textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1036 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

- A second round of winter weather with colder temperatures is bringing scattered to widespread snow and winter travel impacts to northeast areas of the state through the afternoon. - Strong winds producing blowing snow will bring near "white-out" conditions to portions of northeastern New Mexico early Friday morning to late afternoon, potentially as far south as Interstate 40.

- Very cold and hazardous low temperatures in the teens and single- digits, along with wind chills near zero, are forecast for portions of western and northern NM this morning and again tonight.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Saturday) Issued at 129 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

A very cold core upper low has taken shape over northwestern NM, just east of Gallup early this morning. This low will trek eastward across NM through the morning before exiting northeastward into KS by the afternoon. Much colder air is spilling into the state, given the poleward origins of this low, and this is allowing snow to fall into many and most valley locations. The interior mountains of NM will certainly receive the highest snowfall accumulations through the day, but lower elevation valleys such as the San Juan and upper Rio Grande will receive some light amounts of a dusting to a couple inches, mainly through the mid to late morning. The secondary area of concern includes the Raton Pass and far northeast highlands, as the backdoor segment of the cold front sweeps in. The southeastern plains of CO are already racking up accumulation, and this will spill into northeast NM through mid to late morning as low layer frontogenesis spikes and the trowal (trough of warm air aloft) moves overhead. Synoptic and high resolution CAMs suggest banded mesoscale snow maxima near the CO-NM border, including portions of the US 65/87 and 56/412 corridors that will observe harsh conditions in locally heavy snow and blowing snow. Northerly winds of 20-25 mph with gusts of 35 to 40 mph will act as hazardous crosswinds on these travel corridors, and periods of "white-out" conditions are still anticipated across much of Colfax and Union counties, perhaps sagging into portions of Mora and northern Harding as well. The current batch of Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings seem to be on track for the most part. Some considerations for extensions in time will be made for central mountain and highland zones (Edgewood, Sedillo, Clines Corners), as upslope northeasterly flow in the late afternoon may regenerate showers there. High temperatures will run 5 to 15 degrees colder today with many zones struggling to get out of the 30's.

Snow will have dwindled and mostly ended by dusk with a few lingering central highland/mountain showers being the exception into the evening hours. The surface pressure gradient will slowly relax through the overnight with northerly winds subsiding and becoming light for the last few hours of darkness tonight, and skies will clear through this time. The effective radiational cooling will cause temperatures to plummet with most locations within northern and central NM falling into the single digits and teens. This cold start will stunt temperatures through the day Saturday with daytime highs remaining 5 to 10 degrees below normal while dry, mostly clear, and tranquil weather prevails. Another efficient radiational cooling event will keep overnight temperatures cold again Saturday night through dawn Sunday. By this time, a weak vort lobe would have been shed southwestward with a dry cut-off low taking shape near the Baja peninsula, posing no impact to NM weather.

LONG TERM

(Saturday night through Thursday) Issued at 129 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

The aforementioned cut-off low will continue to wander over the Baja Sunday into Monday before slowly nudging eastward into Mexico's mainland on Tuesday. This will keep light winds over NM while temperatures respond upward, reaching more seasonable values by Monday. While the cut-off low is finally trekking eastward, an anomalously strong (~588 decameters at 500 mb) upper high will be building over northern CA while a deepening longwave trough establishes itself over the eastern states. The high looks to slowly retrograde back to open Pacific waters while the eastern trough deepens with more cold polar air spilling southward into it by the middle to late part of next week. This will reintroduce stronger northwesterlies aloft to the Rockies and NM by Wednesday and more-so into Thursday and Friday. A couple of backdoor fronts would arrive (one on Wednesday and one early Friday) with their parent upper level perturbations not being productive precipitation-makers. However, the flow does have some indications of buckling more into next weekend (Sat, Jan 17), particularly among the GFS deterministic and GEFS members. These solutions would offer the potential for a more significant cold air and precipitation intrusion.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1036 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Winter condtions are slowly clearing west to east over the northern half of NM this hour. VFR has returned to western NM, with a mix of IFR/MVFR conditons interspersed along the Rio Grande Valley from KSKX to KSAF to KABQ from continuing snow showers, which is likely to continue through much of the afternoon before clearing early this evening. IFR conditions from snow are also continuing to impact areas along I-25 from KLVS to KRTN and over to KCAO. Some of this will try to expand further south to areas along I-40 to KTCC but will have a difficult time. VFR looks to return to these areas this evening and overnight. Some patchy dense fog is likely to develop over portions of central and western NM as well heading into Saturday morning, but confidence is too low to include in any TAF with this issuance.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 129 AM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

Wintry weather will continue today as an upper low crosses NM, and a much colder polar airmass settles into the state. Additional snow will favor the northern mountains and the northeastern highlands and plains where several inches will fall with lesser amounts in surrounding lower elevations and valleys. Stronger winds will accompany the wintry conditions, but are certainly not projected to cause any critical fire weather conditions due to the high humidity, precipitation, and colder temperatures. Snow will come to an end this afternoon and into the evening, and dry conditions will prevail Saturday onward. With a cut-off low and pseudo-rex block pattern in place through the first half of next week, light winds will remain in place aloft and at the surface. Prescribed burning interests will be faced with less efficient mixing and poor smoke ventilation and dispersion through the first half of next week. This will keep any concerns for critical fire weather at bay. There is potential for a few dry and modest backdoor cold fronts to arrive late next week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 41 13 36 13 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 39 4 39 8 / 40 10 0 0 Cuba............................ 33 7 34 11 / 50 10 0 0 Gallup.......................... 32 -3 36 -1 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 31 4 38 11 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 35 0 40 3 / 10 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 30 1 37 9 / 20 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 36 17 38 20 / 5 20 0 0 Datil........................... 31 9 37 15 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 38 0 45 7 / 20 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 45 6 50 8 / 10 0 0 0 Chama........................... 34 5 35 13 / 50 20 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 34 16 35 20 / 60 30 0 0 Pecos........................... 35 9 39 16 / 70 40 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 33 8 35 16 / 80 10 0 0 Red River....................... 24 3 29 12 / 80 20 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 28 -3 35 3 / 90 5 0 0 Taos............................ 36 2 37 7 / 80 20 0 0 Mora............................ 34 7 43 15 / 80 20 0 0 Espanola........................ 42 12 41 11 / 60 30 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 34 15 35 19 / 60 40 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 36 13 37 16 / 60 40 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 38 22 39 23 / 50 40 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 41 20 41 20 / 50 30 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 44 17 43 15 / 40 30 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 42 21 42 21 / 40 30 0 0 Belen........................... 44 14 43 10 / 30 30 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 42 20 42 20 / 50 30 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 44 14 43 10 / 40 30 0 0 Corrales........................ 42 19 43 19 / 40 30 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 44 16 43 12 / 40 30 0 0 Placitas........................ 36 21 38 22 / 50 40 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 41 21 42 21 / 40 30 0 0 Socorro......................... 48 19 45 18 / 10 20 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 34 15 35 19 / 60 40 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 17 35 19 / 60 40 0 0 Edgewood........................ 36 13 36 15 / 60 40 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 37 8 38 7 / 60 40 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 31 12 35 17 / 60 30 0 0 Mountainair..................... 36 13 38 15 / 50 30 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 37 14 38 16 / 40 20 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 42 19 44 20 / 30 20 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 36 15 40 20 / 20 20 0 0 Capulin......................... 28 2 35 13 / 90 0 0 0 Raton........................... 33 2 38 10 / 100 0 0 0 Springer........................ 34 2 36 8 / 90 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 34 9 42 15 / 60 20 0 0 Clayton......................... 32 12 40 19 / 90 0 0 0 Roy............................. 34 8 38 14 / 80 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 43 16 48 18 / 60 5 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 42 18 45 19 / 40 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 42 16 49 18 / 50 10 0 0 Clovis.......................... 47 18 47 22 / 20 0 0 0 Portales........................ 51 18 48 20 / 5 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 47 17 48 17 / 20 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 54 21 48 18 / 10 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 49 18 47 20 / 10 10 0 0 Elk............................. 49 13 47 17 / 5 5 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Storm Warning until 8 PM MST this evening for NMZ227-228- 230-231.

Cold Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 8 AM MST Saturday for NMZ205-207>209.

Cold Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST this morning for NMZ208.

Winter Weather Advisory until 8 PM MST this evening for NMZ212- 215-218-223-229.