textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1126 AM MST Wed Feb 25 2026

- Gusty northwest winds up to 55 mph across east central areas will continue to create hazardous crosswinds until sunset this evening.

- There will also be a risk of rapid fire spread due to critical fire weather conditions in Chaves County until sunset this evening.

- Record high temperatures are forecast in many locations this weekend as lower elevation temperatures climb into the 70s and mid 80s.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 1126 AM MST Wed Feb 25 2026

The flow aloft will trend weaker this afternoon, so surface wind speeds will weaken with sunset this evening. Gusty northwest winds will return on Thursday, but with 700 mb speeds only from 25-40 KT surface winds will be weaker than those observed today. A cold front that sags southward into the state tonight will cool high temperatures on Thursday a few to 8 degrees from today's readings across northern, central, and eastern areas.

LONG TERM

(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 1126 AM MST Wed Feb 25 2026

A ridge of high pressure aloft will track eastward over the Desert Southwest this weekend with record and near record high temperatures around 11 to 22 degrees above 1991-2020 averages. A high temperature of 79 degrees is forecast in Albuquerque on Sunday. There is now a nearly 10 percent chance that Albuquerque will reach 80 degrees on Sunday, which would shatter the old record for the first 80+ degree day of the season by more than a week if the Sunport actually hits 80 degrees.

Early in the coming week, long range models are in fairly good agreement on an upper level low pressure system dropping into the western US and strengthening southwest flow aloft over NM, while unseasonably warm temperatures continue. Surface winds will probably become breezy to perhaps windy Sunday with increasing fire weather concerns mainly east of the central mountain chain. The storm system is forecast to draw a backdoor cold front into eastern NM Sunday night, increasing humidities and weakening winds there on Monday. Ensembles vary on how progressive the upper low will be as it crosses the forecast area with rain and mountain snow showers Monday night through Tuesday night or Wednesday. The majority of GEFS members and a minority of ENS members are slower with the system and drop the upper low further south over AZ than the largest proportion of ENS members. The majority of GEPS members and a fifth of the ENS members favor an even more northerly track than the bulk of the ENS members. The track and dwell time of the system will make a big difference on where and how much precip our forecast area accumulates. At this time the northern mountains and locations along and east of the central mountain chain look favored for up to 0.10" of rain and a few to several inches of mountain snow. Instability looks sufficient for some thunderstorms with this storm system, and there could be a strong east canyon wind in the central valley Tuesday night if the upper low drops far enough south.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1102 AM MST Wed Feb 25 2026

West and northwest winds will be strong for the remainder of today with the strongest speeds reaching 45 KT from Clines Corners to Fort Sumner. Surface wind speeds will weaken with sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1126 AM MST Wed Feb 25 2026

Locally critical fire weather conditions over the southern east central plains will diminish with sunset this evening as surface wind speeds weaken. Breezy to windy conditions will redevelop Thursday along and northwest of the central mountain chain. Humidities will also be low enough on Thursday for locally critical fire weather conditions across the Northeast Highlands. Wind speeds will then weaken Friday and Saturday as the ridge of high pressure crosses. Speeds will pick up again Sunday, and potentially into Monday at least in the west depending on how long Sunday night's backdoor cold front lingers on the eastern plains. We will need to monitor eastern areas early next week for the potential redevelopment of critical fire weather conditions.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 35 65 33 66 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 24 63 22 63 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 34 63 32 65 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 31 68 27 71 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 36 66 35 68 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 32 69 28 71 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 36 67 34 70 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 43 71 40 73 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 39 66 36 70 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 36 76 35 78 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 39 81 39 83 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 27 55 24 56 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 39 63 37 64 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 39 65 35 67 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 34 60 31 61 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 30 50 26 53 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 25 57 20 59 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 31 63 25 65 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 36 63 32 67 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 36 71 32 73 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 41 66 38 67 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 38 69 35 70 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 47 71 44 73 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 43 73 40 75 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 41 76 38 77 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 43 73 40 75 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 38 76 36 77 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 41 74 39 75 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 37 76 35 77 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 42 74 39 76 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 39 76 37 77 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 44 69 40 70 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 41 73 39 75 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 46 80 42 80 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 41 65 40 67 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 42 66 40 67 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 41 68 37 69 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 38 69 32 71 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 37 64 34 66 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 41 69 38 70 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 40 69 38 71 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 45 74 43 75 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 47 67 43 70 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 31 64 28 66 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 30 67 26 70 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 31 70 26 73 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 36 67 32 70 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 37 69 35 72 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 36 68 32 71 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 39 77 35 78 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 41 75 38 77 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 40 76 35 77 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 44 76 39 78 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 43 78 38 80 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 41 79 38 80 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 49 81 44 83 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 47 79 44 81 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 47 79 41 81 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory until 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ214-223-233-237.