Parts of El Paso are under a heat advisory Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to climb to 106 degrees and the warning in effect from noon until 9 p.m. The National Weather Service said the heat could cause heat-related injuries, and the city has opened cooling centers for residents trying to get through the hottest part of the day.
That is the reason Natassia Paloma’s byline is landing in readers’ search results now: the advisory is active on Wednesday, June 17, and the city is asking people to plan for a stretch of dangerous afternoon heat rather than a brief spike. The warning covers portions of West Texas, including Central El Paso County, where the difference between a hot day and a harmful one can come down to only a few degrees and a few hours outside.
The forecast is blunt. Highs are expected to run between 102 and 106 degrees on Wednesday, a level the weather service said could trigger heat-related illness. Infants, young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with medical conditions face the greatest risk. By Thursday, temperatures are expected to ease only a few degrees, and they are still projected to stay above normal through the weekend.
El Paso is also leaning on public cooling spaces to help people avoid the worst of the heat. Recreation centers and public libraries are serving as cooling centers, with recreation centers open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, while public libraries are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. The Main Library is open 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, when all recreation center locations are closed.
There is a catch in the forecast that makes Wednesday’s advisory more than a one-day alert. The heat peaks in the middle of the week, but it does not leave with the advisory. Temperatures are expected to stay above normal through the weekend, which means people who put off adjusting their plans until Thursday may still be dealing with weather that remains hazardous in the heat of the afternoon.
And the desert setup is not isolated to heat alone. Isolated thunderstorms are expected in Southern New Mexico in the afternoon Wednesday, with gusty winds and blowing dust possible, and rain chances rise on Thursday. Ruidoso has a 40% chance of showers Thursday and a 60% chance Friday, but for El Paso the more immediate issue is simple: the hottest hours of the day are already here, and the safest move is to treat them that way.
