Westerly high winds impacted the higher elevations of far west Texas and southeast New Mexico in association with a compact, fast-moving shortwave trough.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Westerly high winds impacted the higher elevations of far west Texas and southeast New Mexico in association with a compact, fast-moving shortwave trough.
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 Jan 11, 1:21 AM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
121 AM CST Wed Jan 11 2023
...New AVIATION...
.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Wednesday night)
Issued at 158 PM CST Tue Jan 10 2023
Near-record temperatures today in the 70s and 80s thanks to upper
ridging and strong, downsloping westerly winds. We'll begin a
cooling trend after today as a shortwave trough moves across the
Rockies on Wednesday and a surface lee trough sets up in SE CO.
This will tighten the gradient across our region and create very
windy conditions for Wednesday afternoon. The Guadalupe and
Delaware Mountains, as well as the Davis Mountains, will see high
winds with gusts up to 80mph. A 50kt 700mb jet will be displaced
just to the north of our CWA, so have gone ahead with a Wind
Advisory in the surrounding Plains and Foothills as well. This
Advisory may need to be extended into the Northern Permian Basin
if models trend higher with wind speeds there. Regardless, with
decently dry fuels and such high winds, fire weather concerns have
increased and a Red Flag Warning is in effect for
Wednesday...please see the Fire Weather Discussion below for more
information.
Wednesday will be cooler than today, but still well above normal
for this time of year in the 60s across the west and 70s in the
east. By late Wednesday, the aforementioned shortwave will move
into the plains and become a closed low. A cold front on the heels
of this upper low will arrive overnight Wednesday into Thursday
morning, with overnight lows falling below freezing for parts of
Southeast New Mexico and the higher terrain.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 158 PM CST Tue Jan 10 2023
In the wake of Wednesday night's cold front, Thursday looks to be
the coolest day this week, with cold advection and light
northeasterly flow yielding high temperatures in the middle 50s to
middle 60s for most, close to normal for early January. The
cooldown will be short-lived, however, as southerly return flow
resumes by Friday and midlevel ridging develops over the region. A
warming trend beginning Friday will carry through the upcoming
weekend, with highs rebounding into the 60s and lower to middle
70s for most by Sunday. The aforementioned ridge will shift to the
east on Sunday ahead of the next trough progged to impact the
region, and there is fairly decent agreement among guidance that
this trough, similar to the last few, will pass to the north of
the area. This would mean continued dry conditions for Southeast
New Mexico and West Texas, as well as another round of breezy to
windy conditions Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, particularly
across the higher terrain to the west. An accompanying Pacific
front will yield slightly cooler, but still above normal
temperatures early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 119 AM CST Wed Jan 11 2023
Light wind tonight will increase and become gusty from the west
Wednesday by 18Z. VFR conditions will remain through the TAF
period though BLDU may restrict VIS to low end VFR 18-00Z. High
Wind Warning in effect today for the Guadalupe, Delaware, and
Davis Mountains with severe turbulence possible for low flying
light aircraft near the Guadalupes.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 75 39 59 32 / 0 0 0 0
Carlsbad 70 34 57 32 / 0 0 0 0
Dryden 80 45 63 36 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Stockton 79 39 59 35 / 0 0 0 0
Guadalupe Pass 60 32 51 34 / 0 0 0 0
Hobbs 69 33 58 31 / 0 0 0 0
Marfa 70 32 57 27 / 0 0 0 0
Midland Intl Airport 74 39 59 33 / 0 0 0 0
Odessa 73 39 59 34 / 0 0 0 0
Wink 74 35 59 30 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Wind Warning from 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/ this morning to 8 PM
CST /7 PM MST/ this evening for Davis Mountains-Guadalupe
Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.
Red Flag Warning from 10 AM CST /9 AM MST/ this morning to 8 PM
CST /7 PM MST/ this evening for Andrews-Borden-Central
Brewster County-Chinati Mountains-Crane-Davis Mountains-
Davis Mountains Foothills-Dawson-Eastern Culberson County-
Ector-Gaines-Glasscock-Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains-Howard-Loving-Marfa
Plateau-Martin-Midland-Mitchell-Pecos-Reagan-Reeves County
Plains-Scurry-Upton-Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor-Ward-
Winkler.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 8 PM CST this evening
for Chinati Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills-Eastern
Culberson County-Marfa Plateau-Reeves County Plains-Van
Horn and Highway 54 Corridor.
NM...High Wind Warning from 5 AM early this morning to 7 PM MST this
evening for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.
Red Flag Warning from 9 AM this morning to 7 PM MST this evening
for Chaves Plains-Eddy Plains-Lea-Sacramento Foothills and
Guadalupe Mountains.
Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 7 PM MST this evening
for Central Lea County-Eddy County Plains-Northern Lea
County-Southern Lea County.
&&
SHORT TERM...72
LONG TERM....16
AVIATION...72Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 220 AM CST Wed Jan 11 2023 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-059>063-067>070-075-082- 270>282-120830- 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- 220 AM CST Wed Jan 11 2023 /120 AM MST Wed Jan 11 2023/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas and western Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Windy to very windy conditions are expected this afternoon across much of the region. High Wind Warnings are in effect for the Guadalupe, Delaware, and Davis Mountains along with Wind Advisories in effect for the mountain-adjacent foothills of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas and portions of the northwestern Permian Basin from this morning through this evening. Areas of blowing dust will be possible this afternoon due to the windy conditions. Motorists should be ready for possibly sudden restrictions of visibility caused by blowing dust. Near-critical to critical fire weather conditions are expected today across all zones except along the Rio Grande. A Red Flag Warning is in effect. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Windy conditions are possible across the Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains Sunday and Sunday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. 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.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 2023
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: 1078929, 1078931, 1078928.