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, 8:59 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
959 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
...New UPDATE...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 955 AM 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 are in effect for Big Bend and Terrell County.
- A strong westerly wind is expected this afternoon and again
during Wednesday 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.
&&
.UPDATE...
Issued at 955 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
Have issued a Blowing Dust Advisory to compliment the Wind
Advisory for today as dust has already started to produce low
visibility on highways and roads across portions of Eddy,
Culberson, Reeves, and Loving counties. Forecast remains on track
otherwise with increasing gustiness through this afternoon. If you
are caught in low visibility on the roads, pull off of the road
and turn your lights off until visibility improves.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Wednesday afternoon)
Issued at 236 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
While Monday may have been hot, it'll feel like an oven this
afternoon and again on Wednesday. The ridge continues to slowly
shift eastward across the southern Great Plains with troughing over
the Great Basin. This sets the stage for a warm morning with limited
relief as everyone largely sees middle 60s to lower 70s to start the
day. The low-level thermal ridge builds over our region this
afternoon, causing widespread temperatures in the upper 90s and
lower 100s for the majority. Temperatures are expected to exceed 105
to 110 near the Rio Grande in the Big Bend and Terrell County,
necessitating a Heat Advisory through this afternoon. Adding insult
to injury, a strong and dry westerly wind is expected for most. As
the Great Basin trough continues to weaken and push the ridge east,
increasing westerly mid-level winds are expected as a result. These
winds will easily mix towards the surface. The strongest winds are
anticipated across western portions of the area. A High Wind Warning
is in effect for the Guadalupe Mountains with surrounding Wind
Advisories because of this. Blowing dust should be limited due to
recent rainfall in previous weeks, but areas further to the west may
see at least patchy blowing dust by mid-afternoon. Elsewhere remains
windy, though not to a hazardous level. Either way, you can expect
it to feel like a convection oven this afternoon. All of the above
can be said for Wednesday morning into Wednesday afternoon with
little change anticipated. Temperatures and wind speeds may even be
a touch higher for some locations. A High Wind Watch has been issued
for the Guadalupe Mountains. Additional Wind Advisories and Heat
Advisories are likely needed in the near future for the same areas
as previously mentioned. All in all, a dry, summer-like weather
pattern is in store for the short term.
-Chehak
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday night through Monday)
Issued at 236 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
A brief cooldown in temperatures is expected to start off the long-
term period as a Pacific front arrives in the region Thursday
morning. This will cool high temperatures roughly ten degrees cooler
compared to Tuesday and Wednesday, providing some relief from the
heat. The brief cooldown does not last long as subtle upper-level
ridging and more heat returns on Friday. High temperatures are
anticipated to range in the mid/upper 80s to 90s Friday through
Sunday. Some locations along and near the Rio Grande and Presidio
valleys look to see the triple digits once again over the course of
these days. Long-term guidance has upper-level moisture associated
with a shortwave trough near Baja California, supplying some high
clouds beginning Friday afternoon lasting through much of the
weekend. This will keep temperatures from soaring into the upper 90s
to low 100s over many areas.
By Sunday, drier air aloft moves overhead as the aforementioned
trough lifts to the north. As a result, decreasing cloud cover along
with slightly warmer temperatures are forecasted Sunday afternoon
into early next week. Ensemble and long-term deterministic guidance
also has the dryline retreating back to west Texas early next week.
A few storms may develop during this timeframe, however, rain
chances remain low (< 30%) and confined to the eastern Permian
Basin.
Lamberson
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 606 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
VFR conditions are expected to continue through the TAF period.
Westerly winds will continue to overspread the area and increase
in speed. The strongest winds are expected with western extent
with gusts as high as 30 to 40 kts. Blowing dust is not expected
to cause impacts, expect for minor reductions at CNM possible.
West winds quickly weaken after sunset for all terminals but CNM.
CNM will maintain an elevated and gusty wind into the evening.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 236 AM CDT Tue May 13 2025
A Rangeland Fire Danger statement has been issued for portions of
southeastern New Mexico and for areas south to the Davis Mountains
this afternoon into the early evening. The combination of very warm
temperatures, critical MinRH values, and strong winds will result in
elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions today and
Wednesday across these areas. ERCs remain low across the region
limiting fire weather concerns, but they will begin to worsen by
Wednesday with continued dry conditions. Currently, fuel moisture is
near normal, thanks to the rainfall this past week. By Thursday,
drying fuels are expected over much of the region. Widespread below
critical relative humidity continues through the end of the week
into the weekend as well, but relatively light winds should limit
fire weather concerns.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 100 70 101 67 / 0 0 0 0
Carlsbad 96 70 94 66 / 0 0 0 0
Dryden 105 72 106 71 / 0 0 0 10
Fort Stockton 100 71 104 69 / 0 0 0 0
Guadalupe Pass 87 65 85 63 / 0 0 0 0
Hobbs 95 68 94 63 / 0 0 0 0
Marfa 91 62 92 61 / 0 0 0 0
Midland Intl Airport 99 72 101 69 / 0 0 0 0
Odessa 98 72 98 69 / 0 0 0 0
Wink 99 71 99 66 / 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 from 1 PM this afternoon to 9 PM CDT this evening
for Eastern Culberson-Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor.
Heat Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 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 from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for Eddy
County Plains.
&&
SHORT TERM...91
LONG TERM....11
AVIATION...91The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A maximum wind gust of 63 MPH was recorded at the West Texas Mesonet Site, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, near Guadalupe Pass. Wind speeds briefly fell below high wind speeds before climbing above them again.
A maximum wind gust of 70 MPH was recorded at the RAWS station, GDBT2, The Bowl. Wind speeds briefly fell below high wind speeds before climbing above them again.
A maximum wind gust of 58 MPH was recorded at the CWOP site, FW9692 Pecos.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 1254761, 1254757, 1254759.