Strong northeast winds behind a cold front resulted in high winds through Guadalupe Pass.
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.
Strong northeast winds behind a cold front resulted in high winds through Guadalupe Pass.
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 31, 4:06 PM MST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 506 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015 .DISCUSSION... The latest Aviation Discussion is included below. && .AVIATION... Expect all area terminals to experience deteriorating conditions overnight with conditions staying down through much of New Years Day. Ceilings will drop to IFR behind the front while visibility will drop to IFR, if VLIFR, at most sites. Will also include -FZDZ at KCNM and KHOB after 01/06Z with KHOB possibly seeing FZFG, while the rest of the area terminals will see -DZ. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 218 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015/ The Nino Wave Train is speeding along with no less than 4, possibly 5 mid/upper level trofs to move thru the area over the next 7-10 days. A northern hemispheric perspective of the jet stream clearly shows a persistent source region for strong jet energy INVOF 36N latitude 180W longitude or about 950nm s of the Aleutian Islands. Today cold continental air is undergoing anticyclogenesis w of the front range of the Rocky Mtns and is spilling over into the plains with surface pressure rises. By late this evening high winds are expected thru GDP Pass and we have issued a HWW from 01/05Z til 16z/01. Meanwhile a 120kt 3H jet is moving into the area today. As cold air settles in light precip will develop across the NW CWFA by 12Z Fri. This will likely be a modestly high PoP but low QPF scenario from SE NM to GDP-Delaware Mtns. The primary concern will be the potential for -FZDZ/-FZRA/FZFG, the soundings support -FZDZ/FZFG moreso. With the snowpack still expected to be in SE NM/GDP Mtns colder surface temps seem the best way to go (that was the case this morning), but there will be clouds there tonight. As cold air pushes sw into the mtns light precip/fog will expand s into the Davis Mtns. A perusal of NAM12 cross sections from se of Davis Mtns-GDP Mtns reveals that this will be a good set-up for somewhat long duration -FZDZ/FZFG, possibly thru 12Z Sat. GFS is slightly warmer and would tend to minimize the concerns for -FZDZ. However we tend to agree with the colder NAM12 because the airmass is pretty cold anyway (~1040mb), but it may even modify toward the colder as it moves across the NM snow pack? So, we're inclined to issue an advisory type highlight for SE NM and GDP-Davis Mtns. However model QPF decreases QPF after 18Z Fri. Being that Friday New Yrs Day there could be increased travel and argues for some highlight. Basically there are alot of moving parts and considerations for this 12Z Fri-12Z Sat period and the most likely scenario is long duration FZFG. For now will hold off issuing an advisory and go with a Special Weather Statement. Finally into Sat PM there will be the exiting of the said jet and associated shrtwv trof which will bring more -SHRA near the Big Bend/Rio Grande, although models have trended PoPs farther s. Sunday/Monday will be a down days with mid level ridging in advance of next shrtwv trof. Surface ridge will be slow to release and Tue will be cooler as light precip moves in from the west, L40S-U40S most places. Another deeper/colder upper low will quickly move into the Desert SW Thur with a strong 140kt subtropical jet s of the Rio Grande. This will place the CWFA INVOF LFQ of said jet resulting in mostly light liquid precip. In wake of that system it will be dry on Fri with yet another system possibly passing on Sat. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BIG SPRING TX 31 32 28 43 / 20 10 0 0 CARLSBAD NM 29 32 26 42 / 50 40 10 10 DRYDEN TX 42 46 36 45 / 20 30 10 20 FORT STOCKTON TX 32 35 30 43 / 40 30 10 0 GUADALUPE PASS TX 24 29 24 39 / 40 40 10 10 HOBBS NM 29 32 26 38 / 50 20 0 0 MARFA TX 29 38 27 43 / 30 40 10 10 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 29 33 26 42 / 20 20 0 0 ODESSA TX 31 34 26 42 / 30 20 0 0 WINK TX 35 39 28 44 / 50 30 0 0 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 9 AM MST Friday FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... Guadalupe Mountains. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 743 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-020145- 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- 743 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015 /643 PM MST THU DEC 31 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL OCCUR THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS OVERNIGHT BEHIND A COLD FRONT. THEREFORE, A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING FOG ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR TONIGHT OVER THE GUADALUPE, DAVIS AND APACHE MOUNTAINS, MARFA PLATEAU, SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS, AND NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PERMIAN BASIN. IN ADDITION, PRECIPITATION MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW OVER THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION, ESPECIALLY ON BRIDGES, OVERPASSES AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES, WILL LIKELY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. LOW VISIBILITY IN FREEZING FOG WILL ONLY MAKE DRIVING CONDITIONS WORSE. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE TRANS PECOS AND SOUTHERN PERMIAN BASIN. VISIBILITY OF ONE QUARTER OF A MILE OR LESS WILL BECOME MORE COMMON FURTHER SOUTHWARD ACROSS THESE AREAS THROUGH THE NIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS FRIDAY MORNING, SO THE HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MST. FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FREEZING FOG WILL PERSIST FRIDAY MORNING IN THE AREAS OUTLINED ABOVE, WITH LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION AND LOW VISIBILITY RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH AT LEAST 9 AM CST/8 AM MST. THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE TRANS PECOS AND SOUTHERN PERMIAN BASIN WILL ALSO BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST. .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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 218 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-011315- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...QUEEN...ARTESIA...CARLSBAD... CARLSBAD CAVERNS NP...TATUM...HOBBS...LOVINGTON...EUNICE...JAL... SEMINOLE...LAMESA...GAIL...SNYDER...ANDREWS...STANTON... BIG SPRING...COLORADO CITY...VAN HORN...PECOS...MENTONE... RED BLUFF LAKE...KERMIT...ODESSA...MIDLAND...GARDEN CITY... MONAHANS...CRANE...MCCAMEY...RANKIN...BIG LAKE...ALPINE... FORT DAVIS...FORT STOCKTON...PRESIDIO...MARFA...BIG BEND NP... MARATHON...SANDERSON...GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NP...PINE SPRINGS 218 PM CST THU DEC 31 2015 /118 PM MST THU DEC 31 2015/ ...LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THE INTERACTION OF ANOTHER COLD, A STRONG JET STREAM, AND UPSLOPE WINDS WILL INCREASE THE CHANCE OF LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN, FREEZING DRIZZLE, AND FREEZING FOG. THE LIGHT PRECIPITATION IS FAVORED TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO TONIGHT AND SPREAD SOUTHWEST INTO THE GUADALUPE, DELAWARE AND DAVIS MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FREEZING FOG ARE THE MOST FAVORED WINTRY WEATHER TO DEVELOP. THE CONCERN IS THAT THIS LIGHT WINTER PRECIPITATION MAY PERSIST INTO SATURDAY MORNING RESULTING IN LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS RESULTING IN THE GRADUAL FORMATION OF LIGHT ICE. ALSO OF CONCERN ARE LOW VISIBILITIES, ESPECIALLY ON EAST MOUNTAIN SLOPES WHERE VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. ALSO THERE WILL BE STRONG WINDS THROUGH GUADALUPE PASS FRIDAY MORNING. BRIDGES, OVERPASSES, EXPOSED SURFACES, STAIRS, AND SIDEWALKS MAY BECOME SLICK. BE PREPARED FOR RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY, USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT INTERSECTIONS, AND STEEP GRADES IN THE MOUNTAINS. FOR ROAD CONDITIONS IN NEW MEXICO...PLEASE CHECK OUT NMROADS.COM /ALL LOWER CASE/. FOR ROAD CONDITIONS ACROSS TEXAS...POINT YOUR BROWSER TO DRIVETEXAS.ORG /ALL LOWER CASE/.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An extensive period of 40 to 45 mph northeast winds occurred through Guadalupe Pass. The high winds likely lasted beyond the point where the sensor froze.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 606669.