A strong cold front moving south through the southern Great Plains and a likely barrier jet near the Guadalupe Mountains caused high winds near Carlsbad Caverns.
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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.
A strong cold front moving south through the southern Great Plains and a likely barrier jet near the Guadalupe Mountains caused high winds near Carlsbad Caverns.
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 Apr 5, 12:01 PM MST, 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
201 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 200 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025
- High precipitation chances continue across most of the area
today ahead of an approaching storm system. Precipitation will
taper off late tonight.
- Accumulating snowfall up to 3-7" in the Guadalupe Mountains with
amounts generally between 1-3" over portions of southeast New
Mexico, the northwest Permian Basin, and the Davis Mountains are
forecast through this evening. Gusty northeasterly winds can be
expected, with the strongest wind speeds through Guadalupe Pass.
- Freezing temperatures can be expected across southeast New
Mexico and much of west Texas tonight into early Sunday morning.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Sunday night)
Issued at 200 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025
WV imagery this afternoon shows the upper trough over far west
Texas, pushing the main and final round of precipitation through
West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. A cold front is working its
way south, and observations indicate precip has changed over to
-SHSN in parts of Southeast New Mexico. Hi-res models and
satellite/radar trends suggest this precipitation will taper off
rather quickly after sundown, and QPF suggests winter storm
warnings/advisories can be allowed to expire as scheduled. The cold
front arrived w/blustery winds, strong enough for gap winds through
KGDP. Hi-res models suggest extending the High Wind Warning through
06Z Sunday. Unfortunately, the air behind this front will bring
quite a change to temperatures of late, so a Freeze warning for
Southeast New Mexico and most of West Texas remains in effect
overnight.
Sunday, skies scatter out as subsidence sets in on the backside of
the exiting trough. Although thicknesses will begin increasing,
northerly flow/CAA will continue. Despite clearing skies, highs
will still top out a measly ~ 20 F below normal.
Clear skies will promote efficient radiational cooling Sunday night.
However, surface winds will swing back around to return flow.
Although they will be light, CAA will cease, adding 3-4 F onto
tonight's lows.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Monday through Friday)
Issued at 200 PM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025
The long term begins on Monday where temperatures begin moving up
from the well below normal temperatures seen this weekend. Highs
reach into the 60s to low 70s for most. Highs surge back above
normal for the middle of the coming week as upper level ridging
moves in overhead. Additionally, winds shift to the south and
southwest across the area. This is a downsloping(or warming) wind
direction. Temperatures reach well into the 80s for most with the
normal hot spots like the Pecos River Valley and across Big Bend
reaching into the 90s. This much warmer and drier pattern holds
through the end of the week and into next weekend. Rain chances fall
to near zero for the extended.
-Stickney
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1124 AM CDT Sat Apr 5 2025
TAFs look to be messy for the first few hours, as WV imagery shows
the main (and hopefully last) band of precipitation moving through
this afternoon. Current observations and temperature expectations,
even w/fropa, suggest rain showers all terminals except KHOB,
which could see a mix. Forecast soundings raise cigs fairly
quickly overnight, w/all terminals scattering out to VFR by 09Z
Sunday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 30 56 33 70 / 60 0 0 0
Carlsbad 30 56 34 67 / 40 0 0 0
Dryden 37 62 39 73 / 30 0 0 0
Fort Stockton 33 57 37 69 / 40 0 0 0
Guadalupe Pass 27 48 38 60 / 20 0 0 0
Hobbs 28 55 33 68 / 50 0 0 0
Marfa 27 52 31 64 / 30 0 0 0
Midland Intl Airport 31 56 36 70 / 50 0 0 0
Odessa 32 56 37 69 / 50 0 0 0
Wink 32 59 36 70 / 30 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ this evening for
Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware
Mountains.
Freeze Warning from 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ this evening to 10 AM
CDT /9 AM MDT/ Sunday for Andrews-Borden-Central Brewster-
Chinati Mountains-Chisos Basin-Crane-Davis Mountains-Davis
Mountains Foothills-Dawson-Eastern Culberson-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.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM CDT this evening for Davis
Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills-Gaines.
High Wind Warning until 1 AM CDT /midnight MDT/ Sunday for
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.
NM...Winter Storm Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Guadalupe
Mountains of Eddy County.
Freeze Warning from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT Sunday for
Central Lea-Eddy County Plains-Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy
County-Northern Lea-Southern Lea.
Winter Weather Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for Central
Lea-Eddy County Plains-Northern Lea.
&&
SHORT TERM...44
LONG TERM....93
AVIATION...44The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A maximum wind gust of 62 MPH was observed at the West Texas Mesonet site, Carlsbad Caverns NP.
A maximum wind gust of 60 MPH was observed at the RAWS station, BATN5 Batdraw.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2025
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: 1243434, 1243435.