ABC-7 First Alert: Strong Cold Front to Bring Cooler Temperatures, Gusty Winds and Rain Chances This Weekend
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Dry and seasonable conditions will continue across the Borderland through Wednesday before a strong backdoor cold front arrives late Thursday night into Friday morning, bringing a noticeable drop in temperatures, powerful east winds and chances for rain heading into the weekend.
For Wednesday, another nice day with sunshine and warm temperatures.
Strong Cold Front Arrives Thursday Night
The main weather story this week will be a strong backdoor cold front moving into the region late Thursday night and early Friday morning. This will mark the first significant surge of cool air of the season, setting the stage for a blustery and potentially gloomy stretch of weather through the weekend.
A shift in winds is expected Thursday afternoon as an upper-level trough helps develop a closed low-pressure system to our west. This will strengthen easterly winds late Thursday evening and into Friday, with the strongest impacts expected along the western slopes of our mountains.
Temperatures could drop by 10 to 15 degrees behind the front as colder air moves in from the northeast.
Wind gusts across the Sacramento Mountains and the Bootheel could exceed 50 mph. Meanwhile, sustained winds above 35 mph are possible across Hudspeth and El Paso counties through Friday morning. These strong winds could make conditions hazardous, particularly in exposed areas and along mountain slopes.
Breezy conditions are expected to linger across the western portions of the region into Saturday morning, although the strongest winds should gradually ease.
Rain Chances Return for the Weekend
Moisture is expected to move northward by the end of the week, bringing the potential for scattered showers. However, forecast models differ on how far east this moisture will spread.
Current projections suggest the best chances for precipitation may remain near the Gila region, eastern Hudspeth County and the Sacramento Mountains. Some models indicate the possibility of more widespread showers across the lowlands Saturday, while others keep the moisture concentrated across the western half of the region during the early hours of the weekend.
With colder air settling into the area, a rain-and-snow mix cannot be ruled out at the highest elevations, depending on how much moisture arrives and how temperatures evolve.
For now, the exact coverage and timing of weekend precipitation remain uncertain, but the combination of cooler temperatures, gusty winds and possible showers could make for a noticeably different feel across the Borderland.
