534
FXUS64 KMAF 231647
AFDMAF

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX
1147 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1144 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2026

- Rain chances increase from west to east late Friday through the
  weekend, with highest rain chances over our western areas
  Saturday and Sunday. Occasionally heavy rainfall may lead to
  localized flash flooding over SE NM, especially on Saturday.

- Above normal temperatures and dry conditions continue through
  most of today. Southeasterly winds become breezy each afternoon
  this weekend.

- Temperatures trend cooler this weekend into early next week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Saturday afternoon)
Issued at 130 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2026

Current water vapor imagery depicts a ridge currently sitting over
west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Upper-level troughing is also
evident across western portions of the CONUS. This upper-level
trough will continue to advance towards our area through the Short
Term period and into the Long Term, pushing the ridge farther east.
As this happens, rain chances will increase (especially across
southeast New Mexico) and temperatures will decrease. For today
through Saturday morning, the best forcing, and therefore the best
rain chances, remain just west of our coverage area. That being
said, this evening and overnight scattered showers and storms are
expected to make their way into southeast New Mexico and far west
Texas, gradually decaying as they do so (20-40% chances). Better
chances (in the neighborhood of 30-60%, up to 70%) develop across
these same areas Saturday afternoon and evening. A couple of these
storms may become severe, posing mainly a large hail and damaging
wind risk. Heavy rainfall leading to localized flash flooding would
also be a concern. More details on our rain chances from Saturday
night onward can be found in the Long Term discussion below.

Highs today top out in the upper 70s and low 80s across most of the
area (which is about 3-5 degrees above normal for this time of
year). By Saturday, increasing cloud cover and decreasing heights
keep temperatures a couple of degrees cooler than today. Most
locations will see highs in the mid-to-upper 70s and low 80s. Cloud
cover will generally keep overnight lows in the upper 50s and low
60s. Winds both today and Saturday will be breezy thanks to surface
troughing ahead of the approaching upper-level system.

Sprang

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Saturday night through Thursday)
Issued at 130 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2026

An upper-level trough continues to gradually shift northeast by
Saturday evening and into Sunday. As it does so, disturbances
embedded within southwest flow aloft and increased moisture yield
increasing rain chances. The best chances (50-80%) will begin across
our far western zones Saturday night and become areawide by Sunday
morning. At this time, the best chances on Sunday look to be across
the Permian Basin and southeast New Mexico. Multiple rounds of heavy
rainfall is possible for some areas and may result in localized
flash flooding during this timeframe (especially across portions of
southeast New Mexico where the best lift is expected to be).

On Monday and Tuesday, the aforementioned upper trough lifts into
the central and northern Great Plains, sending a cold front
southward. Additional disturbances within the flow aloft keep rain
chances in the forecast across much of the area, with the highest
chances across the higher terrain thanks to southeasterly upslope
flow/orographic forcing. Chances of rain decrease from west to east
Monday night into Tuesday as troughing weakens. Subtle ridging
returns by midweek, allowing for tempertures to warm up slightly.
However, ridging may stay weak enough to keep low (10-20%) rain
chances around.

Greening

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1144 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2026

VFR conditions will prevail through tonight in increasing return
flow. Saturday, models develop a MVFR stratus deck up the Pecos
Rvr Valley, impacting every terminal except perhaps KPEQ. This
will prevail through the end of the forecast period. Convection is
possible, mainly SE NM terminals, but chances are too low for a
mention attm.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Big Spring               82  61  79  63 /   0   0   0   0
Carlsbad                 84  61  77  59 /  10  20  60  90
Dryden                   81  62  77  63 /   0   0   0  10
Fort Stockton            84  61  78  62 /   0   0   0  20
Guadalupe Pass           78  57  70  56 /  10  40  60 100
Hobbs                    79  58  73  58 /   0  10  30  80
Marfa                    77  55  75  55 /   0  10  20  60
Midland Intl Airport     80  61  76  63 /   0   0   0  10
Odessa                   80  62  76  63 /   0   0   0  20
Wink                     83  62  78  62 /   0   0  10  60

&&

.MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
NM...None.
&&

$$

SHORT TERM...13
LONG TERM....55
AVIATION...99