A shortwave trough was moving across the area due to a large upper level trough off the northwest coast. This trough helped to create lift over the area, and it combined with a maximum in low level winds to bring in moisture.
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 shortwave trough was moving across the area due to a large upper level trough off the northwest coast. This trough helped to create lift over the area, and it combined with a maximum in low level winds to bring in moisture. The combination of lift and moisture aided in severe thunderstorms developing across the upper Trans Pecos, Permian Basin, and Western Low Rolling 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 Oct 21, 11:42 PM CST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1242 AM CDT MON OCT 22 2012 .DISCUSSION... SEE AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR ALL TAFS SITES EXCEPT THE MAF DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS A LOW STRATUS DECK WILL MOVE OVER MAF NEAR 12Z. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS FOR CNM AND HOBS DUE TO PEAK HEATING DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THEN DECREASE AFTER SUNSET. PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLEAR SKIES WILL RETURN TOMORROW EVENING. && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 500 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-222200- 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- 500 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 /400 PM MDT SUN OCT 21 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT FROM SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND THE VAN HORN REGION... ACROSS THE TRANS PECOS... EXTENDING EAST THROUGHOUT THE PERMIAN BASIN. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH ONE OR TWO BECOMING SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ON WEDNESDAY MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT WILL RESULT IN INCREASED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO... THE TRANS PECOS AREA... AND THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED LATE TONIGHT ACROSS THE UPPER TRANS PECOS OR PERMIAN BASIN. 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 1031 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 TXZ057-074-080-220400- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- MARFA PLATEAU- 1031 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING NORTHWESTERN PRESIDIO...SOUTH CENTRAL CULBERSON AND WESTERN JEFF DAVIS COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES WEST OF VALENTINE AT 1030 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. 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 3105 10452 3071 10410 3046 10461 3067 10481 TIME...MOT...LOC 0330Z 227DEG 39KT 3066 10457
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1059 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 TXZ074-080-220430- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-MARFA PLATEAU- 1059 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING CENTRAL JEFF DAVIS AND SOUTHEASTERN CULBERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 1130 PM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 23 MILES SOUTH OF KENT AT 1058 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. 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 3111 10419 3072 10388 3060 10439 3083 10453 TIME...MOT...LOC 0358Z 242DEG 34KT 3078 10430
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1127 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 TXZ058-067-074-075-220515- PECOS-WARD-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- 1127 PM CDT SUN OCT 21 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR A STRONG THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING NORTH CENTRAL JEFF DAVIS...NORTHWESTERN PECOS...REEVES...SOUTHEASTERN CULBERSON AND WEST CENTRAL WARD COUNTIES UNTIL 1215 AM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 14 MILES WEST OF TOYAVALE AT 1126 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. GUSTY WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THIS STORM. 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 3161 10348 3103 10304 3067 10404 3109 10437 TIME...MOT...LOC 0426Z 238DEG 38KT 3094 10401
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1215 AM CDT MON OCT 22 2012 TXZ058>060-067-075-220600- LOVING-PECOS-WARD-WINKLER-REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- 1215 AM CDT MON OCT 22 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING CENTRAL REEVES...NORTH CENTRAL PECOS...SOUTHEASTERN LOVING... SOUTHWESTERN WINKLER AND WESTERN WARD COUNTIES UNTIL 100 AM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOYAH AT 1214 AM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. 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 3185 10358 3134 10289 3096 10361 3134 10404 TIME...MOT...LOC 0514Z 234DEG 30KT 3130 10367
The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:13 UTC.
5 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm moved across Andrews County and produced a strong wind gust which resulted in several trees and power lines being blown down. This wind gust is estimated to have been around 70 mph, and the cost of damage from the wind is a rough estimate.
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, October 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: 414455, 414458, 414459, 414456, 414460, 414461.