textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 147 AM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

- Critical fire weather conditions and a risk of rapid fire spread will plague southern, central, and eastern areas today, then again Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Extremely critical fire weather conditions are possible on Sunday across eastern NM.

- Strong southwest and west winds will also produce difficult crosswinds for high profile vehicles on north-south roads today, Saturday, especially Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. - There is a moderate chance (50%) of damaging wind gusts in the mountains and across parts of central and eastern New Mexico on Sunday and Sunday night.

- On Sunday, showers and thunderstorms from the northern mountains westward, and over west central areas, will be capable of producing erratic wind gusts with hazardous crosswinds and blowing dust, as well as cloud-to-ground lightning.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Friday) Issued at 147 AM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

A speed maximum in the polar jetstream will finish passing eastward over the forecast area today with an uptick in wind speeds central and east, and weaker winds compared to Wednesday along the AZ border. Peak gusts will reach up to 55 mph around Clines Corners, and from 40-50 mph elsewhere east of the continental divide. With this forecast package, we will add Guadalupe County to the Wind Advisory for today, since the jet core will cross directly overhead. The day shift may need to expand the Wind Advisory to Conchas Lake and Tucumcari, too. The wind direction will also shift out of the northwest today with a Pacific cold front. High temperatures will fall a few to 11 degrees this afternoon from Wednesday's readings.

After a cold start on Friday with freezing temperatures in locations used to having them this time of year, high temperatures will begin to trend warmer in the afternoon. In between weather systems winds will weaken considerably on Friday compared to today's speeds, but with zonal flow aloft seasonably gusty southwest winds will still develop.

LONG TERM

(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 147 AM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

Winds will strengthen on Saturday and Saturday night, then become very strong Sunday into Sunday night, as another upper level trough crossing the central Rockies steers a stronger jet core over NM. After southwest wind gusts up to 45 mph on Saturday and Saturday night in the mountains and along and east of the central mountain chain, west and northwest wind gusts across the forecast area Sunday and Sunday night should commonly reach 45 to 55 mph; except up to 65 mph in some locations along and east of the central mountain chain. At this time the strongest winds look to favor the south central mountains and east central areas, where the strongest flow aloft will cross.

The upper trough will also produce isolated to scattered and gusty showers, thunderstorms, and high terrain snow showers, Saturday night through Sunday evening over north central, northwest, and west central parts of the forecast area. Rain and liquid equivalent amounts could reach around 0.40" in the Tusas Mountains near the CO border, and generally up to 0.15" elsewhere with most lower elevation locations receiving a few hundredths of an inch. A few inches of snow accumulation will be possible in the Tusas Mountains near and above 10,000'. Meanwhile, southern, central and eastern parts of the forecast area can expect areas of blowing dust and very low humidities with critical fire weather conditions east of the continental divide.

High temperatures will begin to trend cooler over western areas on Saturday, then over more of the forecast area on Sunday as winds shift out of the northwest. High temperatures should bottom out most places on Sunday from 9 degrees below 1991-2020 averages over western areas to as much as 11 degrees above the averages in the east.

The storm track over the western US will remain active during the first half of the coming work week with daily rounds of breezy to windy conditions. Humidities will be low enough for fire weather concerns Monday and Tuesday, but humidities will increase on Wednesday and there will be a chance for showers and thunderstorms almost areawide as an upper level trough crosses the Desert Southwest from off the Baja Peninsula coast.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1147 PM MDT Wed Apr 22 2026

The flow aloft will strengthen tonight, peak in strength early Thursday morning, then gradually weaken from midday through afternoon. This will continue to produce low level wind shear for the remainder of tonight into early Thursday morning over and just east of mountain ranges, and also across east central parts of the state including Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Moriarty, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari, Clovis, Ruidoso, and Grants. In addition, surface winds will continue tonight over and just east of mountain ranges, and across east central areas. Gusty winds will become widespread across the forecast area early to mid Thursday morning, then become strong from late morning through the afternoon with the strongest gusts reaching 45 KT over the central mountain chain and also across east central areas. Wind speeds will trend weaker Thursday evening.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 147 AM MDT Thu Apr 23 2026

An active storm track over the western US will cause a fire growing pattern to continue today through Tuesday with daily rounds of breezy to windy conditions and critically low humidities. Friday looks like the day with the weakest winds and fewest fire weather concerns, since only locally critical fire weather conditions are forecast over east central and northeast areas. The strongest winds are expected Sunday when it looks increasingly likely that gusts will reach up to 65 mph over east central locations. There will probably be some lightning from the northern mountains westward, and over the west central mountains, mainly on Sunday. Winds west of the central mountain chain probably won't be too strong on Monday, but gusts will probably reach 35 to 45 mph there again on Tuesday afternoon.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 65 34 71 42 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 62 24 67 33 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 62 31 67 38 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 65 28 68 35 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 62 31 66 37 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 67 29 71 36 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 66 33 69 39 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 71 41 72 45 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 66 35 68 40 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 73 32 75 37 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 76 37 79 40 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 56 24 60 32 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 63 38 66 45 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 64 33 67 39 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 60 29 63 36 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 53 25 57 28 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 56 16 60 24 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 64 25 68 32 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 63 31 67 38 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 71 32 74 38 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 66 36 69 41 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 70 33 73 39 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 72 42 75 47 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 74 43 77 48 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 77 36 79 41 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 74 42 77 49 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 77 39 80 45 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 74 39 77 46 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 76 35 79 42 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 76 40 78 47 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 76 38 79 44 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 70 39 73 45 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 74 41 77 49 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 82 45 83 49 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 66 38 69 45 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 68 38 71 45 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 69 35 71 43 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 71 29 73 37 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 66 35 68 41 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 71 36 71 43 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 71 39 71 44 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 76 46 75 51 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 68 41 68 46 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 66 29 66 34 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 68 29 71 34 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 71 31 73 35 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 67 33 69 40 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 77 39 74 44 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 73 36 72 41 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 80 39 81 45 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 75 39 77 46 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 82 41 83 48 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 84 45 82 49 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 85 45 83 49 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 81 41 83 48 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 88 50 86 52 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 80 46 81 49 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 79 44 78 47 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning from 9 AM this morning to 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ104-106-109-121>126.

Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ221-223-229-233.