A region of lift was over the area as a result of an upper level trough located over the southern plains. Moisture in all levels of the atmosphere was good, and there was decent surface heating to create instability needed for thunderstorms.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 region of lift was over the area as a result of an upper level trough located over the southern plains. Moisture in all levels of the atmosphere was good, and there was decent surface heating to create instability needed for thunderstorms.
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 Aug 26, 12:34 PM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 234 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012 .DISCUSSION... MAIN FOCUS IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS STRETCHED ACROSS OUR REGION AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM THIS AFTERNOON MAY CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN PARTS OF THE PERMIAN BASIN WHERE MOISTURE AND LIFT ARE GREATER. AS WAS THE CASE YESTERDAY...SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. STORM MOTION WILL AGAIN BE SLOW WITH WEAK FLOW ALOFT SO HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING CAN NOT BE RULED OUT WITH ANY STORM. THE UPPER SHEAR AXIS LOOKS TO WEAKEN AND PUSH FURTHER SOUTH ON MONDAY AFFECTING AREAS MOSTLY SOUTH OF THE I 10 CORRIDOR. AN UPPER RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD NORTH INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY MIDWEEK. THIS WILL ALLOW A WEAK WAVE TO PROPAGATE SOUTHWEST AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH ON WEDNESDAY. INTRODUCED POPS FOR THIS TIME FRAME OVER OUR SW CWA AS BOTH THE GFS AND NAM SHOW THIS FEATURE. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THE GULF OF MEXICO AS MODELS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF TROPICAL CYCLONE ISAAC. LATEST 12Z GUIDANCE HAS CONTINUED THE TREND OF SHIFTING ISAAC WEST WITH TIME. THE BIG QUESTION IS WILL THE TROPICAL SYSTEM MOVE QUICK ENOUGH TO BE PICKED UP BY AN EAST COAST TROUGH. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT ISAAC COULD BE DRIVEN WEST WITHIN THE UPPER FLOW AS THE UPPER HIGH BUILDS EAST ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. TIME WILL TELL AND THE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED AS ISAAC IS JUST ENTERING THE GULF OF MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON. IF THE PROJECTED TRACK OF THE TROPICAL SYSTEM CONTINUES TO SHIFT WEST WE MAY SEE LOWER DEWPOINTS AND INCREASED NORTHERLY FLOW WHICH COULD LEAD TO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. ALSO WENT A BIT WARMER THAN GUIDANCE ON HIGH TEMPERATURES AS MODELS CONTINUE TO BE TOO COOL GIVEN DRY SOIL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ANDREWS TX 68 90 69 91 / 20 20 0 10 BIG SPRING TX 70 92 69 93 / 30 20 10 20 CARLSBAD NM 69 91 67 92 / 20 10 10 10 DRYDEN TX 73 91 73 95 / 20 30 20 20 FORT STOCKTON TX 69 87 68 91 / 20 30 20 20 GUADALUPE PASS TX 64 83 62 84 / 20 30 20 10 HOBBS NM 67 90 65 90 / 20 10 0 10 MARFA TX 62 80 59 83 / 20 30 20 20 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 69 91 68 92 / 30 20 10 10 ODESSA TX 69 89 69 91 / 20 20 10 10 WINK TX 71 92 73 94 / 20 20 10 10 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 10/29
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 223 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-271930- 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- 223 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012 /123 PM MDT SUN AUG 26 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS. THE MAIN IMPACTS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. ALSO...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH THE FOCUS SHIFTING SOUTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR. THE MAIN IMPACTS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND OCCASIONALLY GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 333 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012 NMZ028-033-034-262100- SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- 233 PM MDT SUN AUG 26 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING EAST CENTRAL EDDY AND WEST CENTRAL LEA COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM MDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HALFWAY AT 232 PM MDT...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT SH 31. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND STRONG WINDS... DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER... YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER NOW. && LAT...LON 3230 10403 3259 10406 3258 10373 3240 10369 TIME...MOT...LOC 2032Z 082DEG 6KT 3248 10382
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
348 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012
TXZ074-262115-
DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-
348 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING
CENTRAL JEFF DAVIS COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM CDT...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL JEFF DAVIS COUNTY AT
349 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS... HAIL... HEAVY RAIN... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3094 10409 3102 10400 3094 10387 3084 10377
3069 10386 3069 10407
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 182DEG 5KT 3078 10397SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
408 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012
TXZ047-048-262145-
SCURRY-BORDEN-
408 PM CDT SUN AUG 26 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING
NORTHEASTERN BORDEN AND NORTHWESTERN SCURRY COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM
CDT...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF FLUVANNA AT
408 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 5 MPH.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS... HAIL... HEAVY RAIN... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3288 10107 3272 10135 3296 10149 3297 10145
3297 10113
TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 062DEG 5KT 3292 10122The Holloman AFB radar (KHDX), 192 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:07 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm developed over Eddy County and produced a 70 mph wind gust two miles northeast of Carlsbad.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2012
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: 401257.