Midland is a place where you can wake up to a windshield covered in ice and end your afternoon wearing a t-shirt while washing your truck. It is the heart of the Permian Basin, a landscape defined by its wide horizons and a sky that doesn't like to sit still for long. If you’re checking the midland texas weather 10 day outlook right now, you’re likely seeing a wild swing from sun-drenched afternoons to legitimate winter threats.
Honestly, the desert is a moody neighbor. One minute it’s providing 60-degree bliss, and the next, a "blue norther" is screaming across the flats at 20 miles per hour, dropping the "feels like" temp into the teens before you can find your heavy coat.
The Immediate Outlook: Sun, Wind, and a Sudden Chill
Right now, we are sitting in that classic West Texas January groove. Today, Sunday, January 18, 2026, started out beautiful. We hit a high of 59°F with plenty of sun, but don’t let that afternoon warmth fool you into leaving your plants outside tonight. The low is bottoming out at 24°F. That is a 35-degree swing in a single day.
Tomorrow, Monday, January 19, things start to shift. We are looking at a high of 51°F, but the wind is the real story. It’s coming out of the east at about 18 mph. If you’ve lived here long enough, you know an east wind in January usually means the humidity is creeping up and a change is coming.
By Tuesday, the mercury struggles to hit 47°F.
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Mid-week offers a brief "rebound" where we jump back into the mid-50s on Wednesday and even hit 61°F on Thursday. It’s that deceptive West Texas "false spring" that happens three times every winter. You'll see people at H-E-B in shorts on Thursday, completely ignoring the fact that the bottom is about to drop out.
The Weekend Reality Check: Is That Snow?
The back half of this midland texas weather 10 day cycle is where things get interesting. Friday, January 23, is looking messy. We have a 70% chance of snow on Friday night with a low of 27°F.
Saturday, January 24, is going to be the "stay inside and make chili" day. The high is only forecast to reach 33°F. With snow showers likely during the day and a biting northeast wind, it’s going to be miserable for anyone working out in the fields or trying to get some yard work done.
- Friday Night: Heavy snow potential (70% chance).
- Saturday: High of 33°F with continued snow showers.
- Sunday Morning: A frigid 25°F start before we slowly climb back to 44°F.
Why Midland Weather is Such a Rollercoaster
People think West Texas is just "hot and dry," but the geography here is a playground for weather extremes. We sit at about 2,700 feet of elevation. Because we are on a high plain with no trees or mountains to block the wind, cold fronts from the north hit us with full force.
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There's no buffer.
According to the National Weather Service in Midland, January is historically our coldest month, with an average low of 32°F. But because our air is so dry, the ground loses heat rapidly once the sun goes down. This leads to those massive diurnal temperature swings where you need three different outfits to survive a 24-hour period.
The humidity is currently hovering around 34-36%, which is typical. But when that snow moves in on Friday, we’ll see humidity spike into the 70s. That kind of "wet cold" hits different than the dry cold we usually deal with. It gets into your bones.
Looking Toward Next Week: The Return of the Sun
By the time we hit Monday, January 26, the storm system clears out. We get back to "normal" West Texas winter weather.
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- Monday (Jan 26): High 52°F, mostly sunny.
- Tuesday (Jan 27): High 56°F, back to those clear desert skies.
- Wednesday (Jan 28): High 55°F, with a low of 33°F.
Basically, if you can survive the freezing temperatures and snow potential between Friday and Sunday, you’ll be rewarded with a pretty mild end to the month.
How to Handle the 10-Day Swing
If you’re planning your week, the best advice is to front-load your outdoor tasks. Get the car washed and the errands done by Thursday. Once that Friday front hits, the wind and the moisture are going to make travel a headache, especially on overpasses like Loop 250 or I-20 where the "black ice" tends to catch people off guard.
Check your tire pressure now. These 30-degree drops in temperature will trigger every "low tire" sensor in the Permian Basin by Tuesday morning.
Wrap your pipes before Friday night. While 24°F or 27°F isn't a "deep freeze" like we saw in 2021, the sustained wind makes everything colder than the thermometer says.
Keep an eye on the wind direction. When it’s coming from the south or west, you’re usually safe. When it flips to the north or northeast like it will this weekend, that’s your signal to bring the pets inside and find your heavy gloves.