Persistent strong westerly flow aloft resulted in high winds in the Guadalupe Mountains.
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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.
Persistent strong westerly flow aloft resulted in high winds in the Guadalupe 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 Dec 14, 9:23 PM MST, 4 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
1023 PM CST MON DEC 14 2015
.DISCUSSION...
See 06z aviation discussion below.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions will prevail at all area terminals through
the day and again tonight.
&&
PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 152 PM CST MON DEC 14 2015/
Yet another warm/dry across the CWFA as downslope winds aid in
surface pressure falls across Ern NM and the amplification of a
low level thermal ridge. Meanwhile a broad upper low is slowly
moving thru the Ern Great Basin and e of the 4-Corners region by
12Z. This upper low will push out a dry Pacific front arriving in
the w around 06Z and in the e around 12Z. 7h winds are already
strong at 40kts and will get stronger. NAM12 cross section indicates
that a mtn wave signature will amplify overnight and will opt to a
upgrade high wind warning for GDP Mtns thru Tue AM. This will
translate to wly breezy conditions Tue PM in the plains. Despite
the downslope winds Tue in will be cooler largely in part to
Hypsometric considerations. This will be the case through Thur
with highs mostly in the 50s Tue-Thur. Thickness will rise Fri
along with some MSLP falls, so warmer M50s to M60s. Warmer yet
Sat-Sun supported by ensemble + temp departures from 85h-5h.
FIRE WEATHER...
Warm and dry today with RH/s of 15-20 pct across the lower
elevations of Trans Pecos/SE NM. SW winds may near 20 mph briefly
and with temps about 5-8 above normal elevated fire wx concerns
will exist thru rest of the day across the west.
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NM...High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST Tuesday FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... Guadalupe Mountains NP/Lincoln NF/LNZ...Guadalupe
Mountains of Eddy County.
TX...High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST Tuesday FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES... Guadalupe Mountains.
&&
99HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 107 PM CST MON DEC 14 2015 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-151915- 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- 107 PM CST MON DEC 14 2015 /1207 PM MST MON DEC 14 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 35-45 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH...ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY TUESDAY...SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 35-45 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH...ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .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 44
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2015
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: 606667.