A cold upper low over New Mexico moved over the Texas panhandle and Permian Basin during the day. A shortwave trough moved across the outer edges of the upper low which resulted in scattered showers across the Permian Basin.
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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 cold upper low over New Mexico moved over the Texas panhandle and Permian Basin during the day. A shortwave trough moved across the outer edges of the upper low which resulted in scattered showers across the Permian Basin. Strong mid-level winds, along with high based showers and cold dense air aloft resulted in a dry microburst in downtown Midland.
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 Mar 20, 1:19 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX
219 PM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012
.DISCUSSION...
A COLD UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO BE THE MAIN FOCUS ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY WITH THE LOW BEING CENTERED INVOF NRN CWFA. THIS ALONG WITH
SFC LOW TO THE N HAS KEPT NW WINDS IN PLACE TODAY. 85H WINDS AROUND
25KTS AND SUBSIDENCE IN THE W ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH MSLP GRADIENT
FAVORING GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE W. COLD POOL ALOFT AND HIGH BASED
SHOWERS/VIRGA DOESN/T HURT EITHER. MSLP GRADIENT DOES STAY IN
PLACE THRU THE NIGHT AND EXPECT THAT SFC WINDS WILL BE 15 MPH AT
TIMES THRU THE NIGHT...ESPECIALLY W-NW. DWPNTS WILL INCREASE OVER
NIGHT IN THE N-NE WITH WRAP AROUND MSTR STILL INDICATED AND -SHRA
OVERNIGHT/WED MORNING WILL BE MOST FAVORED IN THE N TOO. DOES LOOK
LIKE LESS WIND WED. IT WILL BE MUCH COOLER IN THE NE PB THAN SE
NM WITH 6C AND 14C AT 85H RESPECTIVELY. A SECONDARY SURGE OF
COOLER AIR IS STILL ATTEMPTING TO WRAP AROUND THE LOW AND PUSH S
THRU THE PLAINS WED NIGHT...N WINDS BY THUR MORNING. UPPER LOW
WILL BE A LITTLE FARTHER NE OF THE PB THUR PM AND 85H TEMPS SHOW A
REBOUND FOR MOST ALL AREAS. IT WILL BE NOTICEABLY WARMER THIS WITH
W-NW SFC WINDS...WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN THE 70S. MID LEVEL
RIDGING/HEIGHT RISES AND DRY AIR WILL MAINTAIN THE WARMING TREND
INTO FRI WITH 85H TEMPS GENERALLY 20-22C...SO U70S AND 80S FOR
HIGHS. MID LEVEL RIDGE AMPLIFIES FURTHER SAT AND HIGHS SOLIDLY IN
THE 80S ARE EXPECTED. SW MID LEVEL FLOW WILL RETURN BY SUNDAY AS
DO SUSTAINED SE WINDS AND DWPNTS WILL BE EDGING UP. 12Z GFS/12Z
ECMWF GENERATING PRECIP SUNDAY PM IN THE W...MAY BE A LITTLE
PREMATURE...UNLESS THERE IS A DEFINITIVE SHRTWV TROF. CAN/T
DISCERN THAT JUST YET...BUT STILL WARM WITH INCREASED HIGH CLOUDS.
GFS IS STILL UP TO ITS OLD TRICKS (IE GENERATING MORE PRECIP AT
12Z THAN 00Z) AND WILL NOT BY INTO QPF 12Z MONDAY. MON/TUE PM
MODELS LIGHT UP THE DRYLINE WITH M50 DWPNTS BACK INTO THE AREA.
WILL OPT TO INCLUDE ISOLD TSRA ACRS E AND S. HIGHS TEMPS 70S AND
80S.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
JUST STARTING TO HIT RF CONDITIONS AT FST/DRYDEN AND NEAR RF AT
ALPINE. STILL A FEW HRS OF HEATING AND RF CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FAIRLY
WIDESPREAD BY LATE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE TRANS PECOS. LOOKS LIKE RF
CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO THE GDP MTNS WED FOR 3HRS OR SO AND HAVE
ISSUED A RFW. PARTS OF THE DAVIS MTNS MAY BE CLOSE AS WELL WITH
ELEVATED FIRE WX CONCERNS ACROSS SE NM.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BIG SPRING TX 43 66 40 75 / 10 10 0 0
CARLSBAD NM 36 69 40 80 / 10 10 0 0
DRYDEN TX 46 76 46 83 / 10 0 0 0
FORT STOCKTON TX 43 73 45 80 / 10 0 0 0
GUADALUPE PASS TX 34 59 41 71 / 10 0 0 0
HOBBS NM 38 63 39 73 / 20 10 0 0
MARFA TX 27 62 28 73 / 10 0 0 0
MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 41 68 39 75 / 10 10 0 0
ODESSA TX 42 68 41 76 / 10 10 0 0
WINK TX 41 72 39 80 / 10 10 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP/LINCOLN NF/LNZ.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... EDDY COUNTY PLAINS.
TX...RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 8 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES... GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... BIG BEND AREA...DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA...
LOVING...MARFA PLATEAU...PECOS...PRESIDIO VALLEY...REEVES
COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS...TERRELL...VAN HORN AND
HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR...WARD.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... BIG BEND AREA...MARFA PLATEAU...PECOS...PRESIDIO
VALLEY...TERRELL.
&&
99/99HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 204 PM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-211915- 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- 204 PM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 /104 PM MDT TUE MAR 20 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE MARFA PLATEAU...PRESIDIO VALLEY...BIG BEND REGION...LOWER TRANS PECOS AND STOCKTON PLATEAU. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED AND RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO AVOID THE USE OF OPEN FLAMES OR ACTIVITIES THAT MAY GENERATE SPARKS. ACCIDENTAL IGNITIONS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GROW QUICKLY INTO DANGEROUS WIND-DRIVEN WILDFIRES. GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...THE TRANS PECOS REGION AND THE FAR WESTERN PERMIAN BASIN. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY. A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED AND RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO AVOID THE USE OF OPEN FLAMES OR ACTIVITIES THAT MAY GENERATE SPARKS. .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.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Showers and virga over the area resulted in a dry microburst with winds over 65 mph in downtown Midland. This caused a sign on top of a fourteen story building to be damaged.
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, March 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: 365785.