Texas Braces for Coldest Air of the Season as Freeze Alerts Issued
Parts of Texas, including regions along the Texas-Mexico border, are under cold weather alerts as the “coldest air of the season” moves into the area on Monday night.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a freeze watch for Midland/Odessa and a special weather statement for El Paso, warning of an incoming “strong cold front” that will bring significant temperature drops.
The NWS El Paso office cautioned that temperatures could plummet to the 20s and 30s, with wind chills making it feel even colder. “A cold front will move through tonight, and lows tomorrow will drop into the 20s and 30s, but winds will make it feel colder,” the agency shared on social media.
By Wednesday morning, El Paso’s temperatures are predicted to dip as low as 28°F, marking the coldest temperatures of the season and an 80% chance of falling below freezing.
This would be the first freeze in El Paso since February 18, ending a stretch of 296 days without freezing temperatures, tying for the fifth-longest streak in the city’s history. The longest stretch occurred in 2017, lasting 309 days.
Historically, El Paso sees its first freeze around mid-November, with meteorologist Anthony Brown noting that while the freeze is typical for this time of year, it contrasts sharply with the mild weather residents have experienced recently.
Residents in the western Texas-Mexico border area are being advised to take precautions against the freeze, including protecting outdoor plumbing, covering plants, and ensuring pets have adequate shelter. “Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold,” the NWS freeze watch warned.
Temperatures are expected to warm slightly by the weekend, kicking off a broader warming trend across the nation. The NWS Climate Prediction Center forecasts that all U.S. states will experience above-average temperatures in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
