A cold front pushed through the region during the morning of April 18th. This front temporarily yielded high winds at the West Texas Mesonet site near Marfa.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 cold front pushed through the region during the morning of April 18th. This front temporarily yielded high winds at the West Texas Mesonet site near Marfa.
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 18, 5:04 AM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
604 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 602 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
- A strong cold front continues to move through this morning with gusty
north winds bringing much cooler temperatures and blowing dust.
- Scattered showers/storms will affect Permian Basin and Lower
Trans Pecos this morning.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Sunday afternoon)
Issued at 122 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
A strong cold front is currently moving through the region with very
gusty north winds behind it. Gusts have reached near 50 mph at
every reporting site so will allow the Wind Advisory to continue.
Blowing dust will lower visibilities briefly so will cover with
Dust Storm Advisories as the front advances south. Strong gap
winds will continue in the Guadalupe Mountains so the High Wind
Warning continues there. A few showers and storms are developing
along the front from Andrews to Colorado City. This activity will
move south clipping eastern portions of the region. Severe
weather is not expected and rainfall amounts will be limited by
the fast progression. Temperatures are falling behind the front
into the 50s. Highs will be much cooler today only making the low
70s at best.
Winds subside overnight and temperatures fall accordingly with most
locations falling into the 40s. There is even a low (20%) chance of
northern portions of Lea County hitting the freezing mark.
Increasing clouds will limit a warmup Sunday with highs generally
around 10 degrees below normal. A few showers enter the picture late
Sunday afternoon across the Big Bend as our next weather maker heads
this way.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Sunday night through Friday)
Issued at 122 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
A weak shortwave will generate showers and an isolated thunderstorm
Sunday night into Monday morning. QPF will be limited to under a
tenth of an inch due to dry surface airmass. With clouds and
precipitation expect another day of below normal temperatures
(likely our last one for a while).
Mid level ridging builds in midweek leading to much warmer
temperatures and dry conditions. Will need to monitor a developing
dryline late in the week for thunderstorm chances, but most guidance
keeps the boundary just east of our area.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 602 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
Storms continue to say east of the terminals as gusty north winds
continue behind the front. Gusts over 30 kts will fade by
afternoon before winds veer to the east overnight. Low cigs
affecting KMAF and KFST will lift by mid morning.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 70 41 72 50 / 0 0 0 10
Carlsbad 72 43 71 47 / 0 0 0 20
Dryden 72 51 65 51 / 20 10 20 20
Fort Stockton 72 47 67 49 / 0 0 10 30
Guadalupe Pass 64 43 61 46 / 0 0 10 20
Hobbs 70 38 71 46 / 0 0 0 20
Marfa 67 38 61 39 / 0 0 30 20
Midland Intl Airport 70 43 70 50 / 0 0 0 20
Odessa 70 43 70 50 / 0 0 0 20
Wink 72 43 69 50 / 0 0 0 30
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Wind Warning until 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/ this afternoon for
Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.
Wind Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for Andrews-Borden-
Chinati Mountains-Crane-Davis Mountains-Davis Mountains
Foothills-Dawson-Eastern Culberson-Ector-Gaines-Glasscock-
Howard-Loving-Marfa Plateau-Martin-Midland-Mitchell-Reagan-
Reeves County Plains-Scurry-Upton-Van Horn and Highway 54
Corridor-Ward-Winkler.
NM...High Wind Warning until noon MDT today for Guadalupe Mountains
of Eddy County.
Wind Advisory until 9 AM MDT this morning for Central Lea-Eddy
County Plains-Northern Lea-Southern Lea.
&&
SHORT TERM...29
LONG TERM....29
AVIATION...29Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
545 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
TXZ063-069-070-181130-
Reagan TX-Glasscock TX-Upton TX-
545 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN GLASSCOCK...REAGAN
AND SOUTHERN UPTON COUNTIES THROUGH 630 AM CDT...
At 545 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms 22 miles south of Garden City, moving northeast at 40
mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Big Lake, McCamey, Rankin, Reagan County Airport, Best, and Stiles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3108 10163 3109 10221 3125 10227 3176 10127
3118 10127
TIME...MOT...LOC 1045Z 238DEG 34KT 3155 10140
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
29Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
718 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
TXZ070-181300-
Reagan TX-
718 AM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN REAGAN COUNTY THROUGH
800 AM CDT...
At 717 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles southwest of Reagan County Airport, or 9 miles southwest of Big
Lake, moving northeast at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Big Lake, Reagan County Airport, and Best.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3108 10168 3116 10174 3152 10127 3108 10127
TIME...MOT...LOC 1217Z 238DEG 34KT 3111 10159
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
95The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Texas Mesonet station KMA2 Marfa measured a brief period of high wind gusts and high sustained winds, including a gust up to 58 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2026
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: 1320660.