Tornado in Pecos County, Texas

A thunderstorm produced a tornado in Pecos County approximately 19 miles north northwest of Fort Stockton. This tornado was seen and reported by a spotter. This tornado was difficult to photograph as it quickly became rain-wrapped and eventually dissipated as the storm approached State Highway 18 in northern Pecos County. This tornado was estimated to have lasted around 12 minutes and traveled southeast approximately 4.5 miles. These calculations were determined from both radar data and eyewitness reports on the ground. Due to the rural location of this tornado, access to any damage indicators was impossible and thus the tornado was rated EF-Unknown with unknown peak wind speeds. The path width of the tornado is unknown.

A strong upper level low pressure system moved across Nevada and Utah. Very moist air was across most of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. High instability and wind shear were also present. An upper level disturbance had moved over the area which provided additional lift. During the afternoon and evening hours, numerous severe thunderstorms developed across Southeast New Mexico and the Trans Pecos and moved across the Stockton Plateau and the Permian Basin. These storms produced multiple tornadoes, very large hail, heavy rainfall leading to localized flooding, and damaging winds.