A potent upper trough moved southeastward over the Texas Panhandle. Strong mid level winds at the base of this trough, and a tight surface pressure gradient, resulted in high winds across west Texas and southeast New Mexico.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 potent upper trough moved southeastward over the Texas Panhandle. Strong mid level winds at the base of this trough, and a tight surface pressure gradient, resulted in high winds across west Texas and southeast New Mexico.
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 Jan 21, 10:25 AM MST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
1125 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2012
.UPDATE...
UPDATE TO TWEAK HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON...WINDS AND CLOUD
COVERAGE.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS ACROSS
SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS. ONLY SOME MID AND HIGH CLOUDS
WILL IMPINGE UPON THE AREA DURING THIS TIME...WITH A DRY ATMOSPHERE
YIELDING LITTLE ELSE. HOWEVER...STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL MOVE OVER
THE REGION LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WHICH WILL RESULT IN QUITE WINDY
CONDITIONS SUNDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. HAVE BROUGHT WIND SPEEDS
UP IN ALL TAFS LATE IN THE PERIOD...BUT EVEN THESE MAY NEED FURTHER
ADJUSTMENTS IN LATER ISSUANCE'S.
&&
.AVIATION...
THE SURFACE RIDGE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WHICH MOVED SOUTH AND WEST
TO THE PECOS RIVER THIS MORNING WAS IN CONTROL OVER THE PERMIAN
BASIN...WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS AND LOWER TRANS PECOS...SO FAR
TODAY. WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER THE REGION WILL TIGHTEN A LITTLE
THIS AFTERNOON AS FLAT UPPER RIDGING HEADS EAST AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE
TROUGH TRAVERSING THE GREAT BASIN. MEANWHILE...MID AND HIGH CLOUD
WAS SKIRTING THE SOUTHERN REACHES OF THE CWA AS A MODEST PLUME OF
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE ALOFT MOVED INEXORABLY EASTWARD WITHIN THE
ABOVE MENTIONED FLOW.
A SURFACE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AS
HEIGHT FALLS COMMENCE AHEAD OF THE GREAT BASIN SHORTWAVE TROUGH.
THE SURFACE TROUGH WILL BE MUCH WEAKER OVER WEST TEXAS THOUGH...
WHICH WILL ALLOW COOLER TEMPERATURES TO PREVAIL ACROSS EASTERN
PORTIONS OF THE CWA UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SLOWLY EXITING
SURFACE RIDGE. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM TO LEVELS A LITTLE BELOW
HIGHS YESTERDAY TO THE WEST OF THE PECOS RIVER. FURTHER EAST...H85
TEMPERATURES WERE SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER DUE TO FROPA...BUT WE
SHOULD STILL SEE ENOUGH MIXING OF THE LOWER LEVELS FOR READINGS TO
RISE TO NEAR 60 EAST OVER THE WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS...AND
NEAR 70 ALONG THE PECOS RIVER. HAVE WARMED AFTERNOON HIGHS
GENERALLY 2 TO 4 DEGREES...TWEAKED SURFACE WINDS AND SKY COVERAGE...
AND WILL SEND AN UPDATE SHORTLY TO REFLECT THESE CHANGES. 67
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM TO 8 PM MST SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN NF/LNZ...SOUTHEAST
PLAINS/BLM ROSWELL/LNZ.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 3 PM MST SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... CENTRAL LEA COUNTY...EDDY COUNTY PLAINS...NORTHERN
LEA COUNTY...SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN NF/LNZ.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY.
TX...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM CST /9 AM MST/ TO 9 PM CST /8 PM
MST/ SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... ANDREWS...BORDEN...
CRANE...DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...DAWSON...ECTOR...
GAINES...GLASSCOCK...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...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.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 4 PM CST SUNDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... ANDREWS...BORDEN...CRANE...DAWSON...ECTOR...
GAINES...GLASSCOCK...HOWARD...LOVING...MARFA PLATEAU...
MARTIN...MIDLAND...MITCHELL...PECOS...REAGAN...REEVES
COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...SCURRY...UPTON...WARD...
WINKLER.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES... DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...
GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 128 PM CST SAT JAN 21 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-221930- 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- 128 PM CST SAT JAN 21 2012 /1228 PM MST SAT JAN 21 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS INTO THIS EVENING. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM MST. STRONGER WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO COMMENCE TONIGHT IN THE GUADALUPE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS. SINCE SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH AND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED...A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR BOTH RANGES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER DAY IS EXPECTED SUNDAY WHEN VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. THE VERY GUSTY WIND...ALONG WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND HIGH FIRE DANGER...WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA SUNDAY. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL BUT THE PRESIDIO VALLEY AND BIG BEND REGION. WESTERLY WINDS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE GUADALUPE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS SUNDAY. THEREFORE... A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR BOTH MOUNTAIN RANGES THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT SUNDAY FOR THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS AND MOST OF WEST TEXAS FOR WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH AND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH. .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.
12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds affected the higher elevations of the guadalupe mountains during a 24 hour period. The strongest winds were in the higher elevations of the Guadalupes where gusts ranged from 58 mph to 92 mph for the duration.
Strong wind gusts affected the Guadalupe Mountains over a several hour period.
Strong wind gusts occurred in McKittrick Canyon.
Strong winds were recorded at McDonald Observatory on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains.
Several strong wind gusts occurred in Alpine.
The roof on an airplane hangar collapsed at the time of these higher winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 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: 356222, 356221, 356238, 356228, 356239, 356236, 356248, 356230, 356243, 356241, 356246, 356235.