textproduct: El Paso

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1035 PM MDT Tue Aug 25 2026

- Heat Advisory in effect for Rio Grande Valley below El Paso through Hudspeth County until 9 PM MDT.

- Near record high temperatures through the end of the week, with lowland temperatures reaching the triple digit mark most afternoons.

- Isolated rain showers and storms in the mountains Wednesday, better chance for rain for the whole area on Thursday and Friday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1035 PM MDT Tue Aug 25 2026

Upper level high pressure will continue to control our weather through the end of the week, but then we will see a pattern change. On Wednesday the upper level ridge will begin to drift to the west. We will still have a hot day on Wednesday, but not quite as hot as Tuesday. The lower Rio Grande Valley below El Paso, looks like they will be hot enough to need a heat advisory, but much of the lowlands will fall just short of heat advisory criteria (105F). Without the upper level ridge sitting directly over southern New Mexico, the mountains will be able to fire off a few showers and thunderstorms. For Thursday the upper level ridge will basically be in the same position over the New Mexico/Arizona border, but some moisture will push into the region from the east. This moisture will help fuel scattered mountain and lowland thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening. By Friday the upper level ridge will be back on the move again and it will be centered over central New Mexico. Rain chances will again be limited to area mountains and locations west of Rio Grande. High temperatures for Thursday and Friday will drop a few more degrees so that by Friday afternoon most lowlands locations will see high temperatures a little below 100F.

For Saturday and Sunday the upper level ridge will be well to our east which will set up a decent monsoon flow pattern. Unfortunately almost all of the moisture will be pushed into Arizona. Rainfall both days will be limited to area mountains and locations along the New Mexico and Arizona border. High temperatures both days will run 4 to 8 degrees above average.

For the start of the week, an approaching West Coast trough (haven't talked about one of those in several months), will push some of that monsoon moisture back to the east, so we will see a chance for afternoon and evening thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday for much of the area. High temperatures in the lowlands both days will run at or a little below the triple digit mark.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1035 PM MDT Tue Aug 25 2026

VFR conditions for the next 24 hours. We will have unlimited ceilings tonight and throughout Wednesday. The one exception will be area mountains were we could see some isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. Winds tonight will be light and variable. On Wednesday the winds will be from the south or southeast and we could see a few hours of low end wind gusts into the the early evening hours. As usual, the low end wind gusts will drop off around sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1137 AM MDT Tue Aug 25 2026

More record high heat is in store this afternoon and evening, with min RH values in the low to mid teens, followed by poor recovery levels overnight (20-30%). The Sacramento Mountains will be the exception, as recovery RHs will be near 100% thanks to afternoon showers and thunderstorms. The Gila National Forest will be drier today and tomorrow, and recovery RHs will only rise to 50-60%. Barring afternoon thunderstorm outflows, winds will be light, and ventilation rates should be very good. Wednesday will be very similar to Tuesday, though a slight degree or two cooler. Better lowland moisture will return on Thursday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

El Paso 75 103 76 101 / 0 0 0 10 Sierra Blanca 68 100 68 97 / 0 0 10 20 Las Cruces 72 102 71 100 / 0 0 10 10 Alamogordo 73 101 70 99 / 0 10 20 20 Cloudcroft 57 77 53 75 / 0 30 20 40 Truth or Consequences 74 100 73 99 / 0 0 10 20 Silver City 68 96 68 94 / 0 10 0 30 Deming 71 103 72 102 / 0 0 0 0 Lordsburg 72 103 73 101 / 0 0 0 0 West El Paso Metro 78 103 78 101 / 0 0 10 10 Dell City 71 102 70 99 / 0 0 0 20 Fort Hancock 74 107 75 105 / 0 0 10 20 Loma Linda 70 96 69 93 / 0 0 0 30 Fabens 73 104 74 102 / 0 0 0 10 Santa Teresa 73 102 74 100 / 0 0 10 10 White Sands HQ 77 103 76 100 / 0 0 10 10 Jornada Range 73 102 72 100 / 0 0 10 10 Hatch 73 103 73 104 / 0 0 10 10 Columbus 73 103 75 102 / 0 0 0 0 Orogrande 71 100 70 98 / 0 0 10 10 Mayhill 61 89 57 86 / 0 40 20 70 Mescalero 60 88 56 86 / 0 20 20 40 Timberon 58 87 55 84 / 0 20 10 50 Winston 64 92 63 90 / 0 20 10 50 Hillsboro 72 100 71 99 / 0 10 10 30 Spaceport 71 101 71 99 / 0 0 10 10 Lake Roberts 61 93 61 92 / 0 20 0 50 Hurley 68 98 68 97 / 0 0 0 20 Cliff 69 103 70 102 / 0 10 0 20 Mule Creek 67 99 68 98 / 0 0 0 0 Faywood 70 97 70 96 / 0 0 0 20 Animas 72 103 71 102 / 0 0 0 0 Hachita 71 101 71 100 / 0 0 0 0 Antelope Wells 69 101 70 101 / 0 0 0 0 Cloverdale 67 97 68 96 / 0 0 0 10

EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Heat Advisory from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Wednesday for Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties-Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County.

NM...None.