textproduct: El Paso

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 425 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

- A band of rain and snow, accompanied by stronger wind gusts, could make for messy driving conditions over the Sacramento Mountains through mid morning.

- Expect cold and blustery conditions on Friday, with wind chills just above 0 in the higher terrain of the Gila and Sacramento Mountains.

- Very cold temperatures are expected Friday and Saturday nights, with 10s and 20s in the lowlands, and single digits in the higher mountains.

- Milder and calmer weather is expected early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1004 PM MST Thu Jan 8 2026

Low pressure system swinging into NM is falling into an open wave, as evident on satellite imagery. Isolated to scattered showers and snow showers are expected to continue over the next couple hours across portions of southern NM, with the highest accumulations of snowfall still set to favor the high terrain. Bands of potentially heavier snowfall will remain possible across portions of western NM as a line associated with the trough's southeastern periphery digs further into the state. Periods of gusty winds will plague the overnight hours once again as the system continues its trek. These winds will help to keep minTs from plummeting too hard but will also work to create frigid wind chills. As such, did retain the previous issued Cold Weather Advisory. Blowing snow will also be a hazard across portions of the Gila and Sacramento Mts through Friday.

The tightened pressure gradient will remain in place Friday, lending to yet another breezy day across the Borderland. Conditions will dry out for the most part, with only a rogue shower or two mostly favoring the eastern high terrain. Winds will taper off after sunset and skies will clear, setting up a night of enhanced radiational cooling. Friday's overnight lows will be 10F to 15F colder than Thursday night's readings, resulting in frigid conditions for much of the Borderland. High elevation zones will see lows dip into the single digits and teens, with lowlands seeing teens to the upper 20s. The cold temperatures are set to reprise themselves Friday night/Saturday morning with a strong valley inversion signal and Cold Weather Advisories may be needed in future updates.

Temperatures will be slow to rebound over the weekend and into next week, with a regime of northwesterly flow aloft prevailing. A Rex block to our west will keep conditions moderated with near-normal temperatures and dry weather.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 425 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Mostly VFR conditions through the TAF period. Light rain showers will persist across the International Border/KELP over the next few hours with little to no impacts expected, isolated instances of MVFR CIGS will be possible through the morning with BKN to OVC skies. Skies will become FEW to SCT during the late morning with instances of SKC this afternoon.

Winds will remain breezy through the morning, out of the west to northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20-25 knots. Winds will slowly decrease through the afternoon and evening, becoming 7-12 knots with gusts to 20 knots becoming more northerly/northwesterly.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 425 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Fire weather concerns remain low over the next several days. Precip will end by Friday morning, but west to northwest winds will remain gusty through the day, but RH will remain high. Ventilation will be favorable.

Winds will shift to light easterly over the weekend, with diminishing ventilation rates, and mostly poor vent conditions early next week as temperatures slowly recover back to normal.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

El Paso 30 50 24 56 / 0 0 0 0 Sierra Blanca 25 46 24 51 / 0 0 0 0 Las Cruces 24 45 22 51 / 0 0 0 0 Alamogordo 21 47 19 51 / 0 0 0 0 Cloudcroft 10 31 17 35 / 10 0 0 0 Truth or Consequences 25 46 24 50 / 0 0 0 0 Silver City 19 43 20 46 / 0 0 0 0 Deming 26 48 22 53 / 0 0 0 0 Lordsburg 21 46 24 49 / 0 0 0 0 West El Paso Metro 32 49 24 54 / 0 0 0 0 Dell City 25 49 18 54 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Hancock 26 53 22 56 / 0 0 0 0 Loma Linda 26 44 21 49 / 0 0 0 0 Fabens 28 51 19 56 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Teresa 26 48 24 52 / 0 0 0 0 White Sands HQ 28 48 25 53 / 0 0 0 0 Jornada Range 21 47 16 51 / 0 0 0 0 Hatch 25 50 16 54 / 0 0 0 0 Columbus 28 49 24 52 / 0 0 0 0 Orogrande 24 47 23 52 / 0 0 0 0 Mayhill 13 43 17 46 / 10 0 0 0 Mescalero 13 41 19 48 / 20 0 0 0 Timberon 13 38 16 44 / 10 0 0 0 Winston 12 42 9 44 / 0 0 0 0 Hillsboro 23 45 24 49 / 0 0 0 0 Spaceport 21 48 17 51 / 0 0 0 0 Lake Roberts 12 43 2 46 / 0 0 0 0 Hurley 19 45 21 49 / 0 0 0 0 Cliff 17 50 13 54 / 0 0 0 0 Mule Creek 16 46 9 50 / 0 0 0 0 Faywood 24 45 24 47 / 0 0 0 0 Animas 23 47 25 50 / 0 0 0 0 Hachita 23 46 22 50 / 0 0 0 0 Antelope Wells 23 47 21 49 / 0 0 0 0 Cloverdale 26 42 27 44 / 0 0 0 0

EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...None. NM...Cold Weather Advisory until 10 AM MST Saturday for Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet-Southern Gila Region Highlands/Black Range.

Cold Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 10 AM MST Saturday for Central Grant County/Silver City Area-East Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Eastern Black Range Foothills-Sierra County Lakes-Southern Gila Foothills/Mimbres Valley-Upper Gila River Valley-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.

Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM MST this morning for East Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet-Sacramento Mountains Above 7500 Feet-West Slopes Sacramento Mountains Below 7500 Feet.