Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
Issued by NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
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182 FXUS64 KMAF 200456 AFDMAF Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 1056 PM CST Sun Jan 19 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1056 PM CST Sun Jan 19 2025 - Continued cold with temperatures 20-25 degrees below normal through Tuesday night. - The coldest temperatures are anticipated Monday night and Tuesday morning, when breezy northeasterly winds bring wind chill values as low as 5 above to 5 below over the plains/lower terrain areas and as low as 10 to 20 below over the mountains. - Light snow across the I-10 corridor Monday night with little to no impacts. - Temperatures warm closer to normal by the end of next week. && .SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Monday night) Issued at 142 PM CST Sun Jan 19 2025 A large-scale upper trough encompassing the entire CONUS is bringing Arctic air to the region. Temperatures have only warmed into the 20s and low 30s this afternoon which is nearly 20 degrees below normal, even during our typically coldest time of year. Winds have already returned to the southeast, but that will help very little as cold air recirculates around the surface high to our northeast. Expect lows to drop again into the teens and 20s overnight and with increasing wind speeds, wind chills fall back into the single digits. Will move forward with another Cold Weather Advisory for the majority of the region. A shortwave will round the base of the upper trough Monday sending another cold front our way. This will limit any warming with highs once again in the 30s/40s. Similar to last night, strong gap winds will develop behind the front across the Guadalupe Mountains and foothills and a High Wind Watch is in effect. Lows will drop back into the single digits and teens Monday night and with the stronger winds, wind chills will fall dangerously low (-10F to 10F). Will continue with the Extreme Cold Watch for most of the area. A weak wave will move across southern portions of the region Monday night helping to generate light precipitation. Atmospheric profiles suggest this to be mostly snow. QPF remains very light and only expect a dusting at best which will limit any impacts. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 142 PM CST Sun Jan 19 2025 The long term begins with very cold temperatures as an upper-level shortwave trough pushes an Arctic cold front through the region early Tuesday morning where high temperatures drop into the mid 30s for most, low 30s in the mountains, and upper 30s to mid 40s near the Rio Grande. Tuesday morning temperatures are forecast to be in the mid to upper teens for most, with mid 20s along the Rio Grande. A tightened pressure gradient will bring high winds to the Guadalupe mountains during the early morning hours of Tuesday. To account for this, high wind products may need to be extended into early Tuesday morning during the next forecast package. These high winds will also bring dangerously cold wind chills, where values are expected to be in the single digits over much of the area and subzero temperatures in portions of southeastern New Mexico and at higher elevations. As a result, an Extreme Cold Watch was issued this morning and is effective until early Tuesday morning. There is still the possibility of light snow or flurries early Tuesday morning in the Big Bend, Trans Pecos, Davis Mountains, southern portions of Permian Basin, and southeastern New Mexico ahead of the aforementioned shortwave trough. At this time, we still don`t expect any significant accumulations (likely a trace, if anything) or impacts to travel as model soundings indicate lower levels of the atmosphere look to be relatively dry and ascent to be weak. Very cold temperatures continue into the overnight hours Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, where lows are forecast to be in the upper teens to low 20s for most and some spots in the mountains could see readings in the low to mid teens. Wind chills don`t look to be as cold Wednesday morning where values are in the low to mid teens in the central Permian Basin and Trans Pecos regions. Locations at higher elevations could see upper single digits and upper teens to low 20s along the Rio Grande. The bitter cold finally ends on Wednesday as an upper-level trough brings northwesterly flow aloft and winds at the surface become westerly throughout most of the day. Highs on Wednesday are currently anticipated to be in the low to mid 50s at most spots, with the exception of mid to upper 40s at higher elevations. A much weaker cold front is anticipated to move through the area Wednesday night, dropping Thursday`s highs into the upper 40s in southeastern New Mexico, most of the northern Permian Basin, and higher terrains. Those of you in the Trans Pecos Big Bend, and Presidio Valley areas could see highs in the low to mid 50s. Ensemble and deterministic guidance depicts higher geopotential thickness associated with upper- level ridging on Friday, bumping highs back up to near normal. Most locations could see highs in the low to mid 50s, whereas spots in the Trans Pecos and along the Rio Grande may see temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. Southerly to southwesterly flow at the surface and west-southwest flow aloft acts to warm temperatures up above normal on Saturday. A weak front may be possible late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, dropping Sunday`s highs 5-10 degrees cooler from Saturday. Dry conditions are expected throughout the extended. Greening && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1056 PM CST Sun Jan 19 2025 VFR conditions prevail through the end of the TAF period. Southeast winds persist throughout the night into tomorrow morning. These winds will be particularly strong and gusty at FST. Winds shift northeasterly tomorrow afternoon in response to an approaching front, becoming strong and gusty by 00z for most sites (later on for FST and PEQ). A layer of low-to-mid level clouds will also begin to overspread the area by tomorrow evening through the end of the period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Big Spring 33 17 37 15 / 0 0 0 10 Carlsbad 36 18 37 15 / 0 0 0 10 Dryden 40 22 43 22 / 0 0 0 30 Fort Stockton 36 23 46 18 / 0 0 0 20 Guadalupe Pass 33 22 34 13 / 10 0 0 10 Hobbs 31 16 33 12 / 0 0 0 10 Marfa 40 18 51 12 / 0 0 0 10 Midland Intl Airport 35 19 38 16 / 0 0 0 10 Odessa 35 20 38 16 / 0 0 0 10 Wink 37 22 40 18 / 0 0 0 10 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...Extreme Cold Watch from Monday evening through Tuesday morning for Andrews-Borden-Central Brewster-Chinati Mountains- Chisos Basin-Crane-Davis Mountains-Davis Mountains Foothills-Dawson-Eastern Culberson-Ector-Gaines-Glasscock- Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains-Howard-Loving-Marfa Plateau-Martin-Midland- Mitchell-Pecos-Reagan-Reeves County Plains-Scurry-Upton-Van Horn and Highway 54 Corridor-Ward-Winkler. High Wind Watch from Monday evening through late Monday night for Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains. Cold Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST Monday for Andrews-Borden- Crane-Dawson-Ector-Gaines-Glasscock-Howard-Loving-Martin- Midland-Mitchell-Pecos-Reagan-Reeves County Plains-Scurry- Terrell-Upton-Ward-Winkler. NM...Extreme Cold Watch from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning for Central Lea-Eddy County Plains-Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County-Northern Lea-Southern Lea. High Wind Watch from Monday afternoon through late Monday night for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County. Cold Weather Advisory until 8 AM MST Monday for Central Lea-Eddy County Plains-Northern Lea-Southern Lea. && $$ SHORT TERM...29 LONG TERM....55 AVIATION...13