Texas, 2025

Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, May 4, 2025

May 4, 2025 · NWS MAF · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

A large upper-level low pressure over the western United States and a leading shortwave trough produced scattered severe thunderstorms over the higher elevations of Southeast New Mexico that would later track into the Permian Basin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

A large upper-level low pressure over the western United States and a leading shortwave trough produced scattered severe thunderstorms over the higher elevations of Southeast New Mexico that would later track into the Permian Basin.

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 4, 5:38 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 559 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025
  • Low to medium storm chances for southeast New Mexico this afternoon (30-60%). A couple of storms may be strong to severe.
  • Higher storm chances (60-90%) Monday afternoon through the overnight hours, especially for the Permian Basin and Trans- Pecos regions. Severe storms expected (all modes possible), as well as the potential for some flash flooding.
Area forecast discussion, May 4, 5:38 PM CST, 6 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
638 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 559 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

- Low to medium storm chances for southeast New Mexico this
  afternoon (30-60%). A couple of storms may be strong to severe.

- Higher storm chances (60-90%) Monday afternoon through the
  overnight hours, especially for the Permian Basin and Trans-
  Pecos regions. Severe storms expected (all modes possible), as
  well as the potential for some flash flooding.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Monday night)
Issued at 147 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

Current water vapor imagery shows our next weather system near
Southern California. This system will slowly move into Arizona later
this evening. As it does so, difluence within the upper-level flow
will increase. The lift associated with this, along with sufficient
low-level moisture (dewpoints in the 50s generally) will allow for a
few thunderstorms to develop this afternoon across southeast New
Mexico especially (40-60% chance). MUCAPE values up to 1000-1500
J/kg and 0-6 km bulk shear of 50-60 kts suggests that a couple of
these storms are going to become strong/severe. Large hail and
damaging wind would be the primary concern, though a tornado cannot
be totally ruled out (particularly in the evening as the low-level
jet kicks up). Meanwhile, much of west Texas will experience breezy
conditions today, especially the southern Permian Basin and Trans-
Pecos regions. As a result, a Wind Advisory is in effect until
tonight for these locations.

The upper-level trough continues to make its way through Arizona
towards New Mexico tomorrow. Meanwhile, a dryline sharpens up over
the western portions of the Permian Basin (roughly from Andrews down
to Fort Stockton, according to the HREF ensemble) and extends
towards the Big Bend. Lift associated with the approaching trough,
along with continued difluence aloft and convergence along the
dryline, will encourage the development of a few supercells that
afternoon. Once again, these storms would attempt to become severe
given MUCAPE values of 1500-2500 J/kg and 0-6 km shear of 50-60 kts
(up to 70 kts locally). By the evening, a second round of storms is
expected to fire up off the retreating dryline as a 40-50 kt low-
level jet develops. These storms will quickly coalesce into a line,
and would continue to pose a large hail/damaging wind threat.
However, increasing low-level shear associated with the low-level
jet will result in an increased tornado threat with this second
round of storms. At this time, the highest storm chances look to be
for the Permian Basin and Trans-Pecos regions (60-90% chance). Ample
moisture and the potential for heavy downpours suggests localized
flash flooding may be another concern. Otherwise, breezy conditions
will continue tomorrow as well.

Sprang

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through Saturday)
Issued at 147 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

Once we get through the major storm system early this week, our
weather isn't looking all that bad. The upper trough will continue
to lift into the Plains Tuesday leaving our region in dry, westerly
flow. The only caveat would be a few showers across northern Eddy
and Lea counties as moisture wraps around the storm system. Winds
will be breezy Tuesday afternoon, but we expect plenty of
sunshine (outside of SE NM) with highs in the 70s/80s.

A blocking pattern will develop across CONUS through the rest of the
week helping to slow the progression of the upper trough. By Friday,
models only move the storm system to the Arklatex keeping our region
in northerly flow aloft all week. While this will most likely
keep us dry, it will also maintain below normal temperatures with
highs in the 70s/80s and lows in the 50s. Ridging may finally
build in early next week allowing temperatures to return to
normal.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 559 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

Generally VFR conditions through the rest of today. Thunderstorms
will move away from CNM, HOB, and INK within the next couple of
hours. Meanwhile, gusty winds continue into this evening,
weakening at least somewhat later tonight (though low end gusts
will persist at most terminals). After midnight, low clouds will
develop over the region, bringing most sites (with possible
exceptions of FST and PEQ) down to MVFR through tomorrow morning.
More thunderstorms are expected for most sites towards the end of
the period tomorrow.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring               60  74  59  78 /  40  70 100  30
Carlsbad                 56  82  53  74 /  50  10  80  20
Dryden                   64  85  62  86 /  30  30  80  10
Fort Stockton            62  88  57  81 /  10  30  80  10
Guadalupe Pass           52  74  49  66 /  30  10  60  10
Hobbs                    55  79  51  71 /  60  40  90  20
Marfa                    50  81  49  72 /  10   0  40   0
Midland Intl Airport     62  81  58  77 /  30  60 100  20
Odessa                   62  81  58  76 /  30  50 100  10
Wink                     62  89  56  80 /  20  30  90  10

&&

.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Wind Advisory until 1 AM CDT Monday for Central Brewster-Crane-
     Davis Mountains Foothills-Ector-Loving-Midland-Pecos-Reeves
     County Plains-Terrell-Upton-Ward-Winkler.

NM...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...13
LONG TERM....29
AVIATION...13

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 4, 5:16 PM CST, 28 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
616 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0611 PM     Hail             2 E Hope                32.83N 104.70W
05/04/2025  M1.00 Inch       Eddy               NM   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

&&
Local storm report, May 4, 5:20 PM CST, 24 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
620 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0619 PM     Hail             8 E Hope                32.84N 104.60W
05/04/2025  M1.00 Inch       Eddy               NM   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

&&
Local storm report, May 4, 5:25 PM CST, 19 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
625 PM CDT Sun May 4 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0622 PM     Hail             8 W Artesia             32.84N 104.56W
05/04/2025  E1.75 Inch       Eddy               NM   Public

            Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.).

&&

The radar

The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 173 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Reeves

When
May 4, 5:44 PM CST to 5:56 PM CST
Where
Reeves County, 4.76 mi NNW of Angeles
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Storm Chaser
Coordinates
31.980, -104.020

Storm chaser reported hail up to the size of golf balls.

Thunderstorm Wind, Winkler

When
May 4, 7:25 PM CST to 7:35 PM CST
Where
Winkler County, (Ink)winkler Co Arpt
Measured
67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
31.780, -103.200

A maximum wind gust of 77 mph was recorded at the Winkler County Airport ASOS (INK). The ASOS stopped reporting after this gust.

Hail, Winkler

When
May 4, 7:32 PM CST to 7:42 PM CST
Where
Winkler County, 2.45 mi WSW of Kermit
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
31.840, -103.120

A report of ping pong ball-size hail was received from mPING.

Hail, Winkler

When
May 4, 7:36 PM CST to 7:44 PM CST
Where
Winkler County, 0.91 mi SW of Kermit
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
31.840, -103.090

A report of ping pong ball-size hail was received from mPING.

Hail, Ector

When
May 4, 9:08 PM CST to 9:18 PM CST
Where
Ector County, 1.5 mi NNW of Pleasant Farms
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
31.700, -102.330

A report of quarter-size hail was received from mPING.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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: 1254391, 1254394, 1254399, 1254402, 1254405.