


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
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516 FXUS64 KMAF 021101 AFDMAF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 601 AM CDT Wed Jul 2 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 600 AM CDT Wed Jul 2 2025 - Excellent chances of rain are expected through Thursday, then decreasing into next week, and centered on the Davis Mountains. - Temperatures will gradually warm to near-normal Saturday, then cool slightly through Tuesday. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Thursday afternoon) Issued at 245 AM CDT Wed Jul 2 2025 More rainy weather is on the way, and high temperatures will be below average for early July while lows remain mild for this time of year. Deterministic and ensemble models show the Pacific Coast troughing and southeastern US ridging mid to upper tropospheric pattern holding for at least a few more days. This will mean southerly winds aloft will continue to advect moisture into the region, along with disturbances that aid in mid to upper forcing for ascent. In the wake of the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and a quasi-stationary cold front north of the area yesterday, winds had shifted more easterly yesterday. For today and tomorrow, WPC Surface Analysis depicts the quasi-stionary front washing out over the TX PH, while lee troughing develops from MT into the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies and TX PH, with winds shifting more to the southeast in response. These southeast winds will continue to advect Gulf moisture into the area. Dew point temperatures will remain in the mid to upper 60s F, lower to mid 60s F western higher terrain due to the continued humid, upslope southeast winds. PWATS remain in the 1.4" to 1.8" range, 1.75 to 2 standard deviations above normal, providing tropospheric moisture for continued warm rain processes. Similar to yesterday, IR satellite and radar imagery again shows scattered showers and storms slowly moving from southeast to northeast within near surface southeast winds, as higher scattered to broken clouds in the humid southerly flow farther overhead drift north. Showers and storms are forecast to continue moving northwest into SE NM plains through this morning, while more showers/storms develop farther to the southwest. PoPs increase from medium this morning into the medium to high range from Stockton Plateau into Marfa Plateau and SE NM plains by this afternoon, and into Permian Basin by later this afternoon into this evening. With abundant low cloud cover limiting diurnal heating despite a few breaks in clouds possible, highs will once again be below average. Similar to yesterday, upper 70s to lower 80s, upper 60s highest elevations of Guadalupes, Davis Mountains, and Lower Trans Pecos, lower to mid 70s SE NM plains into Marfa Plateau - where heavier rain is likely to result in more evaporational cooling and limit warming of near surface layer - and mid 80s to lower 90s along the Rio Grande can all be expected. A LLJ this evening will generate gusty winds from the Stockton Plateau into Permian Basin and SE NM plains before winds decrease later in the evening. Rain chances continue tonight with low to medium probabilities and scattered to broken low cloud cover and dew point temperatures in the 60s F limiting radiational cooling, resulting in lows only falling into the mid 60s to lower 70s F, lower to mid 60s F higher elevations, and upper 50s F along at highest elevations. Tomorrow, PoPs again increase to medium to high range as showers/storms develop in the afternoon and evening. Exact timing of showers/storms remains uncertain and will be heavily influenced by local storm-scale interactions and differential heating, as well as upslope flow-terrain interactions. Despite similar coverage and magnitude of PoPs, highs will be warmer by a few degrees tomorrow due to the weakening Pacific Coast trough and rising heights/thicknesses. This will translate to highs in the lower to mid 80s, upper 70s to lower 80s SE NM plains into Marfa Plateau, upper 60s to lower 70s highest elevations, and upper 80s to lower 90s Presidio Valley into the Big Bend. With all the rainfall that has fallen, more is on the way before this rainy pattern lets up. By tomorrow evening, NBM grids are showing widespread 0.40" to 0.60" amounts, regions of 0.75" to 1.00", and amounts as highs as 1.30" in spots for western higher terrain of W TX into Guadalupes, as well as northern into southeast Permian Basin. Lower percentile ensembles once again show at least a few tenths of an inch rainfall, with highest amounts over SE NM plains, medium to high probability of rainfall 0.50" to 0.75" areawide, medium probability of 1.00" to 1.25" rainfall Marfa Plateau and northern Permian Basin, and spreads of 0.75" to 1.00" indicating some potential for heavier convective rains. With soils saturated or close to being saturated over many parts of the region from the rain that has fallen in the last week, flooding will be a concern where any heavier and/or more persistent showers/storms occur, with highest risk of flooding over northern into southeast Permian Basin, and again from western higher terrain into SE NM plains. Exercise caution when traveling, especially near creeks, bridges, and lower lying roads where ponding of water occurs. Turn around don`t drown! Monitor forecasts for flash flood warnings, and be ready to move to higher ground if necessary. Once we are past Thursday, drier weather is on the way. More on this in the long term discussion. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday night through Tuesday) Issued at 245 AM CDT Wed Jul 2 2025 Thursday night, the upper ridge is forecast to be over the ArklaTex and nudging east, courtesy of a series of troughs muscling in from the west coast. The first of these troughs will be moving into West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, and convection is forecast to be ongoing, mainly along and south of I-10. The trough will pass through the area Friday, after which rain chances will ebb Friday night through Saturday night on the backside of the trough. Upper ridging begins developing over southern Sonora/western Chihuahua Friday night, and migrates to just south of the Four Corners by the end of the extended. As a result, rain chances will continue to diminish over the weekend and into next week. The NBM increases POPs west and north on Sunday, possibly due to shortwaves moving down the east side of the ridge, but this is likely overdone, so take it w/a grain of salt. Even so, NAEFS ensembles continue to advertise PWATS at a minimum of 2.1 std devs through 06Z Saturday, so locally heavy rainfall potential remains. Current radar bias is averaging over 1.25 (in tropical mode!), so warm rain processes continue, promoting tropical downpours. Even w/the upper ridge over the ArklaTex, thicknesses are still forecast to increase through Saturday as we climb out of this cool spell and ridging strengthens. Saturday still looks to be the warmest day this forecast, but highs will top out just around normal, and remain there through the end of the extended as ridging takes over. Unfortunately, a recurring LLJ each night will continue to keep overnight lows uncomfortably warm. These will peak Sunday morning at around 5 F above normal. NBM wind speeds throughout the extended are too low. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 600 AM CDT Wed Jul 2 2025 MVFR or lower CIGs persist throughout TAF period. In regions of showers/storms and mist or fog, there is a low probability that CIGs and VIS could drop down to LIFR. Otherwise, CIGs near or at IFR from beginning of TAF period forecast to lift to MVFR at terminals 14Z-17Z and remain MVFR through 02Z Thursday, except in showers/storms, then decrease to IFR 04Z-09Z. VFR VIS with low stratus except for MVFR VIS or lower in showers/storms and regions of mist or fog. Heavy rain, gusty winds, and lightning are main threats in any storms that impact terminals. Easterly winds shift to southeasterly 14Z-19Z, becoming gusty up to 20 knots by 18Z for terminals on Stockton Plateau into Permian Basin and Lea County. Winds decrease 01Z-06Z but remain gusty near 15 knots for Stockton Plateau into end of period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 81 69 84 71 / 50 50 70 50 Carlsbad 76 67 80 68 / 80 70 70 30 Dryden 82 71 85 72 / 60 50 70 40 Fort Stockton 81 68 83 70 / 70 40 80 40 Guadalupe Pass 71 62 75 65 / 80 70 70 30 Hobbs 76 66 81 67 / 70 70 60 40 Marfa 75 64 77 64 / 80 60 90 60 Midland Intl Airport 79 69 83 71 / 60 60 60 50 Odessa 78 69 82 70 / 70 60 60 40 Wink 80 69 83 70 / 60 50 60 40 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. NM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...94 LONG TERM....99 AVIATION...94