402 FXUS64 KMAF 210505 AFDMAFArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 1205 AM CDT Sun Sep 21 2025
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1205 AM CDT Sun Sep 21 2025
- Isolated to scattered showers/thunderstorms (15-40%) continue through tonight across southeast New Mexico, Lower Trans Pecos, and the higher terrain. The primary threats with the strongest storms will be lightning and brief heavy rainfall.
- Near-record high temperatures expected Sunday and Monday.
- Cold front moves through late Tuesday and into Wednesday bringing temperatures to near normal. Rain chances around 10-30% return for Wednesday.
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.SHORT TERM... (This afternoon through Sunday night) Issued at 1213 PM CDT Sat Sep 20 2025
Not much change to the current forecast. WV imagery this afternoon shows the upper ridge centered over southern Sonora, leaving West Texas and Southeast New Mexico under unsettled northwest flow aloft. A shortwave is moving through the area, resulting in light convection through the region. This activity will be clustered mainly invof the Davis Mountains this afternoon.
Tonight, this activity should diminish rather quickly w/loss of diurnal heating, to be replaced by a 25 kt LLJ. This will combine w/a few clouds to keep overnight minimums ~ 8-10 F above climatology.
Sunday, thicknesses continue increasing, yielding the warmest day since the beginning of the month as highs top out around 10 F above normal. W/the ridge strengthening, only isolated afternoon convection is expected, if that.
Sunday night, the LLJ increases to 35 kts. Despite less cloud cover, this increased mixing will add a degree or so to tonight`s lows. No convection is anticipated.
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.LONG TERM... (Monday through Friday) Issued at 1213 PM CDT Sat Sep 20 2025
For the start of the coming week, an upper level ridge moves into the area out of northern Mexico. This will keep temperatures well above normal for Monday and Tuesday as most locations end up in the mid to upper 90s. Midland may see record breaking heat on Monday. The current forecast is for 100F and that would tie the record for the 22nd set back in 1977. A large trough moves over the Rockies and flattens the ridge on Tuesday before pushing a cold front through the region late Tuesday and into Wednesday. Temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday get pushed down towards normal in the low to mid 80s nearly areawide. Rain chances increase to around 10-20% for the Permian Basin and areas south of the I-20 corridor. Long range guidance keeps low(10-30%) rain chances in the area through the end of the week and into next weekend, but rain amounts will continue to be fairly low for most locations. Overnight lows fall towards normal in the 60s for most, particularly after the passage of the front late Tuesday. Higher elevation spots will dip into the 50s.
-Stickney
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.AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1205 AM CDT Sun Sep 21 2025
VFR conditions with very low (
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