EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The National Weather Service (NWS) said Saturday, Jan. 4 will be “one final really warm day” before temperatures begin a potentially drastic drop in the El Paso region. “Late Tuesday into Wednesday, we're expecting some Arctic air to arrive into the El Paso area. We're expecting lows well into the 20s (degrees), Wednesday through Friday, and highs that may struggle to get above 40 (degrees). There's a small chance that we may struggle to get above freezing during this time as well. So, we're pretty confident about cold air arriving. The other aspect is the possibility for some light snow. Right now, it looks like chances are still about 20 to 30%, and it doesn't look like a whole lot, but we could see some snow come Wednesday into Thursday,” said Anthony Brown, a lead meteorologist with the NWS Service Office in El Paso.  Brown said these drops in temperature will come on the heels of El Paso experiencing one of its warmest Decembers ever. “We're going from about 15 to 20 degrees above where we should be this time of year, to maybe as low as 15 or 20 degrees below where we should be this time of year. So that's going to be a stark contrast in going from highs in the 70s to highs in the 40s, or maybe even the 30s,” Brown said.  Brown said El Paso has seen “cold snaps” like these in the past - most recently in 2021 when it also snowed - and advises El Pasoans to prepare in advance.  “The main thing to do to get prepared is make sure your sprinkler systems are turned off and drained, and that your hoses are removed from the house. Continue to monitor the forecast so that if you need to alter plans for icy roads, you can do that. Again, the snow part's not certain, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on forecasts, making sure you don't need to change plans," Brown said.  Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) maintenance crews initiated brine operation on Interstate 10 (I-10) in Van Horn and Sierra Blanca on Friday, and will extend into El Paso, Pine Springs, Marfa, and Alpine starting on Monday, TxDOT El Paso’s public information officer, Lauren Macias-Cervantes said. Macias-Cervantes said if El Paso does experience icy roads and extreme weather, they advise that people not drive unless they absolutely have to, and to prepare themselves and their vehicles ahead of time.  “So, while most people are probably not thinking about that winter weather with the warm temperatures that we're getting right now, they probably want to take a look at that vehicle and prepare it this weekend. Check tires, wipers. Make sure that all the maintenance is taken care of on their vehicles so that they can make those trips next week," Macias-Cervantes said.  Macias-Cervantes said that they are also prepared to activate their Emergency Operations Center should temperatures drop to dangerous levels.  But it's also very important to remind drivers that if they would like to get email alerts on closures, whether it be for a crash, weather, or anything else, they can sign up for those at drivetexas.org and they'll get those closure alerts straight to their inbox.  To monitor road conditions next week, people can visit https://drivetexas.org/.