


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
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212 FXUS64 KMAF 261947 AFDMAF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 247 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 220 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 - A low (10-40%) chance of thunderstorms is expected across Southeast New Mexico and the Northern Permian Basin later this afternoon through late this evening. Any thunderstorms that develop may become strong to severe with a very large hail and damaging wind risk, though an isolated tornado can not be ruled out. - An approaching upper-level disturbance brings windy and fire weather concerns to western portions of the area. A High Wind Warning is in effect for the Guadalupe Mountains, along with a Wind Advisory over the Eddy County Plains for tomorrow afternoon and evening. - More rounds of storms early next week accompanied with a couple of cold fronts later on in the week bringing increased rain chances and slightly cooler temperatures. && .SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Sunday night) Issued at 220 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 An outflow boundary continues to slowly sag south across Southeast New Mexico and the Permian Basin this afternoon. This outflow originated from showers and thunderstorms across Northwest Texas this morning. Where this outflow boundary ends up this afternoon remains somewhat uncertain, but this boundary will be the foci for afternoon thunderstorms and potential severe weather. In the meantime, broad troughing continues to our west with lee troughing keeping rich gulf moisture in place. Temperatures will be warm and somewhat muggy this afternoon with many locations climbing into the 80s and lower 90s with upper 50s and low 60s dewpoints. This moist airmass becomes progressively unstable through the afternoon and with forcing for ascent provided by the outflow boundary, thunderstorms are expected by mid-afternoon across Southeast New Mexico initially. Relatively steep mid-level lapse rates and ample instability will support a hail and damaging wind risk with any organized thunderstorm development. With the outflow boundary in place, a corridor of enhanced low-level wind shear maintains at least a low end tornado potential. The other concern is flash flooding with precipitable water values over one inch approaching the daily maximum for this date. Any slow-moving or training thunderstorms pose a risk of a quick one to two inches of rainfall and flash flooding. Thunderstorms move slowly east-southeast across the plains of Southeast New Mexico and the Permian Basin through the remainder of the afternoon and evening. Any remaining thunderstorm activity begins to weaken and move east out of the region late this evening. A mild morning starts the day on Sunday with upper 50s and 60s across the region with areas of low clouds across eastern portions of the area. Our next major disturbance makes landfall on the West Coast and advances into the Great Basin by Sunday afternoon. This advancing feature will aide in amplifying the weather pattern resulting in warmer and windier conditions. Temperatures surge into the 90s for many with overall breezy south to southwest winds. During peak mixing in the afternoon, winds may become strong enough for high winds in the Guadalupes and advisory level winds across the Eddy County plains. Wind hazards have been issued for these regions accordingly. The return of dry and windy conditions for far western portions of the area means the return of fire weather. See the fire weather discussion below for full details. Once again, afternoon thunderstorms remain a possibility, but this threat appears very low (10-20%). Limited thunderstorm activity is expected due to any large- scale forcing being displaced over the Central and Northern Plains with not much else to get a thunderstorm going across the Southern Great Plains. The dryline may be enough to get an isolated thunderstorm or two going, but we may just as easily remain dry. That said, should a thunderstorm develop it may become strong to severe. Once again, should anything develop it begins to weaken and exit the region to the east by late evening. Temperatures then fall back into the upper 50s and 60s overnight. -Chehak && .LONG TERM... (Monday through Friday) Issued at 220 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 The long-term begins with breezy conditions over much of the region. This is due to an approaching longwave mid-level trough off to the west and a deepening surface low over the eastern Dakotas extending down to leeward of the Rockies. Temperatures are expected to generally reach the mid 80s to 90s areawide with spots along the Presidio and Rio Grande valleys in the lower 100s. Long-term guidance is in agreement with the dryline setting up along the far eastern portions of the forecast area during the afternoon before retrograding to the west by Monday evening. The best chances of rain and storms will remain over the eastern/northeastern Permian Basin. SPC has outlined these areas in the slight risk for severe thunderstorms. Forecast soundings and hodographs depict once again the threat of damaging winds and large hail given the greatest profile of CAPE is in the hail growth zone region, along with DCAPE values over 1200 J/kg indicating strong downdrafts. Guidance also has a modest to strong low-level jet developing across the eastern half of the forecast region after 7 pm Monday evening, providing more support for these storms. These storms are expected to move out of the region after midnight. Tuesday looks a bit more interesting as the mid-level trough continues to progress eastward. Embedded shortwave impulses ahead of the base of the trough will allow more lift and moisture across west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Coincidentally, a cold front is forecasted to stall over the Texas Panhandle Tuesday afternoon, supplying greater rain chances for more portions of west Texas heading into Tuesday evening. Guidance also has the dryline further back to the west, thanks to the moisture supply from both systems. A similar severe setup is in store over similar locations as well, though since this is four days out, more details will be ironed out over the next upcoming days. The cold front is forecasted to finally push through the region by Wednesday, resulting in slightly cooler temperatures and drier conditions. Temperatures briefly warm back up on Thursday before a secondary front pushes through the region on late Thursday into early Friday morning timeframe which will slightly cool temperatures in the 70s and 80s on Friday. Mid-level ridging moves overhead, along with westerly flow aloft going into the weekend keeping temperatures to near normal for this time of year. Lamberson && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1213 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 MVFR ceilings remain present at MAF and HOB early this afternoon, but this is expected to lift within the next hour or so. VFR conditions and continued southeast winds are expected for all through the remainder of the afternoon into tonight. HOB and MAF have a medium probability of thunderstorms in the vicinity late this afternoon and evening with direct TAF impacts possible. The most likely time for this activity is between 20-23Z for HOB and 23-02Z for MAF. Gusty winds and reduced visibility may be present in and around thunderstorms. MVFR ceilings make a return during the morning hours on Sunday. These ceilings are expected to be confined to MAF and HOB, though a brief reduction at other terminals remains low but possible. Ceilings will lift to VFR by afternoon once again. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 220 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 Near critical to extreme conditions are expected tomorrow over the Upper Trans Pecos, the mountains, and southeastern New Mexico as a surface low increases southwesterly winds and the dryline positions itself over the Permian Basin. Critical MinRH values will persist behind the dryline through the next several days. Rainfall today for some portions of southeast New Mexico (Lea County mainly) may mitigate these concerns. Similar fire weather concerns are expected Monday in which a Fire Weather Watch may be warranted in future forecast packages. ERCs remain above the 50th percentile up to the 75-89th tomorrow and Monday for many locations west of the Pecos. Fire weather concerns begin to drop off Tuesday as a cold front brings slightly cooler temperatures and more widespread rain chances. Lamberson && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 64 91 66 91 / 30 10 10 10 Carlsbad 58 95 60 91 / 0 0 0 0 Dryden 66 91 66 92 / 0 20 20 20 Fort Stockton 67 98 69 96 / 0 20 20 20 Guadalupe Pass 60 86 59 82 / 0 0 0 0 Hobbs 61 91 59 89 / 20 10 10 0 Marfa 54 89 58 89 / 0 10 10 10 Midland Intl Airport 65 93 67 91 / 20 10 20 10 Odessa 65 92 67 91 / 20 20 20 10 Wink 65 97 66 95 / 10 10 10 10 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX... High Wind Warning from 11 AM CDT /10 AM MDT/ to 10 PM CDT /9 PM MDT/ Sunday for Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet- Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains. NM... High Wind Warning from 10 AM to 9 PM MDT Sunday for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. Wind Advisory from 10 AM to 9 PM MDT Sunday for Eddy County Plains. && $$ SHORT TERM...91 LONG TERM....11 AVIATION...91