textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1203 AM MST Thu Jan 29 2026

- Dry conditions will prevail around the region through early next week as temperatures gradually moderate.

- There is a low chance that a disturbance brings mountain snow, lower elevation rain/snow mix, and colder temperatures around the middle of next week.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Friday) Issued at 1203 AM MST Thu Jan 29 2026

A disturbance exiting the central Rockies and moving into the central Great Plains is bringing some gusty west-northwest winds of up to 35 mph at times to the central mountain chain and adjacent highlands and northeast plains. Winds across the central mountain chain and adjacent highlands should settle around sunrise as the disturbance moves further east. A backdoor front will push through far eastern NM in its wake resulting in some north wind gusts peaking at around 30 to 35 mph across Union County midday before tapering off during the afternoon and evening hours. Elsewhere, expect mostly clear skies, light winds, and near average temperatures for late January, expect below average temperatures by around 10 degrees in the Roswell and Artesia area due to the lingering snowpack. Some patchy freezing fog cannot be ruled out once again for the lower Pecos River Valley between Roswell and Artesia, due to the the continued snowmelt, late tonight into Friday morning. Dry northwest flow continues for the forecast area on Friday with an upper high centered just off the southern CA coast. High temperatures will be similar to today.

LONG TERM

(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 1203 AM MST Thu Jan 29 2026

An upper level trough will dive south from the Great Lakes late Friday closing off into an upper low over the southern Appalachians Saturday morning. As this occurs, it will send a front backing into the eastern plains of New Mexico. The upslope flow behind the front will result in the development of some low clouds across the eastern plains Saturday morning before burning off midday. Due to the backdoor front, high temperatures will be be colder by around 15 to 20 degrees across the southeast plains, but only by around 5 to 10 degrees across the northeast and east central plains due to the development of surface lee trough by the afternoon allowing winds to turn around quicker and have more of downslope south-southwest component. Milder by around 5 to 10 degrees compared to Friday across western and north central NM due to rising heights from the eastward moving upper high over southern CA and southwest AZ. The warmup continues on Sunday as the upper high continues moving east with lower elevations topping out in mid 50s to around 60, expect low 50s in the lower Pecos River Valley from Roswell to Carlsbad.

The upper high/ridge flattens and shifts east to over the High Plains on Monday due to an upper level trough moving over the northern Rockies. Temperatures will be even milder on Monday due to the downslope westerly flow with highs 8 to 12 degrees above average for most. Come mid next week, the upper level pattern gets quite complicated with a Rex Block over the Pacific coast (upper high over the Pacific NW and an upper low over Baja CA) and upper level troughing over the eastern 2/3rd of the continental U.S. This will place New Mexico under upper level northwest flow. Ensemble cluster guidance shows a disturbance in this northwest flow diving south across the Rockies and New Mexico late Tuesday through Wednesday. About half of the clusters depict some light snow chances favoring the central mountain chain and surrounding lower elevations during this time while the other half show some light rain/snow chances favoring northeast and east central NM late Tuesday through midday Wednesday. This disturbance will send a front through the state cooling temperatures to near average across western and central NM and below average by 8 to 12 degrees across eastern NM come Wednesday.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 928 PM MST Wed Jan 28 2026

VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist through the TAF period. That said, very low probabilities exist for LIFR conditions in freezing fog at KROW early Thursday morning. Stronger northwest winds aloft will move over the area overnight and result in areas of low level wind shear by Thursday morning, impacting both KTCC and KROW. A backdoor cold front will result in a wind shift at KTCC later Thursday morning, with gusts to between 20-30kts behind the front.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1203 AM MST Thu Jan 29 2026

No fire weather concerns through mid next week. Brisk north winds across the far northeast and east central plains behind a backdoor front through midday today. Near normal temperatures for most. Dry northwest flow with similar temperatures and light winds on Friday. A gradual warmup begins Saturday peaking Monday as high pressure moves in from the east. Some breezy west winds across the central highlands on Monday. Cooling down across northern areas Tuesday and all areas Wednesday as a disturbance moves through from the north. This disturbance looks to bring some light precipitation across the central mountain chain and nearby lower elevations late Tuesday through late Wednesday at this time. Good to excellent ventilation across the far northeast and east central plains today. Good ventilation across the San Augustin Plains Friday. Generally poor ventilation areawide Saturday through Tuesday before some good ventilation returns to the southwest high terrain Wednesday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 46 20 48 22 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 45 13 48 15 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 43 16 46 19 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 48 13 50 14 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 48 20 48 21 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 49 14 50 16 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 48 19 48 21 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 50 28 49 28 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 48 23 48 23 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 58 20 58 21 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 64 24 64 24 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 40 14 43 16 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 42 24 44 25 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 48 18 47 19 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 40 16 42 18 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 32 12 34 13 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 39 -1 40 4 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 43 14 45 16 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 47 17 48 17 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 49 18 51 19 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 44 21 46 22 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 45 19 46 20 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 49 28 50 29 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 51 27 53 28 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 55 24 56 25 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 52 26 53 26 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 54 21 54 21 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 51 25 52 26 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 54 20 55 20 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 53 24 53 25 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 54 20 54 20 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 46 27 47 28 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 51 27 52 27 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 56 27 56 27 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 43 24 44 25 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 44 26 45 26 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 45 22 46 22 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 46 13 47 12 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 42 18 44 18 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 46 22 47 21 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 47 21 46 20 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 48 26 49 25 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 46 24 46 22 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 42 15 44 14 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 47 13 47 14 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 50 13 49 13 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 50 17 47 16 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 48 22 50 17 / 0 0 0 10 Roy............................. 50 18 49 16 / 0 0 0 5 Conchas......................... 57 19 55 18 / 0 0 0 5 Santa Rosa...................... 53 21 51 19 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 57 19 54 17 / 0 0 0 5 Clovis.......................... 54 24 53 19 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 54 20 53 17 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 55 19 51 17 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 48 21 48 21 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 53 24 52 23 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 55 22 54 21 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.