textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 442 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2026 - Periods of wet roads are expected again today over west central areas, and along and west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the Arizona border. A few inches of snow accumulation near and above 9,500 feet in the northern mountains will produce slick travel over the highest mountain passes. - Northwest wind gusts from 40 to 60 mph today will produce hazardous crosswinds on southwest-to-northeast oriented roads across the central highlands and eastern high plains.

- Well above average temperatures will persist through Wednesday, especially across eastern areas, where a few new record high temperatures may be set on Sunday.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Saturday) Issued at 1238 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2026

An upper level trough exiting NV early this morning will track swiftly southeastward across north central and northeast NM this afternoon, while producing additional rain and mountain snow showers over west central and northern parts of the forecast area. Rain amounts will mostly remain under a tenth of an inch at lower elevations, and up to a quarter inch in the mountains, except for a few inches of snow in the northern mountains near and above 9500 feet. The heaviest precipitation will fall this morning in most locations, with decreasing precip coverage and intensity in the afternoon. An exception will be on the far northeast plains, where precip won't develop until this afternoon when the upper level trough crosses and a backdoor cold front arrives. High temperatures today will vary around 5 to 19 degrees above 1991-2020 averages.

The upper level trough will also produce strong winds today as a gusty Pacific cold front crosses from the northwest. Wind speeds at 700 mb will peak around 40-50 KT along and just east of the central mountain chain with the strongest speeds over east central areas. A ~1000 mb surface low pressure system over far northeast NM will also produce the strongest surface pressure gradient across the central highlands and east central plains. Thus, the strongest wind gusts will generally peak around 50 mph today along and east of the central mountains, as far north as Las Vegas and as far south as northern Lincoln County. A brief period of 60 mph wind gusts is also likely in the typically favored high wind zone from Clines Corners to Vaughn.

In the wake of the storm system, low temperatures tonight will fall around 4 to 19 degrees from last night's readings, while remaining around 4 to 12 degrees above 30-year averages. A ridge of high pressure will then cross from the west on Saturday enabling high temperatures to climb around 7 to 17 degrees above 30-year averages.

LONG TERM

(Saturday night through Thursday) Issued at 1238 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2026

Warming temperatures are expected in most locations on Sunday as the ridge of high pressure lingers over NM. Highs should peak around 10-21 degrees above 1991-2020 averages Sunday, when a few record and near record high temperatures are forecast central and east. High temperatures will trend cooler Monday and Tuesday as cloud cover increases ahead of an upper level low moving into the southwest US. Weak disturbances will eject northeastward from the base of the approaching storm system, and these will give parts of the forecast area along and west of the continental divide a roughly 10-30 percent chance of rain showers and mountain snow showers Monday through Tuesday night. At this time, ensemble cluster analysis depicts the upper low opening into a trough by the time it passes eastward over NM Wednesday, when scattered to isolated light rain and very high terrain snow showers are forecast along and west of the central mountain chain with the best chance for any wetting precip along and west of the south central mountains. Thus, the cooling trend will continue almost areawide on Wednesday, and also into Thursday when precip chances will probably increase over central and western areas as another upper level trough approaches NM from the northwest.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 442 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2026

Areas of MVFR and IFR conditions in low clouds, fog, and periods of rain and high terrain snow will continue in the northern mountains, at lower elevations along and west of the continental divide, and in the upper Rio Grande Valley until mid morning; except until midday northwest. High res models depict rain and high terrain snow showers lingering into the afternoon in the northern mountains, while gradually decreasing in coverage and intensity. Meanwhile, a gusty Pacific cold front will produce a northwesterly wind shift over western and central areas by midday. Northwest winds will be the strongest from midday through the afternoon along and just east of the central mountain chain, and eastward across east central areas, where gusts up to 45 KT are expected, except around 50 KT from Clines Corners to Vaughn. Wind speeds will trend weaker with sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1238 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2026

Humidities will climb well above 15% for the next 7 days, except for some sub-15% humidities over the far northeast highlands and plains during the first half of next week. Wetting precip is expected in the northern mountains and across parts of northwest NM today, then it is probably not likely again until Thursday when when we are forecasting 15-35% chance of rain and mountain snow showers across central and western parts of the fire weather forecast area. After today's strong wind event and corresponding ventilation improvement, winds will weaken and widespread poor ventilation will develop Saturday. Winds will become gusty and vent rates will improve again along the central mountain chain and eastward across east central areas each afternoon next week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 51 27 51 31 / 70 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 47 20 54 25 / 90 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 48 24 54 28 / 70 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 51 20 57 23 / 40 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 48 24 58 26 / 50 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 53 22 59 24 / 30 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 51 25 62 27 / 10 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 55 31 57 35 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 51 27 58 30 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 60 24 64 26 / 5 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 62 28 66 30 / 10 0 0 0 Chama........................... 40 18 49 24 / 90 5 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 48 30 52 35 / 50 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 50 27 57 31 / 30 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 46 24 51 30 / 40 0 0 0 Red River....................... 40 17 48 22 / 40 5 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 43 8 52 21 / 40 0 0 0 Taos............................ 50 21 54 25 / 50 0 0 0 Mora............................ 50 25 59 30 / 30 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 55 25 57 29 / 50 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 52 29 54 32 / 40 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 55 26 55 30 / 40 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 55 32 56 37 / 20 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 58 33 56 36 / 10 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 61 27 58 30 / 10 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 59 31 56 35 / 10 0 0 0 Belen........................... 63 28 57 30 / 5 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 59 29 58 34 / 20 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 61 27 57 28 / 10 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 59 30 58 33 / 10 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 61 28 56 29 / 10 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 55 31 55 35 / 20 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 58 31 56 35 / 10 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 64 33 59 36 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 51 29 54 34 / 20 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 52 29 54 35 / 20 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 53 28 56 33 / 10 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 55 25 59 25 / 10 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 50 28 55 32 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 55 28 58 33 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 56 28 59 33 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 60 33 62 37 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 55 32 60 35 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 57 25 56 31 / 20 0 0 0 Raton........................... 59 24 57 26 / 10 0 0 0 Springer........................ 60 23 61 25 / 5 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 55 27 58 32 / 5 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 67 33 61 38 / 20 5 0 0 Roy............................. 61 28 58 31 / 5 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 69 29 65 34 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 63 32 63 35 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 71 31 67 37 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 68 35 66 36 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 69 32 68 34 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 67 33 65 32 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 72 37 67 33 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 66 37 66 36 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 64 34 65 34 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ221-222-229-232-234>237-239.

High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ223-233.