El Paso is forecast to get one more sunny, comfortable day before conditions change. Tuesday should reach about 83 degrees, with light west winds and no rain expected. An earlier El Paso forecast period lists a high of 82 and a low of 58. Overnight lows are expected near 63 Tuesday.
A windy front, then a cooler weekend
The forecast calls for the shift to begin Thursday as a cold front moves in from the east. Thursday is expected to remain sunny, with a high near 80, while northeast winds increase to 9 to 20 mph and gusts could reach 31 mph. Thursday night, strong winds are forecast, with possible precipitation Friday. The strongest winds could affect areas near the international border and west-facing slopes, with higher gusts possible in some locations.
The projected gusts are below the peak in the local historical record: National Weather Service El Paso records list an 84 mph west gust on March 10, 1977, and March 26, 2010. Those are historical readings, not a prediction for this front. The forecast does not establish that blowing dust will occur. In separate local context, El Paso Matters quoted UTEP scientist Thomas Gill explaining that drought can leave more exposed, dry soil vulnerable to windblown dust; that explanation does not show that dust is expected with this system.
Friday is forecast to be mostly cloudy, with a high near 61 and a 50% chance of showers. East-northeast winds are expected at 21 to 32 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. Showers could linger Saturday as the high reaches about 63.
