textproduct: Midland/Odessa

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 138 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

- Below normal temperatures today, especially for locations where snow is still on the ground. Patchy freezing fog is possible again tonight over the remnant snowpack in southern Lea and Eddy counties.

- Unseasonably warm temperatures start to return by the middle of the week and persist through at least early next week.

SHORT TERM

(This afternoon through Wednesday night) Issued at 138 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

A significantly quieter day and start of a warming trend begins today, with warmer weather tomorrow. VIS/IR satellite imagery earlier this morning showed persistent freezing fog from the Pecos River valley into southern Lea County and central Eddy County Plains, roughly approximating where the heaviest snowfall from yesterday occurred. This necessitated a Freezing Fog Advisory for most of Eddy County Plains and southern Lea County into mid morning that had to be extended for a few more hours to just before noon. However, this fog has begun begun dissipating since then, with reduced cloud cover overhead thereafter. Despite reduced cloud cover, regions of heavier snowpack from Eddy County Plains into southern Lea County and western Permian Basin will limit warming of the ground and lower air layer by solar radiation, keeping highs in the 40s F. Highs only reaching the 40s F today will also be found for higher elevations from the Guadalupes into Marfa Plateau and Lower Trans Pecos. Elsewhere, high temperatures only in the 50s F can be expected, while highs struggle to reach 60F even near the Rio Grande, except from the Presidio Valley into Big Bend. Light and variable winds persist into tonight. However, despite reduced cloud cover, building ridging from MX and the Desert SW into the area while result in large scale sinking and warming, keeping lows 5F to 10F warmer than last night. This translates to near to below freezing temperatures still to the north of Rio Grande basins and east of Stockton Plateau, but staying above freezing for higher elevations of Guadalupes into most of Stockton Plateau, Terrell County, and Rio Grande basins. There is still the potential for visibilities to lower in regions of fog and mist over Eddy County Plains into Pecos River valley into the western Permian Basin this evening into tonight that will have to be monitored. Tomorrow, the warming trend continues with highs 10F to 15F warmer than today, although the region of heavier snowpack will continue to keep high temperatures around 5F cooler than surrounding regions. This translates to highs in the 60s F, mid to upper 50s F Guadalupes into most of Eddy County Plains and southern Lea County, mid to upper 60s F Marfa Plateau into Stockton Plateau and Terrell County, and 70sF from Presidio Valley into Big Bend. By tomorrow night, lows in the mid 30s to 40s F with near to below freezing temperatures only along Pecos River in Eddy County Plains and northernmost Permian Basin are indicated. A dry air mass with dew point temperatures slowly increasing from the 20s F today to 30s F tomorrow will keep conditions feeling dry after our recent winter weather event. By late this week into the weekend, it will be as if the warmer than average weather barely budged. More on that in the long term discussion.

LONG TERM

(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 138 PM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

Unseasonably warm temperatures continue through at least the first few days of 2026. Upper-level ridging briefly flattens out Thursday due to a passing shortwave, but westerly winds become breezy due to a developing surface low in the lee of the Rockies. These downsloping winds keep highs in the upper 60s and low-to-mid 70s Thursday. Breezy winds continue Friday as the low moves across the Southern Plains, and highs remain similar to Thursday's (albeit a degree or two cooler). Additionally, guidance indicates the potential for high winds in the Guadalupe Mountains Thursday and Friday as the shortwave passes to our north. We will continue to monitor trends to determine if high wind products will be necessary for the Guadalupes during this timeframe. Otherwise, a weak front tries to move into the area Friday night/early Saturday, but quickly becomes diffuse and does little to moderate highs Saturday afternoon. Temperatures 10-15 degrees above normal look to hang around through at least the beginning of next week as ridging moves back overhead. Precipitation chances are nil through the forecast period.

Sprang

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1103 AM CST Tue Dec 30 2025

IFR regions in regions of fog and mist for terminals along the Pecos River in the SE NM plains into western Permian Basin becoming VFR by 18Z-21Z, VFR elsewhere. Light and variable winds expected throughout TAF period, with a chance of fog and mist again developing for terminals along the Pecos River from SE NM plains into western Permian Basin 04Z-08Z this evening persisting into 13Z-16Z tomorrow morning.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Big Spring 28 63 38 75 / 0 0 0 0 Carlsbad 25 57 40 71 / 0 0 0 10 Dryden 36 68 43 80 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Stockton 35 66 47 78 / 0 0 0 0 Guadalupe Pass 35 56 45 62 / 0 0 0 10 Hobbs 26 62 38 71 / 0 0 0 0 Marfa 29 67 40 70 / 0 0 0 0 Midland Intl Airport 30 62 41 74 / 0 0 0 0 Odessa 31 61 42 73 / 0 0 0 0 Wink 28 61 41 75 / 0 0 0 10

MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...None. NM...None.