Residents in the El Paso, Texas, area were told to get ready for a possible haboob this weekend. The National Weather Service in El Paso said the dust-storm risk could affect people in southwest New Mexico and El Paso on Friday and Saturday afternoon.
The forecast ties the risk to high pressure over the southwest, moisture at the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere, and dry, hot surface conditions. Those ingredients make strong wind gusts and blowing dust more likely, which can cut visibility fast across open stretches of road.
A haboob is a dust storm that usually forms when cold air from a thunderstorm rushes down and strong winds at the surface lift dust into the air. That setup is why the forecast points to a brief but disruptive window rather than all-day dust.
Friday and Saturday afternoon
People in southwest New Mexico and El Paso could see periods of reduced visibility on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The weather service’s warning focuses on that time because the dust threat is tied to storms and to the surface winds those storms can produce.
The forecast also carries a built-in shift. By Sunday, the center of the dome is expected to drift over the northern plains, and the possibility for a haboob is expected to be replaced by an increased likelihood of thunderstorms.
Sunday and Tuesday
Cooler temperatures and cloudiness are expected to take over into Tuesday. After Tuesday, the area of high pressure is expected to expand and bring drier air back into the region.
For anyone in El Paso or southwest New Mexico, that means the main planning issue is the short dust window on Friday and Saturday afternoon, not a lasting stretch of the same conditions. The forecast changes again by Sunday, when thunderstorms become more likely and the dust risk eases.
