What to know about the winter storm and cold temperatures coming to El Paso

Aaron A. Bedoya, El Paso Times

February 2, 2022 at 7:02 PM·6 min read

El Paso could see 1 to 2 inches of snow Thursday as part of a winter storm system barreling into Texas, according to weather forecasts.

Temperatures are expected to plunge about 30 degrees with rain, snow and freezing nights.

Thursday is forecast to have a 30% chance of snow, with a high of 30 degrees, the National Weather Service reported. Friday is expected to be sunny but cold with a high of 33 degrees.

Ready for the cold weather, El Paso? Here's what you should know before the freeze arrives.

EPISD, Ysleta ISD and Socorro ISD close, cancel classes due to weather

Ysleta Independent School District will close to due weather on Thursday, Feb. 3.

The district tweeted Wednesday afternoon, "due to the inclement weather conditions expected overnight, all schools and administrative offices in the Ysleta Independent School District will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 3, and all classes are canceled."

⚠️Inclement Weather Day For Thursday, February 3, 2022⚠️

Due to the inclement weather conditions expected overnight, all schools and administrative offices in the Ysleta Independent School District will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 3, and all classes are canceled. pic.twitter.com/uSJzyMDsaR
— Ysleta ISD (@YsletaISD) February 2, 2022

El Paso Independent School District will close Thursday due to the weather and "unsafe conditions."

The district tweeted, "EPISD schools will close tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 3, due to forecasted winter weather that may create unsafe conditions for students and employees. The District will make a decision on start times for Feb. 4, on Thursday."

🚨 WEATHER UPDATE🚨

EPISD schools will close tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 3, due to forecasted winter weather that may create unsafe conditions for students and employees. The District will make a decision on start times for Feb. 4, on Thursday ➡️ https://t.co/axDBrqxCch #IamEPISD pic.twitter.com/Wbof9sAmRk
— elpaso_isd (@ELPASO_ISD) February 2, 2022

Socorro Independent School District will also close Thursday due to the weather.

Inclement Weather Update pic.twitter.com/Gg4YxkBtHW
— Socorro ISD (@SocorroISD) February 2, 2022

Read the updated school closures in El Paso County here.

Winter storm cancellations: El Paso school districts, colleges will close Thursday

Snow in El Paso? Look for a city warming center

The city of El Paso is opening warming centers ahead of this week's forecast winter storm and freezing temperatures.

People seeking access to warming centers and those experiencing insufficient heat are encouraged to stay at any of the following warming centers, open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 2 through Feb. 5.

Galatzan Recreation Center, 650 Wallenberg Drive
Marty Robbins Recreation Center, 11620 Vista Del Sol Drive
Memorial Senior Center, 1800 Byron St.
Chamizal Community Center, 2119 Cypress Ave.
Wellington Chew Senior Center, 4430 Maxwell Ave.
Pavo Real Senior Center, 9301 Alameda Ave.
San Juan Senior Center, 5701 Tamburo Court

For more information about extreme cold safety, call 311 for more information or visit ElPasoReady.org.

Stay safe and warm as cold temperatures drop!

Visit any of the seven neighborhood warming centers open from 8AM - 8PM to protect you from the cold. #WarmingCenters #WinterWeather #ColdTemperatures #ColdWeatherWarning #IAmElPaso pic.twitter.com/AuOgrZg184
— City of El Paso (@ElPasoTXGov) February 2, 2022

Protect your pets, pipes, etc. and watch for winter hazards

The Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Public Health urge the community to take preventative actions to stay safe as temperatures drop to around 30 degrees.

Protect exposed pipes.
Pull in sensitive plants.
Pets should be brought inside.
Pop in and check on people whose health or age makes them particularly vulnerable to extreme weather.

You've got some time to prepare for the dip in temperatures later this week!#ProtectYourPipes pic.twitter.com/qT5pdC9BIc
— El Paso Water (@EPWater) January 31, 2022

Roads may become icy and slippery. If you must drive, remember to slow down and keep your full attention on the road. Maintain enough distance from vehicles in front of you.

Is it going to snow in El Paso?: Icy temps in forecast as winter storm heads to Texas

The El Paso International Airport tweeted if heading to the airport to watch for icy roads and leave yourself plenty of time to drive.

"If you have a flight and will be heading to the airport NWS is advising that roadways could become difficult and hazardous with the potential for significant delays, leave early give yourself plenty of drive-time."

Winter weather is in the forecast, if you have a flight and will be heading to the airport @NWS is advising that roadways could become difficult and hazardous with the potential for significant delays, leave early give yourself plenty of drive-time. #WinterWeather #DriveSafe pic.twitter.com/dt3oRxZ2c8
— El Paso Intl Airport (@flyelp) February 1, 2022

El Paso closures and delays due to winter storm, cold weather

UTEP's men's basketball game with North Texas has been pushed back to Monday, Feb. 7 because of expected inclement weather in Denton.
EPISD, YISD and Socorro ISD will close Thursday due to weather.

Donate a blanket to the fire department

The El Paso Fire Department is accepting blankets during the cold weather. Donations can be dropped off at any El Paso and Horizon fire stations.

If residents need blankets, dial 311 to receive assistance. No blankets will be handed out at the fire stations.

The EPFD is receiving blanket donations for the Extreme Weather Taskforce. Blanket donations are accepted at any El Paso and Horizon Fire Stations.

If you are in need of blankets, dial 3-1-1 to receive assistance. No blankets are handed out at the fire stations. pic.twitter.com/OZ1AEODYiJ
— El Paso Fire Department (@EPTXFire) February 2, 2022

El Paso Electric prepared for winter storm in Texas

El Paso Electric, which serves approximately 450,000 retail and wholesale customers in West Texas and southern New Mexico, said the utility is prepared for winter weather.

“We have reviewed and executed on our preparedness plan to minimize any impact to customers during the extreme weather expected in our region,” said President and CEO Kelly A. Tomblin.

“While unforeseen circumstances can occur that may be outside of our control, we are ready to respond safely and quickly to prevent power outages and restore power to customers in any event of a service disruption.”

Additional crews will be deployed in the coming days to respond to any problems.

Public relations specialist Javier Camacho said the Feb. 2011 freeze in El Paso spurred the utility to invest in winterization upgrades.

EP Electric has invested approximately $4.5 million on winterization upgrades at local power plants since 2011, which enable operations of the generation fleet at temperatures as low as -10 degree-Fahrenheit. Dual fuel capacity at the Montana Power Station allows operations to continue even if cold temperatures cut off the natural gas supply.

These measures proved effective in Feb. 2021, when El Paso was spared extended blackouts.

- Martha Pskowski

Las Cruces Public Schools go remote due to icy roads

LAS CRUCES - A winter weather forecast and a potential for icy road conditions in the Mesilla Valley has prompted Las Cruces Public Schools to shift all classes to remote learning for Thursday, Feb. 3. If conditions persist, a decision for Friday will be made as soon as possible.

District officials consulted with the National Weather Service in Santa Teresa and met with the Doña Ana County Office of Emergency Management for an update on Thursday morning’s expected snowfall and sustained freezing temperatures.

- Las Cruces Sun-News

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What to know about Texas winter storm, cold weather coming to El Paso

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