A strong late-season Pacific front and associated jet streak produced high winds across the Guadalupe Mountains and adjacent plains.
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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 late-season Pacific front and associated jet streak produced high winds across the Guadalupe Mountains and adjacent plains.
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 13, 12:44 PM MST, 2 hours earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
244 PM CDT Tue May 13 2025
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 235 PM CDT Tue May 13 2025
- Well above normal temperatures are expected today through
Wednesday with highs reaching the upper 90s and low 100s. These
temperatures may be hazardous if precautions aren't taken. Heat
Advisories remain in effect for Big Bend and Terrell County
through this evening.
- A strong westerly wind is expected this afternoon and again
tomorrow afternoon. High winds are expected across the
Guadalupe Mountains with advisory-level winds for surrounding
areas. Patchy blowing dust may be hazardous to drivers in these
same areas as well.
- A Pacific front will briefly cool temperatures on Thursday
before more heat returns Friday lasting through early next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Wednesday night)
Issued at 235 PM CDT Tue May 13 2025
Upper-level ridging persists through much of the short term period
and a hot day turns into a warm, breezy night. Westerly and
southwesterly winds stay on the breezy to windy side for several
locations through the overnight hours. As such, a High Wind Warning
is in effect over the Guadalupe Mountains and a Wind Advisory over
the adjacent plains in southeastern New Mexico and Eddy and
Culberson counties until early this evening. Winds gradually taper
down a touch before sunrise only to pick back up out of the
southwest during the day as upper-level winds mix downward. The
strongest winds will again be in the Guadalupes and adjacent Plains.
Wind products will be likely over these locations. Wednesday's will
be very similar to Tuesday in terms of temperatures, albeit a few
degrees cooler as upper-level ridging gradually breaks down.
Wednesday morning lows only cool into the mid 60s to low 70s, then
heat up into the 90s to low 100s by the afternoon. A thermal ridge
looks to set up to the east of our region, sending highs in portions
of the Big Bend area near or above 110 degrees.
Wednesday night, upper ridging continues to shift eastward, while a
trough within an omega blocking pattern makes its approach from the
west. Lee troughing produces a surface low that swings a cold front
into the region Thursday morning. Morning lows will depend on the
exact position of the front. At the moment, temperatures across most
of the region look to settle in the 60s, with areas along the Rio
Grande and Pecos River valleys dipping into the lower 70s. No
rainfall is expected within the short term period.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 235 PM CDT Tue May 13 2025
By Thursday, the upper level ridge that will have brought some
spring heat to the region will have moved just to the east of the
area. However, above normal temperatures in the low to mid 90s stick
around for the Permian Basin and down across the Trans Pecos even
after the passage of a weak cold front. Much of Big Bend will see
temperatures reach into the low 100s through the weekend with the
Chisos Basin being the "cool" spot in the 90s. Dry, westerly to
southwesterly flow keeps the warmth in place. Lows will be in the
60s for most for the extended. Southeast New Mexico and across the
higher terrain to the west will see slightly cooler temperatures
overall, but still remaining above normal by a few degrees. Rain
chances stay low(<10%) for the long term.
-Stickney
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1155 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
Breezy to strong, westerly winds have lead to blowing dust at FST
and CNM this morning. These sites will see moments of MVFR
conditions until winds taper down a touch around 03Z Wednesday.
All other terminals are expected to remain under VFR conditions.
Westerly winds stay breezy overnight and pick back up out of the
southwest Wednesday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 71 99 67 91 / 0 0 0 0
Carlsbad 70 92 66 89 / 0 0 0 0
Dryden 72 104 71 99 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Stockton 71 101 69 92 / 0 0 0 0
Guadalupe Pass 65 83 63 80 / 0 0 0 0
Hobbs 67 92 63 87 / 0 0 0 0
Marfa 62 91 62 85 / 0 0 0 0
Midland Intl Airport 73 98 69 91 / 0 0 0 0
Odessa 73 97 69 90 / 0 0 0 0
Wink 71 99 67 93 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Blowing Dust Advisory until 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ this evening for
Eastern Culberson-Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains-Loving-Reeves County
Plains-Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor.
High Wind Warning until 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ this evening for
Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware
Mountains.
High Wind Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday
evening for Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe
and Delaware Mountains.
Wind Advisory until 9 PM CDT this evening for Eastern Culberson-
Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for Lower Brewster
County-Terrell.
NM...Blowing Dust Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for Central
Lea-Eddy County Plains-Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County-
Northern Lea-Southern Lea.
High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Guadalupe
Mountains of Eddy County.
High Wind Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening
for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.
Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for Eddy County Plains.
&&
SHORT TERM...95
LONG TERM....93
AVIATION...95The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A maximum wind gust of 59 MPH was measured by the Carlsbad Caverns Airport ASOS (KCNM).
A maximum wind gust of 60 MPH was recorded at the West Texas Mesonet Site, Carlsbad Caverns NP.
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, May 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: 1254756, 1254770.