textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1115 AM MST Thu Jan 1 2026 - Periods of wet roads are expected along and west of the central mountain chain today through Friday, except for slick and snow covered roads on passes in the northern mountains reaching over 9,000 feet. - West and northwest wind gusts 30 to 40 mph today, and up to 60 mph Friday, will produce hazardous crosswinds on north-to-south and southwest-to-northeast oriented roads across the central highlands into the eastern high plains.

- Well above average temperatures will persist through at least Monday, especially across the eastern plains.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 1115 AM MST Thu Jan 1 2026

The 18Z KABQ upper air sounding showed a PWAT of 0.70", which smashed the daily record of 0.54". However, forcing is weak at best with the upper level ridge flattening and a weak shortwave trough approaching from over AZ/UT. The result is areas of only light precipitation that has measured as a few hundredths of an inch of rain across central NM and between 0.10-0.20" across far western NM. Snow levels are high, around 9kft and very little to no snow has been noted at area SNOTELs. However, the peaks of the northern mountains are forecast to pick up several inches of new snow through Friday, but not over a large enough area to warrant an advisory. An upper level low/trough over CA is forecast to move toward the Four Corners overnight and then across northern NM on Friday, steering stronger winds aloft over the area and resulting in windy conditions along/east of the central mountain chain. This is especially true on Friday across the Central Highlands, with 700mb wind speeds forecast to reach up between 50-60kts. The upper level trough will bring a Pacific front, so there will be a gradient component to the winds on Friday as well. Went ahead and issued a High Wind Warning for the Central Highlands and Guadalupe County (mainly for far western portions) for Friday with the 12Z GFS MOS peaking at 34kts sustained and the NAM MOS as 37kts. Otherwise, temperatures on Friday will be above average, especially across the eastern plains thanks to westerly downslope winds.

LONG TERM

(Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 1115 AM MST Thu Jan 1 2026

An upper level ridge will move east across the area this weekend, with fair weather conditions and warming that will send temperatures soaring to well above average areawide by Sunday. Increasing southwest flow aloft and lee side troughing will be the setup for early to mid week in advance of a Pacific low/trough, forecast to move through the region at some point from mid to late week. However, there is notable model spread with this feature, so low forecast confidence with regard to precipitation around mid week at time. The model consensus is for the Pacific low to fill and lift northeast across the region late week as a more significant trough dives southeast from the Pacific NW and upper CA coast into the Great Basin and Desert SW, bringing potential for impacts to NM by the end of next week.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1115 AM MST Thu Jan 1 2026

Pacific moisture over the region is resulting in multiple cloud layers with a mixed bag of MVFR to VFR conditions. Areas of light rain have been associated with IFR conditions across western NM and that will continue to be the case through the evening hours. Some deterioration is forecast overnight across western NM, but may not result in a change of flight rules category. Strong westerly winds moving over the state tonight into early Friday will result in areas of low level wind shear along/east of the central mountain chain and is forecast to impact KROW. Areas of mountain obscurations will become more widespread across north central and western NM overnight.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1115 AM MST Thu Jan 1 2026

Critical fire weather conditions are not forecast through at least the next seven days. Pacific moisture over the area is providing high humidity and areas of light precipitation, but with a smaller footprint of wetting precipitation. Winds will exceed critical threshold Friday across much of central and east central NM, but humidity will be too high for critical conditions. A warming and drying trend will begin Friday and ramp up through the weekend under the influence of a transient upper level ridge, with vent rates trending down and becoming mostly poor by Saturday. Southwest flow aloft will increase late in the weekend and into early next week, with lee side troughing bringing breezy to locally windy conditions to northeast and east central NM. Pacific moisture will ramp back up going into the middle of next week, with chances for wetting precipitation coming back to the forecast as a Pacific trough approaches from near SoCal.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 34 51 28 51 / 60 60 0 0 Dulce........................... 29 47 21 54 / 70 90 0 0 Cuba............................ 33 48 23 54 / 50 70 0 0 Gallup.......................... 33 51 19 56 / 50 40 0 0 El Morro........................ 37 48 26 57 / 50 40 0 0 Grants.......................... 32 53 20 59 / 30 30 0 0 Quemado......................... 32 51 24 62 / 10 10 0 0 Magdalena....................... 36 55 31 57 / 10 0 0 0 Datil........................... 34 51 28 58 / 20 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 29 62 23 66 / 10 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 32 63 25 68 / 20 5 0 0 Chama........................... 29 41 21 50 / 50 80 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 36 47 30 51 / 40 60 0 0 Pecos........................... 34 51 28 58 / 10 30 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 33 46 26 52 / 10 50 0 0 Red River....................... 29 38 22 46 / 10 40 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 26 44 16 52 / 10 50 0 0 Taos............................ 29 49 21 54 / 20 50 0 0 Mora............................ 34 50 26 59 / 10 40 0 0 Espanola........................ 32 55 24 58 / 30 60 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 37 50 31 54 / 20 50 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 33 53 27 54 / 20 40 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 40 57 35 56 / 10 20 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 36 59 31 57 / 10 20 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 34 62 29 59 / 10 10 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 37 59 31 57 / 10 20 0 0 Belen........................... 32 62 26 57 / 10 10 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 37 59 30 59 / 20 30 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 30 62 26 58 / 10 10 0 0 Corrales........................ 36 61 30 59 / 20 20 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 32 62 27 57 / 10 10 0 0 Placitas........................ 40 54 32 54 / 20 30 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 37 59 31 57 / 20 20 0 0 Socorro......................... 37 66 32 61 / 10 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 37 51 30 53 / 20 30 0 0 Tijeras......................... 37 53 31 54 / 10 20 0 0 Edgewood........................ 37 54 28 56 / 5 20 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 34 55 24 59 / 5 20 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 35 51 27 55 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 37 56 28 58 / 5 5 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 36 57 28 59 / 5 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 37 59 31 63 / 20 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 39 54 33 60 / 10 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 29 57 26 56 / 0 10 5 0 Raton........................... 29 59 24 57 / 0 10 0 0 Springer........................ 30 60 23 60 / 0 10 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 34 55 27 59 / 0 5 0 0 Clayton......................... 37 66 33 61 / 0 10 10 0 Roy............................. 35 62 28 58 / 0 5 0 0 Conchas......................... 37 69 29 64 / 0 5 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 42 62 31 63 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 40 70 30 66 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 43 68 35 66 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 43 69 32 67 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 43 67 32 65 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 41 71 36 67 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 40 66 36 67 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 35 65 32 67 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Warning from 8 AM to 5 PM MST Friday for NMZ223-233.