textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1242 AM MST Sat Jan 10 2026

- Very cold air will cause hazardous low temperatures in the teens and single-digits along with wind chills near zero for portions of western and northern NM Saturday morning.

- Patchy areas of low visibility from freezing fog could result in hazardous driving conditions across northern and western valley locations Saturday morning.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Sunday) Issued at 1242 AM MST Sat Jan 10 2026

Snow showers over Los Alamos through Santa Fe are in the process of coming to an end. A cold and dry airmass continues to move into New Mexico with surface high pressure centered over the Great Basin. Looking at the upper levels...an upper level trough axis is finally exiting the state with just enough positive vorticity advection to support the noted snow showers. The combination of the trough axis moving out and drier air moving into the region will end the snow showers.

Cold weather advisories are in place for the Gila Forest and Continental Divide areas of western New Mexico. Valley areas in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Tusas mountains will approach cold weather advisory criteria but just not quite there. Saturday morning should be the coldest morning of the next couple of days with Sunday morning still on the cold side but not quite as cold as Saturday.

The other hazard of concern is the potential for freezing fog in these same valleys. Freezing fog will be quite isolated the problem being the dry air. Dewpoints in a lot of areas are in the teens to single digits. Continued drying near the surface will limit fog development even with the recent precipitation.

LONG TERM

(Sunday night through Friday) Issued at 1242 AM MST Sat Jan 10 2026

The aforementioned trough axis does shift east through Sunday but as it does so vorticity shears out with the formation of a weak closed low that becomes established over the Baja Peninsula. This low then pushes across Mexico and Texas to the south on Monday through Tuesday next week. There might be some light precipitation with this system for the southern portions of the state but that would be about it.

Once this system moves east, a much more amplified pattern results with strong ridging over northern California and a deep trough over the Mississippi River Valley. Northerly flow aloft becomes well established over the Rockies Wednesday through Friday. The pattern remains rather amplified due to a series of shortwave troughs that move through the mean flow. The pattern resembles that of a McFarland pattern that supports cold air outbreaks through the Plains down through Texas. As a result, a weak front pushes into E NM on Wednesday with a much stronger front for Friday into Saturday which drops temperatures more across the state. Unfortunately the airmass remain rather dry so precipitation chances stay low for much of the week despite periods where lift is increases over the region.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1020 PM MST Fri Jan 9 2026

An area of low VFR to borderline MVFR clouds across KLAM, KSAF, KLVS, K0E0, and KCQC will shrink in area and burn off at around 09Z. Some localized and patchy dense freezing fog is likely to develop over portions of central and western NM (near KFMN, KGUP, KLAM, and K0E0) heading into Saturday morning. Clear skies and light winds across the airspace Saturday into Saturday night.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1242 AM MST Sat Jan 10 2026

No areas of elevated or critical fire weather conditions are expected through the next seven days.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 36 17 43 20 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 40 9 49 13 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 35 11 42 16 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 35 5 42 5 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 37 12 42 16 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 40 8 45 6 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 37 9 42 12 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 38 21 43 22 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 37 16 42 18 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 45 11 50 12 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 50 13 55 15 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 36 13 43 17 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 35 20 41 24 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 39 16 44 20 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 34 16 42 20 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 29 12 36 16 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 34 -15 41 -11 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 37 3 44 8 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 42 14 48 20 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 41 11 47 16 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 35 18 42 23 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 37 16 44 20 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 39 24 46 28 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 41 20 47 23 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 44 18 50 20 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 42 22 47 24 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 42 14 47 14 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 42 21 49 23 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 42 14 48 15 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 42 20 49 22 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 42 16 47 17 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 37 23 44 26 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 42 21 48 23 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 45 21 50 20 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 35 20 42 23 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 20 43 24 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 36 16 44 19 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 39 11 47 7 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 35 17 43 20 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 37 15 45 17 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 39 16 47 19 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 44 21 50 23 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 40 21 45 23 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 35 13 42 18 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 37 11 44 15 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 36 8 44 13 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 42 16 48 20 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 40 19 48 24 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 39 15 48 18 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 47 18 55 19 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 45 20 52 20 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 49 19 57 21 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 47 22 56 23 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 48 20 56 20 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 47 18 53 17 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 48 19 54 20 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 47 21 52 22 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 47 17 51 18 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Cold Weather Advisory until 8 AM MST this morning for NMZ205- 207>209.