El Paso is forecast to stay dry and sunny Thursday, with a high near 70 degrees after a cool morning. The change comes Friday: showers may arrive in the evening, with a wetter, cooler Saturday in store. About 0.1 inch is expected in lowlands.
Rain chances rise Friday night
Thursday night is expected to be mostly clear, with a low around 52. Friday should start mostly sunny and reach about 70, before showers become possible after 5 p.m. The forecast puts the chance of precipitation at 30% Friday afternoon and evening, rising to 60% Friday night, when skies are expected to be mostly cloudy and the low near 54.
Saturday is forecast to be cloudier and cooler, with a high near 61 and a 50% chance of showers before 5 p.m. Sunday is expected to turn sunny, with a high around 66. The forecast may change; the stated rain chances do not establish how much rain will accumulate.
Local drainage planning and historical context
Stormwater is a citywide planning concern, not a forecast of flooding from this weekend’s showers. El Paso Water says its stormwater master plan divided the city and some areas outside it into drainage basins, with recommended projects prioritizing flood control for homes, businesses and I-10.
The scale of El Paso’s historical rainfall extremes provides context, but not a comparison of what this system will bring. The National Weather Service El Paso office lists 6.50 inches on July 9, 1881, as the city’s all-time heavy-rainfall event, and 3.52 inches for July 31–August 1, 2006, among its heavy-rain events. Those past totals are records, not estimates for Friday or Saturday.
For general precautions, El Paso Water advises people not to drive or walk on flooded streets, noting that even a few inches of moving water can be dangerous. That guidance is relevant during rain, but it does not mean the current forecast predicts flooding.
