Winter Weather Advisory for El Paso area as rain changes to snow, slick roads possible
EL PASO, Texas -- Bundle up, because a winter storm system has arrived in the Borderland.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a Winter Weather Advisory for El Paso County as well as Hudspeth and Otero Counties due to expected snow accumulation in the region.
The NWS advisory indicated rain was changing to snow earlier than expected Tuesday night, which it said would increase snow totals for El Paso, especially before midnight.
Snow was expected to taper off for all the Borderland region by Wednesday at noon, the weather service said.
The winter weather conditions led to numerous school delays for the El Paso area and southern New Mexico. Click here for that list. In addition, all non-essential personnel at Fort Bliss were having a delayed start at 9 a.m.
The snowy conditions came along with a big chill. After Monday's high of 70 degrees in El Paso, ABC-7 chief meteorologist 'Doppler' Dave Speelman said we saw about a 20-degree drop as temperatures were in the low 50s for Tuesday's highs. And 'Doppler' said it will only reach the 40's on Wednesday afternoon.
Parts of Dona Ana County already saw snow Tuesday. In the Organ Mountains, it was starting to look like a winter wonderland; snow flurries also came down at San Augstin Pass.
An earlier National Weather Service advisory said the strong cold front was expected to bring light snow of an inch or less for Las Cruces and Alamogordo. Heavier snow amounts of 1 to 3 inches were possible for El Paso County, along with Hudspeth and Otero counties -- "with a few locations possibly reaching 5 inches," according to the advisory.
The weather service also warned of potential difficulty during the morning commute for motorists along Interstate 10 between El Paso and Las Cruces and also for US-70 between Las Cruces and Alamogordo.
"Travel across San Andres Pass and Transmountain Pass could be particularly difficult," the NWS advisory added.
A later advisory warned: "Snowfall will create slick roads and reduce visibility making for hazardous travel conditions. Road closures will be
possible, including Loop 375 Transmountain in El Paso."
The Texas Dept. of Transportation said late Tuesday night that its crews were monitoring roadways in El Paso and a six-county surrounding region.
For current weather conditions, the latest warnings and live radar 24/7, visit kvia.com/weather or download our ABC-7 StormTracker Weather App.
Due to the inclement weather, Ft. Bliss has reported that a delayed start work call, at 0900, for all non-essential 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss personnel has been authorized.#FtBliss #EPTX pic.twitter.com/pckMoOP5V6
— El Paso Office of Emergency Management (@ElPasoOEM) February 5, 2020
Our @TxDOT maintenance crews will be monitoring roadways from El Paso to Pine Springs to Alpine and all across our six counties overnight to help keep you safe.👷🏻♂️REMEMBER - though roads were pretreated they may be wet and/or icy. 🌬💦❄️DRIVE TO CONDITIONS. #BeSafeDriveSmart 🚘 https://t.co/3qqN3RjJoX
— TxDOT El Paso (@txdotelp) February 5, 2020
