Lee troughing ahead of an approaching upper-level system led to gusty westerly winds on the 24th. High winds were recorded during the afternoon and evening hours at the Pine Springs Mesonet station.
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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.
Lee troughing ahead of an approaching upper-level system led to gusty westerly winds on the 24th. High winds were recorded during the afternoon and evening hours at the Pine Springs Mesonet station.
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 Feb 24, 1:44 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
144 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 144 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
- Critical fire weather conditions are expected today areas
across the higher terrain, southeast New Mexico, and some
portions of far west Texas.
- Critical fire weather conditions are again in store Wednesday
afternoon across the southeast New Mexico Plains, Permian Basin,
and Upper Trans Pecos, prompting another Red Flag Warning.
- Warmer than normal temperatures and dry conditions will persist
through the next several days. Record high temperatures are
forecast on Wednesday.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Wednesday night)
Issued at 144 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
Current satellite imagery and latest 500mb RAP analysis shows upper-
level ridging building into west Texas and southeast New Mexico.
Surface analysis continues to depict a pressure trough axis
extending from the Southern Great Plains to Guadalupe Mountains.
This axis along with ridging aloft keeps the region breezy and warm
today. Highs are forecast to be in the upper 70s and mid 80s for
most locations. Winds are expected to peak during the afternoon and
early evening hours where 15-20 mph sustained with gusts up to 35
mph are expected in the plains, while higher winds will occur in the
mountains. Wind gusts up to 60 mph may hit briefly in localized
spots (mainly at Guadalupe Pass) across the Guadalupe Mountains late
this afternoon and early evening as guidance has medium (40-60%)
probabilities of wind gusts exceeding 50 mph. These breezy winds
coinciding with very dry conditions also induces critical fire
weather concerns across the Guadalupe/Davis Mountains, and southeast
New Mexico Plains during this timeframe. Elevated to near-critical
fire concerns exist elsewhere. See the Fire Weather Discussion for
more details.
Tonight, a deepening surface low is expected to move into portions
of the TX Panhandle. A weak (30-35 kts) low-level jet develops over
west Texas keeping winds above 10 mph for most overnight. These
winds will limit the normal diurnal temperature range yielding warm
overnight temperatures in the mid 40s to mid 50s.
Record-breaking high temperatures and continued breezy winds look to
be in store on Wednesday. Surface troughing persists and will extend
from eastern New Mexico into the Permian Basin and Concho Valley.
This will shift winds northwesterly and enhance low-level thermal
ridging. This pattern once again brings near-critical to critical
fire weather conditions across the southeast New Mexico Plains,
Upper Trans Pecos, and Permian Basin. Temperatures are forecast to
be in the low to upper 80s for most locations. The current forecast
at MAF is 87 degrees which would break the previous record of 86
degrees set back in 2009. Wednesday night, the aforementioned
surface low shifts southeast into west central Texas. Similar winds
compared with Tuesday night are expected which will keep overnight
lows in the upper 40s and 50s.
Lamberson
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 144 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
Temperatures cool down a touch behind a cold front Thursday. The
front, ushered in by a shortwave rolling along the edge of an
upper ridge, may also lead to breezy N/NE winds Thursday morning.
Afternoon highs Thursday are forecast to reach the 70s across
much of our region, with 80s in our southern counties and portions
of the Lower Trans Pecos. Thursday night, temperatures fall into
the 40s/50s. Heading into the weekend, the upper ridge begins
shifting eastward, promoting a warming trend. Highs in the 80s
become more prevalent Friday afternoon. Saturday, highs in the 90s
join the mix over portions of the Trans Pecos and near the Rio
Grande. Some areas in the Big Bend look to top out near 100
degrees.
Sunday, ensemblesthe Later shifts will
monitor trends, but at the very least a Rangeland Fire Danger
statement may be needed for southeast New Mexico and portions of
west Texas on Wednesday given the near- critical fire weather
conditions. show a an upper-level trough beginning to approach
the west coast of the US. This feature translates eastward along
with the ridge through the first few days of the upcoming week.
Something to note heading into next week is there remains a broad
temperature spread in NBM almost each day. This is attributed to
model disagreement as to which feature will dominate our weather
pattern and to what degree. The current forecast calls for the
advancing trough to gradually flatten the ridge and push it
southward, allowing temperatures to decrease through at least the
middle of the week. That being said, temperatures Sunday generally
warm just a few degrees shy of Saturday, with the exception of near
100 degree highs again along the Rio Grande. A cold front looks to
attempt sweeping down from the Panhandle Monday, potentially
becoming stalled either within our region, or just north of it. At
the moment, highs Monday are forecast mainly range in the 70s and
80s. Monday night into Tuesday, the upper trough mentioned above
begins nearing our area. Depending on the exact track and moisture
content, this system could be our next shot at some rain chances.
Otherwise, temperatures continue a downward trend Tuesday, as highs
in the 70s become more commonplace.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1116 AM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
VFR conditions will prevail through the period.
Westerly/southwesterly winds are beginning to increase to 10-20
kts and will last through the early evening hours at most
terminals. Occasional gusts up to 30 kts may occur during the
afternoon, especially at MAF, HOB, CNM, and INK terminals. A low-
level jet develops over west Texas after 03Z which will keep
southwesterly winds at 10-15 kts overnight.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 144 PM CST Tue Feb 24 2026
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through early this evening
over the Sacramento, Guadalupe, Delaware, and Davis Mountains, and
the adjacent southeast New Mexico Plains/ Culberson/Reeves TX
counties. Wednesday, temperatures are expected to warm near
record territory. Wednesday afternoon, westerly and northwesterly
20 foot winds become breezy, at 15-25 mph with gusts of 30-40 mph
(locally over 40 mph gusts in the Guadalupe Mountains) and MinRH
values between 11-14 percent will result in RFTI values up to 4-6
in much of the warning area. These combine to produce near-
critical to critical fire weather conditions. As a result another
Red Flag Warning goes into effect Wednesday afternoon through
early Wednesday evening over southeast New Mexico, the western
Permian Basin, and the Upper Trans Pecos. Dry conditions, warm
temperatures, and low afternoon RH values look to persist over the
next several days.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring 49 87 52 76 / 0 0 0 0
Carlsbad 52 88 53 81 / 0 0 0 0
Dryden 51 93 59 88 / 0 0 0 0
Fort Stockton 57 88 58 81 / 0 0 0 0
Guadalupe Pass 51 75 53 74 / 0 0 0 0
Hobbs 52 85 54 76 / 0 0 0 0
Marfa 43 80 45 79 / 0 0 0 0
Midland Intl Airport 51 88 55 77 / 0 0 0 0
Odessa 51 87 56 78 / 0 0 0 0
Wink 49 88 54 80 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CST /8 PM MST/ this evening for
Davis Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills-Eastern Culberson-
Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware
Mountains-Reeves County Plains.
Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 8 PM CST Wednesday for Andrews-
Dawson-Eastern Culberson-Ector-Gaines-Loving-Martin-Midland-
Reeves County Plains-Ward-Winkler.
NM...Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MST this evening for Chaves Plains-
Eddy Plains-Lea-Sacramento Foothills and Guadalupe
Mountains.
Red Flag Warning from 10 AM to 7 PM MST Wednesday for Chaves
Plains-Eddy Plains-Lea.
&&
SHORT TERM...11
LONG TERM....95
AVIATION...11The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Texas Mesonet station 60 Pine Springs GMNP measured a couple of 58 mph wind gusts, in addition to intermittent instances of sustained winds 40 mph or greater.
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, February 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: 1310317.