textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 340 PM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

- Strong west/southwest winds this afternoon and northwest winds Friday will create hazardous crosswinds for high profile vehicles, especially over eastern New Mexico.

- Dry and windy conditions will increase the risk of rapid fire spread east of the central mountain chain today and Friday.

- A widespread hard freeze will impact much of northern and western New Mexico Friday night, including the Farmington and Santa Fe metro area. Freezing temperatures are also possible in valley locations of the Albuquerque metro area and northeast New Mexico. Folks should be prepared to protect plants, pets, and pipes from a damaging freeze event.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 145 PM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Drier air has moved across northern and central NM today in the wake of yesterday's system. It's a nice and mild early April day with temperatures around to 5 to 12 degrees above average. A ~ 995 mb surface lee low currently developing over eastern CO along with deep daytime mixing tapping into 500 to 700 mb winds of 35 to 45 kts is resulting in breezy to gusty west-southwest winds for most areas this afternoon. The strongest winds this afternoon will be across northeast and east central NM with peak gusts of 35 to 45 mph. These winds combined with minimum relative humidity values around 10 to 15 percent and little beneficial rainfall from yesterday's system will result in the potential for rapid fire spread across these parts of the state. Winds across lower elevations taper off a little overnight Thursday into Friday but remain gusty across the mountain ranges and nearby highlands as an upper low over Montana and Idaho slides east over Wyoming.

A Pacific front along the leading edge of the system enters northwest NM early Friday morning eventually moving southeast into central NM around daybreak and through eastern during the afternoon hours. Much drier air with dewpoints in the single digits to around zero will be observed behind this front. The backdoor front portion of the system will sneak into Union County around midday. The fronts will help cool temperatures around 5 to 10 degrees for most areas. Similar temperatures to Thursday across the southeast plains due to the Pacific front arriving late in the day. Despite the slightly cooler temperatures, the aforementioned much drier air and gusty west-northwest winds will result in the potential for another day of rapid fire spread across the I-40 corridor along and east of the central mountain chain.

The backdoor front across far northeast NM moves through the rest of eastern NM Friday evening and night. Lighter winds, very dry air, and CAA behind the fronts will allow for temperatures to cool efficiently overnight with a hard freeze expected for valley locations across north central and western NM. Due to vegetation already blooming and growing after a record warm March by a large margin, opted to issue a Freeze Watch for the San Juan River Valley, Espanola Valley, Santa Fe Metro, and Estancia Valley. A few more zones like the Upper RGV, and Northeast Highlands, including Las Vegas, could be added to this Freeze Watch/Warning in subsequent shifts. Valley locations in the ABQ Metro (i.e. Los Lunas and Belen) could also briefly dip down to freezing around sunrise Saturday. One factor that could prevent temperatures from dropping as much as expected Friday night into early Saturday morning will be some high clouds moving in.

LONG TERM

(Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 145 PM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Near average temperatures this weekend into early next week as a negatively tilted upper level ridge over the Pacific coast gradually slides east. Mid range guidance does indicate surface east and southeast flow bringing higher moisture across southern areas Sunday resulting in the potential for some high based showers and isolated dry storms. A weak disturbance embedded in the ridge moves across the Desert Southwest Monday into Tuesday. This weak disturbance combined with elevated moisture in place will result in the potential for isolated to scattered showers and storms across most of northern and central NM. Main hazards will be gusty and erratic wind gusts of up to 50 mph along with dry lightning, which could lead to future fire starts. Showers and storms across the area Tuesday could provide more wetting rainfall. Drier and warmer conditions potentially for Wednesday with weak ridging to zonal flow overhead. However, a few gusty showers/ dry storms cannot be ruled out across the central high terrain and nearby lower elevations.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 340 PM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Gusty westerly winds will persist into the evening hours as VFR cigs in the form of high clouds develop and spread east across the area. Clearing is forecast early Friday as stronger west-northwest winds develop behind a cold front. Gusts to between 25-35kts will be common across northern NM on Friday, but are forecast to remain below Airport Weather Warning criteria at KABQ.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 145 PM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Gusty southwest winds, combined with minimum relative humidity values around 10 percent and ERCs around the 90th percentile will allow the potential for rapid fire spread for areas along and east of the central mountain chain this afternoon. Slightly cooler on Friday as a Pacific front moves through the state. Much drier air combined with gusty west-northwest winds will result in the potential for a 2nd consecutive day of rapid fire spread along the I- 40 corridor of east central New Mexico from Clines Corners to the Texas border. Generally light to locally breezy winds along with higher minimum relative humidity values will help limit critical fire weather conditions this weekend into Monday. However, lightning from dry storms across the southern high terrain Sunday afternoon and western and central New Mexico Monday afternoon could result in future fire starts. Showers and storms across the area on Tuesday could provide more wetting rainfall. Drier and warmer conditions could return Wednesday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 35 56 24 65 / 5 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 24 54 18 64 / 5 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 31 51 24 62 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 24 57 14 66 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 31 57 22 64 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 29 58 18 66 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 33 61 23 68 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 41 69 32 65 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 36 64 27 63 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 31 70 26 73 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 37 74 37 78 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 26 49 19 58 / 5 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 39 59 28 60 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 36 58 28 61 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 34 55 21 59 / 5 0 0 0 Red River....................... 29 44 18 49 / 5 5 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 24 52 16 56 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 30 59 18 63 / 5 0 0 0 Mora............................ 36 58 26 60 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 36 63 24 68 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 39 59 29 62 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 38 61 26 64 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 45 63 36 68 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 42 66 35 70 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 41 69 34 72 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 44 64 34 70 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 41 72 30 72 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 44 64 31 71 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 39 70 30 72 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 42 65 33 72 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 41 71 30 71 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 44 61 33 66 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 43 64 32 70 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 46 77 38 74 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 41 58 31 63 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 41 60 32 64 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 39 60 27 64 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 36 63 21 66 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 39 60 27 60 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 40 64 29 65 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 41 65 32 65 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 45 71 41 68 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 46 67 36 60 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 35 62 23 58 / 0 5 10 0 Raton........................... 34 63 23 63 / 0 5 5 0 Springer........................ 36 67 22 64 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 38 63 25 60 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 45 67 32 64 / 0 5 10 0 Roy............................. 40 69 29 62 / 0 5 0 0 Conchas......................... 48 78 35 70 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 46 73 34 65 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 49 80 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 49 80 42 70 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 49 81 41 70 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 46 79 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 50 86 45 72 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 46 80 40 66 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 46 78 37 65 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Freeze Watch from late Friday night through Saturday morning for NMZ201-217-218-222.

Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ104-123-125- 126.

Red Flag Warning from noon to 8 PM MDT Friday for NMZ125-126.