLAINS...NORTHERN LEA COUNTY.
TX...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ 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...UPTON...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54
CORRIDOR...WARD...WINKLER.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BIG BEND AREA...BORDEN...CRANE...
DAWSON...ECTOR...GAINES...GLASSCOCK...HOWARD...LOVING...
MARFA PLATEAU...MARTIN...MIDLAND...MITCHELL...REAGAN...
SCURRY...UPTON...WARD...WINKLER.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...VAN HORN
AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...VAN HORN
AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...REEVES COUNTY AND
UPPER TRANS PECOS.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 925 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-110815- 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- 925 AM CDT MON MAY 10 2010 /825 AM MDT MON MAY 10 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS...COMBINED WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES...WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND MUCH OF WEST TEXAS TODAY. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS EDDY...CULBERSON AND REEVES COUNTIES AND THE NORTHERN THIRD OF LEA COUNTY...INCLUDING THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AND THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS ABOVE 6000 FEET...WHERE A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY. WINDY CONDITIONS WITH WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND MOST OF WEST TEXAS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS...COMBINED WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES... WILL LIKELY LEAD TO CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND THE VAN HORN HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR ON TUESDAY. .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
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several gusts between 60 and 70 mph occured during this time at McDonald Observatory, with a gust to 81 mph at 1420 CST.
A 67 mph gust was recorded at the Alpine Casparis Municipal Airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 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: 223284, 223288, 223285, 223289.