Texas, 2025

High Wind in Texas, May 18, 2025

May 18, 2025 · NWS MAF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Another late-season deep trough and accompanying jet streak produced high winds across the Guadalupe Mountains.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.

Another late-season deep trough and accompanying jet streak produced high winds across the Guadalupe Mountains.

What forecasters said that day

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 18, 11:27 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 1226 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025
  • High winds and blowing dust expected today and Monday, mainly in the Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.
  • Critical fire weather conditions expected to impact southeast New Mexico and portions of west Texas Sunday and Monday.
  • Well above normal temperatures continue into the coming week.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 11:27 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
1227 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1226 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

- High winds and blowing dust expected today and Monday, mainly
  in the Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.

- Critical fire weather conditions expected to impact southeast
  New Mexico and portions of west Texas Sunday and Monday.

- Well above normal temperatures continue into the coming week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Monday afternoon)
Issued at 300 AM CDT Sun May 18 2025

The hot, dry, and windy conditions continue today as another upper
trough approaches helping to increase southwesterly flow aloft.
Leeside surface troughing and deep mixing will lead to gusty winds
by afternoon. High winds with gusts near 70 mph are expected in the
Guadalupe Mountains through the early evening hours. Some of these
higher gusts will spill out onto the plains where gusts near 50 mph
are possible. As winds increase, blowing dust could lower
visibilities to around 1-3 miles. The shorter duration of the
stronger winds should limit the dust to only a couple of hours or
so. Low level thermal ridging anchored directly over the region will
lead to another day of highs well into the 90s and 100s.

As we head into the evening, height falls will pull the dryline back
west to near I-20. Simultaneously, a shortwave will arrive
helping to fire a few storms along the dryline. Some of these
storms could be strong, but will quickly move east of our area
with the arrival of a Pacific front. The main threats will be
strong winds and small hail.

The base of the upper trough passes to our north during the day
Monday. Expect another windy, dust-filled day with gusts around 40
mph for much of the area (much higher in the mountains). Lowering
heights and the low-level thermal ridge displaced to our east will
allow high temperatures to cool a few degrees from what we will see
today.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday night through Saturday)
Issued at 300 AM CDT Sun May 18 2025

An upper low swings passed the area late Monday and into Tuesday
with a front rolling through and shifting winds out of the
northwest. This sets the stage for dry conditions on Tuesday and
Wednesday with near normal temperatures holding for at least
Tuesday. However, temperatures rebound quickly for Wednesday and
into the end of the week with most spots reaching into the mid to
upper 90s. With southwesterly flow holding into next weekend, well
above normal temperatures will continue. An upper low moves in just
to the west of the region late in the week and will bring low(<20%)
chances for rain to the Davis Mountains and areas to the south.
However, much can change between now and then.

-Stickney

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1226 PM CDT Sun May 18 2025

VFR conditions prevail at all terminals. West-southwest winds are
expected to become gusty this afternoon before tapering off and
becoming more southwesterly near sunset. Gusty conditions are
forecast to return by the end of this TAF period.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring               63  92  59  88 /  10   0   0   0
Carlsbad                 61  85  55  88 /   0   0   0   0
Dryden                   70  98  66  96 /  10   0   0   0
Fort Stockton            67  92  60  90 /  10   0   0   0
Guadalupe Pass           58  76  54  80 /   0   0   0   0
Hobbs                    57  84  53  84 /   0   0   0   0
Marfa                    56  84  53  85 /   0   0   0   0
Midland Intl Airport     64  90  60  88 /   0   0   0   0
Odessa                   63  88  60  87 /   0   0   0   0
Wink                     60  89  57  89 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...     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 Monday afternoon through Monday evening for
     Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware
     Mountains.

NM...     High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for Guadalupe
     Mountains of Eddy County.

     High Wind Watch from Monday morning through Monday evening for
     Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.

     Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for Eddy County Plains-
     Northern Lea.

&&

SHORT TERM...29
LONG TERM....93
AVIATION...55

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet

When
May 18, 12:38 PM CST to 4:38 PM CST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
31.447, -104.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A maximum wind gust of 64 MPH was recorded at the RAWS station, GDBT2, The Bowl.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2025

Sources

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: 1254778.