textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1138 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

- Strong west/southwest winds today 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 Santa Fe metro area. Freezing temperatures are also possible in parts of the Albuquerque metro area and eastern New Mexico. Folks should be prepared to protect plants, pets, and pipes from a damaging freeze event.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Friday Night) Issued at 114 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Fast zonal flow aloft in the wake of a moist storm system from Wednesday will spread dry west/southwest winds across much of northern NM today. Water vapor imagery is capturing mt waves to the lee of the central mt chain with surface wind gusts near 45 mph reported along the Sangre de Cristo Mts. 700-500mb layer winds of 30-40KT will continue to focus north of I-40 and translate to west/southwest gusts of 30-40 mph today. Low humidity and above normal temps once again will elevate the risk of rapid fire spread over northeast and east-central NM (Red Flag Warning in effect).

Flow aloft will strengthen further tonight as a 543dm H5 low moves east thru the northern Rockies. A strong Pacific cold front will surge southeast into western NM after midnight with strong cold air advection and blustery northwest winds thru sunrise Friday. The cold front will move thru the ABQ and Santa Fe metro areas around sunrise then across southern and southeast NM by sunset Friday. Temps will trend much cooler for the northwest half of NM in the wake of this front. The backdoor portion of the cold front has trended slower and weaker with a delay of the stronger northeast winds over eastern NM until Friday night. It will be exceptionally dry in the wake of the Pacific cold front Friday so the combination of low humidity and blustery winds will continue the risk of rapid fire spread over parts of central and eastern NM.

Friday night will be cold as strong surface high pressure, light winds, and clear skies lead to efficient radiational cooling. Min temps will fall into the teens and lower 20s across northern and western NM with freezing temps possible in parts of the ABQ metro and eastern NM. Freeze Watches may be prudent in some areas given the stretch of historic warmth from March.

LONG TERM

(Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 114 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

A negatively-tilted 576dm H5 ridge will build west of NM Saturday and Sunday with surface winds veering back around to the south then southwest. Tranquil weather is expected Saturday with light winds and warmer temps. A weak shortwave trough approaching from northern Sonora Sunday will undercut the upper ridge and allow mid and upper level moisture to advect into southwest NM. Models have come into better agreement with increasing precip chances over the southwest half of NM Sunday, especially in the Gila region. The NBM prob QPF >0.05" is now 20-40% southwest of ABQ Sunday. Elsewhere, it will likely remain dry and warm with slightly breezier south/southwest winds.

An active pattern may continue thru early next week as yet another shortwave trough moves into the southern Rockies Monday and Tuesday. This wave may draw even better low level moisture northward into the region with improving chances for QPF >0.05" across much of central and western NM, especially Tuesday. The latest NBM median 72-hr QPF ending Tuesday night shows 0.10-0.25" over most high terrain areas with 0.05 to 0.15" in the lower terrain of central and western NM. Temps may also trend closer to early April normals thru this period.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1138 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Breezy southwest-west winds this afternoon with peak gusts of 25 to 40 mph and increasing upper level clouds. Winds taper off a little across lower elevations but remain elevated overnight. Some LLWS across the upper RGV and northeast plains overnight. A Pacific front moves into northwest NM just after midnight reaching KAEG, KABQ, and KSAF around sunrise. Clearing skies with increasing northwest winds for most at the end of the TAF period. Breezy north winds across far northeast NM behind a backdoor front.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 114 AM MDT Thu Apr 2 2026

Critical fire weather will return to eastern NM today with strong west/southwest winds, min humidity <15%, above normal temps, ERC percentiles near the 90th percentile, and RFTI values in the 3 to 6 range. A Red Flag Warning is in effect this afternoon and early evening. A strong Pacific cold front will then surge thru NM late tonight and Friday with cooler temps, strong northwest winds, and very low humidity. ERCs will likely hover between the 75th and 90th percentile over eastern NM with RFTI values of 3 to 5 along the I-40 corridor east of Edgewood. A Fire Weather Watch will be issued for this area Friday. Much colder temps and lighter winds will arrive Friday night followed by tranquil conditions Saturday.

A pattern change toward less wind, higher min humidity, closer to normal temps, and more frequent precip chances may return early next week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 70 35 56 24 / 0 5 0 0 Dulce........................... 63 24 54 18 / 5 5 0 0 Cuba............................ 66 31 51 24 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 67 24 57 14 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 65 31 57 22 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 70 29 58 18 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 70 33 61 23 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 73 41 69 32 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 69 36 64 27 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 73 31 70 26 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 76 37 74 37 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 57 26 49 19 / 5 5 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 65 39 59 28 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 66 36 58 28 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 60 34 55 21 / 0 5 0 0 Red River....................... 50 29 44 18 / 0 5 5 0 Angel Fire...................... 57 24 52 16 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 65 30 59 18 / 0 5 0 0 Mora............................ 66 36 58 26 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 73 36 63 24 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 67 39 59 29 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 70 38 61 26 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 75 45 63 36 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 77 42 66 35 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 80 41 69 34 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 78 44 64 34 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 80 41 72 30 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 78 44 64 31 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 79 39 70 30 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 79 42 65 33 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 79 41 71 30 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 73 44 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 78 43 64 32 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 82 46 77 38 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 69 41 58 31 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 70 41 60 32 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 71 39 60 27 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 73 36 63 21 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 68 39 60 27 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 71 40 64 29 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 70 41 65 32 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 73 45 71 41 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 68 46 67 36 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 68 35 62 23 / 0 0 5 10 Raton........................... 70 34 63 23 / 0 0 5 5 Springer........................ 73 36 67 22 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 69 38 63 25 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 76 45 67 32 / 0 0 5 10 Roy............................. 74 40 69 29 / 0 0 5 0 Conchas......................... 80 48 78 35 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 76 46 73 34 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 83 49 80 37 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 83 49 80 42 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 83 49 81 41 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 82 46 79 37 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 86 50 86 45 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 82 46 80 40 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 80 46 78 37 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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

Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening for NMZ125-126.