If you’re dreaming of bundling up and building a snowman on Christmas, you’d better think again — we’re called the Sun City after all.
El Paso has the potential to break records on the days leading up to the holiday, with temperature highs forecasted in the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s what to expect if you plan on heading Downtown for ice skating at Winterfest or taking the family to Eastridge for a look at the neighborhood’s stunning displays.
Near record warmth on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Christmas Eve, which lands on Wednesday, Dec. 24, is expected to reach a temperature high of 73 degrees, just a few degrees shy of its 76-degree record, according to the National Weather Service.
For Christmas Day, you can ditch the puffer jacket and opt for a sweater or even a T-shirt — the holiday is forecasted to be a warm 72 degrees. That’s only one degree below the Dec. 25 record of 73 degrees.
A cooldown is expected after the holiday, according to the National Weather Service.
Past Christmas weather
El Pasoans have experienced a wide range of Christmas weather in just the last decade. Temperatures have ranged from a chilly 22 degrees to a toasty 73 degrees on the holiday in just the past 10 years, according to the National Weather Service.
According to the entire period of record, the warmest Christmas on record was 75 degrees in 1933 and the coldest low temperature was 10 degrees in 1953. More recently, Christmas 2021 reached a high temperature of 73 degrees and Christmas 2022 had a low temperature of 22 degrees.
What needs to happen for El Paso to see a White Christmas?
Pacific low-pressure systems are the most common sources of rain during Christmas, creating mountain snow. Conditions have to be perfect for lowland snow (snow in the city), according to the National Weather Service. Snow occurs when a backdoor cold front undercuts a storm system.
In 2025, the odds of El Paso experiencing a White Christmas were unlikely, since we’re under La Niña conditions that favor warmer, drier weather.
Here’s a look at when El Paso has seen snow on Christmas, courtesy of the National Weather Service.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Warm Christmas: El Paso will near record highs on the holiday
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
