Winter Weather Advisory in El Paso, Dona Ana counties; Winter Storm Warning in Hudspeth, Otero
UPDATE, Feb. 13: The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for El Paso and Dona Ana counties from 7 a.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday. The NWS forecast total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches with winds gusting up to 35 mph.
"Most of the snow accumulation is expected to occur between roughly 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday. Gusty winds may lead to blowing snow at times and wind chill values will drop into the teens to single digits Monday morning," the weather service said.
RELATED CONTENT: El Paso to operate warming centers
The National Weather Service also issued a Winter Storm Warning for Hudspeth and Otero counties from 11 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday. The NWS predicted 3 to 6 inches of snow across the highlands, with the lowlands seeing 1 to 3 inches; up to a foot could fall in some mountain elevations. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph are also expected.
"Gusty winds may lead to blowing snow and whiteout conditions at times. Wind chill values between -10 and -15 will be possible Sunday night into Monday morning," the weather service said.
For current weather conditions, live Doppler radar, the latest forecast and details of watches and warnings, visit kvia.com/weather.
ORIGINAL REPORT, Feb. 12: EL PASO, Texas — Forecasters are warning of potentially hazardous driving conditions as storms bring rain and snow along with frigid temperatures to the Borderland this weekend.
The National Weather Service said a quick-moving system would bring rain and showers to the Borderland on Sunday and possibly drop some snow.
"The upper level energy will approach early to midday Sunday, with
rain showers across El Paso, and a mix of rain and snow farther
east. Any mix of rain and snow will quickly transition to all
snow, some moderate at times, across the Otero Mesa and Hudspeth
County, with a mix of rain and snow for El Paso," the NWS wrote in an advisory.
The weather service said the arctic airmass and strong storm system bringing the snowfall combined with "cold temperatures" and "breezy to windy conditions."
The NWS also warned that “travel could become difficult due to slick roads and visibilities reduced."
The City of El Paso indicated it was ready to activate its snow and ice control plan with treatments to key streets and overpasses.
“It's a time when we prepare the streets so we can de-ice it to prevent black ice and prevent accidents,” Salvador Solis with the city's Streets and Maintenance Department told ABC-7. “TxDOT has already started a couple of days ago applying brine on freeways."
Officials indicated a total of 25 vehicles equipped with salt or sand spreaders were also ready to comb El Paso streets. Those crews have access to more than 100 tons of sand and salt; Solis said the salt is supposed to melt the ice and the sand will soak up the moisture.
In Las Cruces, city and police officials said they too were bracing for difficult driving conditions and potentially icy roadways.
"Motorists should slow down," said LCPD spokesman Dan Trujillo. "Allow for more travel time when driving in wet weather."
With the drastic drop in temperatures that the region was expected to see this weekend, El Paso Water also urged homeowners to take steps to protect their pipes ahead of the cold front.
"When water freezes, it expands its volume by nearly ten percent, and the pressure can result in broken water lines," explained Denise Parra, a spokeswoman for the utility.
She advised "insulating exposed pipes and faucets outside and around your home, including those in unheated areas like basements, garages, attics, or crawl spaces."
For current weather conditions, live Doppler radar, the latest forecast and any watches or warnings, visit kvia.com/weather.
