An upper level storm system moved across the northern tier of states. Winds in the Guadalupe Mountains increased and briefly became strong as the trough moved across the area.
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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.
An upper level storm system moved across the northern tier of states. Winds in the Guadalupe Mountains increased and briefly became strong as the trough moved across the area.
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 22, 3:08 AM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 308 AM CST Tue Dec 22 2020 .DISCUSSION... Upper ridge axis moves over TX today as upper trough over ID and NV swings east reaching the Northern Rockies later in the day. The center of this trough will move onto the plains Wednesday and then into the Great Lakes region as the backside of the trough swings down across NM and TX. As this trough passes by high pressure will once again build in from the west Thursday. A southern stream trough will move over CA late Thursday and into NM by late Friday and into W TX early Saturday. After that high pressure returns. Temperatures will be warmer today with highs into the 70s as a SW wind and abundant sunshine combine. A cold front will blow through the area Wednesday knocking highs back down to around normal. Thursday morning will be the coldest of the week with lows in the teens and 20s. Will have very dry air in place Thursday with dewpts down into the single digits. Temperatures begin to recover Friday and remain warm through the weekend. Could briefly get near high wind conditions today at GDP with SW flow... have raised speeds... and again Wednesday night as the front pushes through. However both times look to stay below warning criteria so no watches/warnings planned. Kept the forecast dry so there will be no winter wx travel concerns across the region. && .FIRE WEATHER... Temperatures will be around 10 degrees above normal today. Low relative humidity values of 15 percent or less will be across much of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico today. Strong southwest winds are expected today across the Guadalupe Mountains. RFTI values up to 6 are also expected today in the Guadalupe Mountains. This will result in near critical fire weather conditions today in the Guadalupe Mountains so will issue a Fire Danger Statement for this area. ERC values are below the 70th percentile across this area which will hinder fire weather conditions somewhat. Improving conditions are expected on Wednesday with the passage of a cold front. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 70 40 55 22 / 0 0 0 0 Carlsbad 70 37 60 18 / 0 0 0 0 Dryden 70 46 73 28 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Stockton 76 45 64 25 / 0 0 0 0 Guadalupe Pass 64 38 54 24 / 0 0 0 0 Hobbs 69 35 53 18 / 0 0 0 0 Marfa 68 28 62 14 / 0 0 0 0 Midland Intl Airport 70 39 56 22 / 0 0 0 0 Odessa 70 39 57 21 / 0 0 0 0 Wink 74 35 61 19 / 0 0 0 0 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...None. TX...None. && 80/72
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 322 AM CST Tue Dec 22 2020 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-059>063-067>070-075-082- 270>282-230930- 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-Loving-Winkler- Ector-Midland-Glasscock-Ward-Crane-Upton-Reagan-Pecos-Terrell- Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains- Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor-Eastern Culberson County- Reeves County Plains-Chinati Mountains-Marfa Plateau-Davis Mountains- Davis Mountains Foothills-Central Brewster County-Chisos Basin- Presidio Valley-Lower Brewster County- 322 AM CST Tue Dec 22 2020 /222 AM MST Tue Dec 22 2020/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas, and western Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are expected in the Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state and CDC guidelines. 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... https://weather.gov/midland
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2020
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: 935686, 935687.