Lindsey Anderson

El Paso Times

Rain is on the horizon for El Paso as Hurricane Newton heads to the Borderland this week.

The hurricane is expected to drop one to three inches of rain on West Texas and Southwest New Mexico as it travels up the Gulf of California and into Arizona.

"It appears we’re reversing this dry trend that we’ve seen the last few days," said meteorologist Tom Bird of the National Weather Service station in Santa Teresa.

A flash-flood watch is in effect for Hudspeth County and Otero County in New Mexico for Tuesday and Wednesday, although no watch is currently in effect for the El Paso area, Bird said.

If enough rain falls here, however, rivers could flood, he said.

"It’s a very dynamic and fluid environment," Bird said. "There’s a lot of uncertainty, so we’re not confident in how much rain, when and where, because the storm track is likely to shift from where it is now."

He encouraged residents to keep a close eye on weather updates throughout the week.

The region is expected to dry out Thursday through Saturday, but isolated storms are likely to return on Sunday, Bird said.

El Paso has so far received 5.9 inches of precipitation this year, short of the annual average of 6.53 inches by this time, Bird said.

This week's forecast

Tuesday: Isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms with a high near 84 and a low around 67.

Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms with a high near 84 and a low near 70.

Thursday: Chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms. High around 85, low near 70.

Friday: Isolated showers possible but mostly sunny. High near 88, low near 70.

Weekend: Greater likelihood of showers returns this weekend, with highs in the mid-80s and lows in the 60s.

Source: National Weather Service

Lindsey Anderson may be reached at 546-6345; landerson@elpasotimes.com; @l_m_anderson on Twitter.