Tips to prepare for cold weather in the Borderland

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) — Temperatures across the Borderland dropped to freezing, or near-freezing, Friday early morning, bringing the first frost of the season for some areas.

While the El Paso metro area remained slightly above freezing, parts of the valley saw brief dips into the low 30s, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). 

ABC-7 spoke to Bladen Breitreiter, an incident meteorologist for the NWS, who says now is time to take precautions, focusing on the "Four P's" — plants, people, pets, and pipes. Breitreiter recommends covering sensitive plants, insulating pipes, and keeping pets indoors overnight.

“Any time that we have just a little bit of moisture in on top of those freezing temperatures, you can start to see frost. And so you want to make sure you at least have some sort of ice scraper,” Breitreiter said.

Despite seeing 90 degree temperatures late October, Breitreiter said we're close to average for the first freeze of the season. "We are still running pretty close to the climatological average, not necessarily running behind," Breitreiter said. "With November 13th being your average first freeze, we're getting really, really close the next two days near El Paso."

Though a warmer, drier winter is expected due to La Niña conditions, Breitreiter emphasizes that Borderland residents may still see occasional cold snaps or even snowfall this winter. 

“It's really important to make sure that, you know, you're bundling up your kids, you're bundling up your self, and you're checking on people that may not have access to adequate heating to make sure that they're okay as well," he said.