An upper level ridge was centered off the west coast of Mexico and extended up into West Texas. Good instability, moisture, and wind shear were present across the area.
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.
An upper level ridge was centered off the west coast of Mexico and extended up into West Texas. Good instability, moisture, and wind shear were present across the area. Dry air was present below the cloud base which contributed to a threat of gusty winds. These conditions resulted in large hail and damaging winds across parts of West Texas.
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 May 24, 1:45 PM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 245 PM CDT Thu May 24 2018 .DISCUSSION... WV imagery shows an upper-lvl ridge centered off the west coast of Mexico and extending up into West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. At the sfc, a theta-E ridge runs N-S thru the area, w/50F Td or higher backed up as far as KELP. Mesoanalysis shows the cap eroding, w/hires models initiating convection omtns after 18Z. Forecast soundings are similar to yesterday's, showing steep mid-lvl LRs, a dry subcloud lyr, and DCAPEs well in excess of 1000 J/kg, for a continued large hail/damaging wind threat. This looks to be especially pronounced along/south of I-10, where deep-lyr shear of around 45 kts is forecast this afternoon/evening. Unfortunately, rain chances pretty much end after tonight as the upper begins building NNE into the region. An upper-lvl trough off the west coast is forecast to make landfall Fri afternoon, and try to nudge the ridge east into next week, but the ridge is not budging, w/the low-lvl thermal ridge only strengthening and building in from the west. By 00Z Sun, all the long-range models increase H85 temps to 30C or better, and keep them there thru the end of their runs. KMAF soundings have mixed down 17-18F the past few days, which would argue for leaning toward the warmer end of the solutions. The GFS is warmest, but we're reluctant to go quite that high w/the west coast trough muscling in and passing north over the next week. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 69 99 71 104 / 10 10 0 0 Carlsbad 64 101 63 103 / 10 0 0 0 Dryden 69 99 72 104 / 10 10 0 0 Fort Stockton 68 99 72 103 / 20 0 0 0 Guadalupe Pass 66 95 69 99 / 10 0 0 0 Hobbs 64 97 64 101 / 10 0 0 0 Marfa 60 93 60 97 / 10 10 0 0 Midland Intl Airport 70 100 72 104 / 10 0 0 0 Odessa 70 100 72 104 / 10 0 0 0 Wink 68 102 69 105 / 10 0 0 0 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...None. TX...None. && 49/44
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 206 PM CDT Thu May 24 2018 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-251915- 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- 206 PM CDT Thu May 24 2018 /106 PM MDT Thu May 24 2018/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas, and western Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Thunderstorms are possible today and this evening across much of the area with the greatest chances across the higher terrain, especially in the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains. Some of these storms may be strong with gusty winds, hail, brief locally heavy rainfall, and occasional to frequent lightning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday The weather is expected to turn unusually hot starting Saturday and will gain momentum through the middle of next week. .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... http://weather.gov/midland
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 412 PM CDT THU MAY 24 2018 TXZ057-242200- Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor TX- 412 PM CDT THU MAY 24 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL CULBERSON COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM CDT... At 411 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 24 miles southeast of Salt Flat, or 26 miles south of Pine Springs on State Highway 54, moving east at 15 mph. Nickel size hail and wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with this storm. LAT...LON 3135 10485 3157 10488 3162 10468 3137 10462 TIME...MOT...LOC 2111Z 256DEG 12KT 3151 10477 70
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
439 PM CDT THU MAY 24 2018
NMZ028-TXZ058-258-242245-
Eddy County Plains NM-Reeves County and Upper Trans Pecos TX-
Guadalupe Mountains TX-
439 PM CDT THU MAY 24 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN EDDY AND NORTH CENTRAL
CULBERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT/445 PM MDT/...
At 439 PM CDT/339 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm near McKittrick Canyon, or 7 miles east of Pine Springs,
moving east at 10 mph.
Nickel size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
McKittrick Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe
Mountains National Park.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3200 10476 3200 10473 3204 10469 3211 10455
3187 10443 3182 10470 3198 10481
TIME...MOT...LOC 2139Z 258DEG 8KT 3193 10470
67The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 225 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:58 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm moved across Brewster County and produced wind damage in Alpine. A power pole was blown down and signs were shattered and blown down due to strong winds and hail. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.
Dime to nickel sized hail was reported three miles east of Alpine.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2018
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: 750371, 750370, 750373.