textproduct: Midland/Odessa

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 445 PM CST Thu Jan 8 2026

- Breezy to windy conditions develop again on Friday, with the highest winds expected over the Guadalupe/Delaware Mountains.

- Temperatures drop near to below normal over the weekend into early next week.

SHORT TERM

(This afternoon through Friday night) Issued at 133 PM CST Thu Jan 8 2026

Westerly winds have picked up behind a cold front that passed through the area earlier this morning as expected. Recent ground- based observations this morning have shown gusts as high as 80 to 90 mph at the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. A High Wind Warning will thus remain in effect until this evening in the Guadalupe/Delaware Mountains. A Wind Advisory is also in effect until this evening for the foothills and adjacent plains, where winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Patchy blowing dust is possible this afternoon across these regions, including portions of the Permian Basin. Highs this afternoon are forecast to be 8-12 degrees cooler than yesterday's behind the cold front, with temperatures in the 60s for most (50s in higher terrain). Effective radiational cooling tonight allows for overnight lows to dip into the 30s across much of southeast New Mexico and portions of the Permian Basin. Lows in the low-to-mid 40s are expected elsewhere, except 20s in the Davis Mountains.

Another breezy to windy day is still expected Friday as an upper- level jet rounding the base of a trough sweeps over the area. Lee cyclogenesis to our north will keep winds westerly throughout the day. Another High Wind Warning has been issued from early Friday morning through Friday afternoon in the Guadalupe/Delaware Mountains. A cold front moves through the area Friday evening, shifting winds to northerly and yielding lows in the 20s to low 30s for most (teens in the Davis Mountains).

-Greening

LONG TERM

(Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 133 PM CST Thu Jan 8 2026

Much cooler temperatures are in store for Saturday behind the front. Continued northerly winds throughout the day help keep highs in the upper 40s and low 50s across the area (5-10 degrees below normal). Lows Sunday morning end up similar to, if not 2-4 degrees below Saturday morning's lows. Temperatures near-to-below seasonal norms stick around Sunday and Monday, warming a couple of degrees relative to Saturday as return flow once again tries to develop. By the middle of next week, highs in the low-to-mid 60s start to make a reappearance across much of the region.

One thing we are continuing to monitor is a shortwave that is expected to become cut off from the main flow and meander to the southwest of our area over the next couple of days. NBM PoPs rose today in the Big Bend (20-30% chance), while lower chances (10-20%) expanded much farther north than in previous runs. This seems to be mainly thanks to the 00Z and 06Z runs of the European ensemble, which were more optimistic with overall precipitation coverage. The Canadian ensemble and especially the GEFS ensemble were more pessimistic, keeping the shortwave (and thus the best rain chances) farther south. For now, left the 20-30% PoPs in the Big Bend, Davis Mountains, and Terrell County, but undercut the NBM such that 15-20% rain chances remained south of the Pecos River. The best window of opportunity for precipitation currently looks to be late Sunday night into Monday evening. Given this expected timing and forecasted subfreezing lows Monday morning, another thing we will monitor is trends in precipitation types for the Big Bend up into the Davis Mountains early Monday. Nevertheless, confidence remains low at this time, and QPF looks light overall. In any case, stay tuned for updates!

Sprang

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 445 PM CST Thu Jan 8 2026

Gusty west winds will continue for another hour or so before diminishing briefly overnight. Winds will increase once again by late morning with gusts 25-30 kts through the afternoon. This is all ahead of a cold front that will switch winds to the north toward the end of this TAF period. VFR to prevail.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Big Spring 39 62 29 51 / 0 0 0 0 Carlsbad 40 57 28 49 / 0 0 10 0 Dryden 43 72 36 55 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Stockton 41 63 31 50 / 0 0 0 0 Guadalupe Pass 34 45 25 41 / 0 0 10 0 Hobbs 37 56 24 50 / 0 0 0 0 Marfa 28 55 20 46 / 0 0 0 0 Midland Intl Airport 41 61 30 50 / 0 0 0 0 Odessa 41 59 30 50 / 0 0 0 0 Wink 37 59 28 50 / 0 0 0 0

MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...High Wind Warning until 9 PM CST /8 PM MST/ this evening for Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.

High Wind Warning from midnight CST /11 PM MST/ tonight to 1 PM CST /noon MST/ Friday for Guadalupe Mountains Above 7000 Feet-Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains.

Wind Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for Davis Mountains- Davis Mountains Foothills-Eastern Culberson.

NM...High Wind Warning until 8 PM MST this evening for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.

High Wind Warning from 11 PM this evening to noon MST Friday for Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy County.

Wind Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for Eddy County Plains.