textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 419 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

- Critical fire weather conditions will increase the risk of rapid fire spread across much of Chaves County on Wednesday.

- High temperatures from the upper 70s to low 80s across the lower elevations of central and southern New Mexico will create minor heat risk Wednesday and to a greater extent this weekend.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 1139 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

With a high pressure system holding strong just off the Baja CA coast, an active storm track to the north of NM, and unseasonably strong atmospheric mixing, brisk northwest flow aloft will continue over the forecast area through at least Thursday with gusty northwest winds at the surface each day. One area that will probably feel weaker winds on Wednesday should be the northeast and east central plains, where a surface low pressure system is forecast to setup and decrease the surface pressure gradient. West of there, the surface pressure gradient will remain strong with another round of 50 mph wind gusts Wednesday afternoon from Clines Corners to Vaughn and perhaps as far east as Fort Sumner. Critical fire weather conditions are forecast to return on Wednesday to the Roswell area. High temperatures will climb around 9-23 F above 1991-2020 averages on Wednesday, with a few near record high temperatures over central areas, and multiple record high temperatures likely farther east.

LONG TERM

(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 1139 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026 A backdoor cold front that sags into northern and eastern NM will cause high temperatures to fall a few to around 12 degrees on Thursday compared to Wednesday's readings. The ridge of high pressure aloft will then track eastward over the Desert Southwest Friday through the weekend with record and near record high temperatures around 10 to 21 degrees above 30-year averages. A high temperature of 79 degrees is forecast in Albuquerque on Sunday. There is now a nearly 10 percent chance that Albuquerque will reach 80 degrees on Sunday, which would shatter the old record for the first 80+ degree day of the season by more than a week if the Sunport actually hits 80 degrees.

Early in the coming week, long range models are in fairly good agreement on an upper level low pressure system dropping into the western US strengthening southwest flow aloft over NM, while unseasonably warm temperatures continue. Surface winds will probably become breezy to perhaps windy with increasing fire weather concerns mainly east of the central mountain chain.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 430 PM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

Strong west to northwest winds across much of the area will decrease around sunset, though gusts near 25kt will persist across east central NM through the overnight hours. Winds will quickly ramp back up on Wednesday morning, especially along and east of the Central Mountain Chain. Gusts near 45kt can be expected across eastern NM, while gusts near 35kt can be expected across western NM and the Rio Grande Valley. An Airport Weather Warning may be needed for the ABQ Sunport Wednesday afternoon. Low level wind shear will develop this evening through the overnight hours around KROW and much of eastern NM as well as the Northern Mountains. Otherwise, high clouds will continue to stream across NM.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1139 AM MST Tue Feb 24 2026

Locally critical fire weather conditions will return mainly to southern parts of the east central plains on Wednesday, but weaker winds and slightly higher humidities compared to today's readings are expected under a 995 mb surface low pressure system farther north on the eastern plains. If this surface low sets up a county or two farther to the north than what models are currently projecting for Wednesday, then the east central plains will probably experience greater coverage of critical fire weather conditions. The night shift tonight will have to monitor for a potential last minute Red Flag Warning.

Otherwise, wind speeds will weaken at the end of the week as the ridge of high pressure crosses. Speeds will pick up again Sunday and especially Monday as southwest flow aloft strengthens and high temperatures in the double digits above average continue. We will need to monitor eastern areas early next week for the potential redevelopment of critical fire weather conditions.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 34 65 36 64 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 24 62 25 61 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 33 64 34 61 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 30 68 32 67 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 34 65 36 65 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 32 70 33 68 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 35 66 36 67 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 43 70 43 70 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 40 65 39 66 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 34 75 36 75 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 37 79 38 81 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 26 55 26 53 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 39 64 39 61 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 40 66 39 64 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 35 61 35 58 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 32 52 29 49 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 24 57 25 54 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 30 65 31 62 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 38 65 37 61 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 35 72 39 69 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 40 66 41 64 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 37 69 38 67 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 45 72 47 70 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 40 74 43 72 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 38 77 41 75 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 40 75 43 72 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 36 78 38 76 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 40 75 42 73 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 35 78 37 75 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 40 75 43 73 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 37 77 39 75 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 43 70 44 68 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 40 74 42 72 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 44 80 47 80 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 41 66 42 64 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 41 67 42 65 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 40 69 42 67 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 37 70 39 68 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 37 65 37 63 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 39 70 40 68 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 40 70 41 68 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 43 74 46 73 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 46 67 47 66 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 34 70 31 61 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 30 72 31 65 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 34 74 34 67 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 37 69 37 66 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 43 77 37 65 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 41 75 37 65 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 43 83 40 74 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 48 76 43 73 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 44 82 40 73 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 48 82 44 73 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 49 83 44 75 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 49 80 44 76 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 48 84 48 80 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 50 78 49 77 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 48 78 47 78 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ104-123-125- 126.

High Wind Warning until 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ223-233.