


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
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695 FXUS64 KMAF 300524 AFDMAF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 1224 AM CDT Wed Jul 30 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1222 AM CDT Wed Jul 30 2025 - A low (10-30%) chance of thunderstorms are possible most afternoons, mainly over the higher elevations of the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains. Heavy downpours, gusty winds, and frequent lightning are possible - A weak weather system may produce thunderstorms across the Permian Basin, as well as over the higher elevations, on Friday into Saturday. - Temperatures remain near normal in the upper 90s and low 100s into the weekend. Well above normal temperatures, well into the 100s, may arrive beginning next week. && .SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Wednesday night) Issued at 1231 PM CDT Tue Jul 29 2025 A day without showers/storms seems out of reach as persistent shower/storm activity over west and northwest portions of the forecast area each afternoon remain present, even as daytime temperatures continue a warming trend due to strengthening mid to upper ridging building in from the southeast US. VIS/IR satellite imagery shows mostly clear skies early this afternoon with exception of scattered cloud cover over Presidio Valley into Culberson County and Eddy County Plains. These regions will again see a chance of showers/storms as low (15% to 25%) probabilities of rain are present over the Davis Mountains and region to the northwest into northernmost Lea County this afternoon into this evening. Instability, shear, and moisture will be sufficient for gusty winds, frequent lightning, heavy rain, and hail in strongest storms. Highs today are largely unchanged from previous forecasts, rising into mid to upper 90s northeast and central Permian Basin into Upper Trans Pecos, Stockton Plateau, and Terrell County, lower to mid 90s SE NM plains into northwest Permian Basin, 80s higher elevations of western Eddy County into W TX, and upper 90s to triple digits along the Rio Grande. Decreasing speed of southeast winds later in the evening will allow dew point temperatures to fall into the mid 40s to lower 50s F range from southeast to northwest, setting the stage for enhanced radiational cooling that in turn allow lows tonight to fall into the mid 60s F to lower 70s F, lower to mid 60s F higher elevations of Marfa Plateau into Lower Trans Pecos. Wednesday sees lower but still present rain probabilities over Davis Mountains and region northwest, with highest probabilities of rain remaining low but reaching the 10% to 15% range over western and northern Eddy County and northernmost Lea County in the late afternoon and evening. High-res CAMs display isolated convective activity over these regions. However, WPC Surface Analysis depicting an anafrontal cold front over the TX Panhandle and high-res CAMs depicting most of the more organized linear convection farther north of the forecast area suggest rain chances will remain low, unless southward development of cold front is faster. Both forecast grids and ensembles suggest no more than a few tenths of an inch where showers/storms occur, with higher rain amounts farther to the west over central and southwest NM. Mid to upper ridging continues to build over the central CONUS Wednesday, and increased large scale sinking motion will maintain warming temperatures and decreased cloud cover. This enables highs to rise into the upper 90s to triple digits over most of the Permian Basin into Upper Trans Pecos and along the Rio Grande into Terrell County, with upper 80s to lower 90s higher elevations, and mid to upper 90s SE NM plains into northwest Permian Basin. Ensembles depict highest probability of triple digits highs over Big Bend and Upper Trans Pecos. For the Big Bend, highs 102F-107F are indicated in NBM grids. Lighter and variable winds with trajectories less oriented off humid air mass sources such as the Gulf maintain falling dew point temperatures. Dew point temperatures are forecast fall into the 40s and 50s F range by evening. Decreased boundary layer moisture along with mostly clear skies after any convection decays after loss of daytime heating again enables enhanced radiational cooling, with lows falling into the mid 60s F to lower 70s F range, albeit a few degrees warmer due to warmer daytime temperatures Wednesday. Increased rain chances return to the area by Friday while warm temperatures remain. Read the long term discussion for more details. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through Monday) Issued at 1231 PM CDT Tue Jul 29 2025 The ever-present summer ridge and associated high pressure maintains its grip over the southern half of the United States. While the center of this feature remains largely to our west, subtle changes in location and a passing weather system to our north offer slight variations to the forecast. Overall temperatures hover in the upper 90s and low 100s across the bulk of the region each afternoon. This is slightly above normal for early August, but not overly oppressive. A nearly daily low (10-30%) chance of thunderstorms is maintained over the higher elevations of the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains due to a combination of daytime heating and upslope surface winds. That said, a weak weather system clips the region on Friday into Saturday. This passing system could allow for the Permian Basin to see a low (10-30%) chance of thunderstorms as well. Appreciable rainfall will be hit or miss. By Sunday and into the following week, the ridge slowly inches eastward, unleashing hotter temperatures across the region. Temperatures may increase to well above normal by early next week with many locations seeing temperatures well into the 100s. -Chehak && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1222 AM CDT Wed Jul 30 2025 VFR conditions prevail at all terminals. Light southeasterly to easterly winds are expected with a low chance (<20%) of showers and thunderstorms in the vicinity of CNM and HOB Wednesday afternoon/evening. Otherwise, a few cu expected near those terminals and sunny skies elsewhere are forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 99 70 98 72 / 0 0 0 0 Carlsbad 95 70 94 72 / 10 10 10 10 Dryden 99 71 99 74 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Stockton 99 69 99 73 / 0 0 0 0 Guadalupe Pass 87 68 87 68 / 10 0 20 0 Hobbs 95 67 94 69 / 0 10 10 10 Marfa 91 61 92 63 / 10 0 10 0 Midland Intl Airport 98 71 98 72 / 0 0 0 0 Odessa 96 71 97 72 / 0 0 0 0 Wink 98 68 98 72 / 0 0 0 0 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. NM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...94 LONG TERM....91 AVIATION...55