textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 433 PM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

- High winds will favor areas along and immediately east of the Sangre de Cristo Mtns and central highlands Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with erratically timed and placed gusts of 45 to 60 mph creating hazardous crosswinds on area highways.

- Dry and unseasonably warm weather with numerous high temperature records threatened on tap thru the end of the week.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Fairly tranquil and benign weather holds onto northern and central New Mexico this afternoon as the western edge of a ridge of high pressure noses in from the west. Some breezy conditions will be present along the central highlands aided by a weak 1005mb MSLP surface low over northeastern NM this afternoon. Otherwise, high temperatures today remain well above normal by 10F to 20F.

After another quiet night tonight, the leading edge of a 115kt H5 jetmax with cross over the Intermountain West focused over UT/WY/CO. The right exit and gradually southern portion of this jetmax will cross northern NM Wednesday night thru Thursday morning. Numerical model guidance supports fairly amplified mountain wave activity capable of pushing high wind gusts to erratic locations at erratic times along and just lee of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. A more sustained period of high wind gusts reaching 55 to 60 mph will be supported along the central highlands into western Guadalupe County from Clines Corners to Vaughn along U.S. Highway 285. Cross-section analysis shows these winds may hover just over ground level at many locations along I-25 from Las Vegas to Raton. Given the closeness and erratic behavior of this type of weather setup, have gone ahead and issued a High Wind Watch for favored areas along the east slopes of and southern Sangre de Cristo Mts, as well as the adjacent northeast highlands from Raton to Las Vegas and the central highlands and Guadalupe County Wednesday night thru Thursday morning. Winds will steadily taper off thru the day Thursday as a cold front will back into northeastern NM shutting down the high wind potential. This front will also knock back high temperatures 10F to 15F into the 50s thru northeastern NM, still 5F to 10F above normal.

LONG TERM

(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Likely record highs at many locations returns Friday and Saturday with downslope westerlies for areas along and east of the central mountain chain. Another cold front backs thru eastern NM Sunday again dropping high temperatures away from record levels but still well above normal thru eastern NM. Dry, abnormally warm weather persists Monday into early next week as a ridge of high pressure builds in from the southwest and slides east of the region Tuesday.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 433 PM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Just a few thin high fair weather cirrus clouds are currently being observed over northern and central New Mexico with VFR conditions expected to prevail through the next 24 hours. Surface moisture is lower in the Pecos river valley, so no redevelopment of low stratus or fog is forecast late tonight through Wednesday morning. Winds aloft will strengthen through late Wednesday afternoon and into Wednesday night, leading to breezy to windy conditions. The strongest winds will be focused over the Sangre de Cristo mountains and nearby highland areas (KAXX, KRTN, KLVS, KCQC, and KSXU) where there is a moderate (50-70%) chance of gusts of 40 to perhaps 50 kt. In addition to mountain wave activity near the peaks, low level wind shear will also be common downstream in the eastern plains Wednesday night.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Abnormally dry and warm weather persists thru the next seven days. Winds will remain breezy all afternoons, with the exception of late Wednesday thru Wednesday night and Thursday morning when erratically placed and timed high wind gusts will impact areas along and immediately east of the Sangre de Cristo Mts stretching southward thru the central highlands.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 27 54 28 53 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 20 55 21 54 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 25 57 28 54 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 17 61 23 60 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 28 58 30 57 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 19 63 24 61 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 27 62 30 58 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 33 64 38 61 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 30 62 35 58 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 25 70 27 69 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 24 72 25 73 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 25 50 23 48 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 33 55 34 53 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 31 56 34 57 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 30 53 29 50 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 26 45 25 43 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 10 51 23 48 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 19 56 25 54 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 30 60 35 55 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 25 61 32 61 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 34 55 35 55 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 29 57 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 38 59 40 60 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 31 60 36 62 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 24 62 34 64 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 32 61 36 63 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 20 62 30 63 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 31 62 35 63 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 19 62 30 63 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 30 62 35 64 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 21 62 31 63 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 35 58 38 58 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 32 61 35 63 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 32 66 38 66 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 33 55 36 55 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 33 56 37 56 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 29 59 37 58 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 21 61 35 60 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 29 57 36 55 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 30 60 37 59 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 30 60 36 60 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 33 63 38 63 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 35 60 41 60 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 28 60 28 48 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 26 63 30 54 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 24 66 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 30 62 38 55 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 33 65 33 50 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 29 65 35 51 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 28 72 38 59 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 31 68 41 59 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 28 70 36 58 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 33 68 38 59 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 30 69 38 61 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 29 68 40 62 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 31 68 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 35 72 43 69 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 33 71 40 70 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Watch from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning for NMZ214-215-223-228-229-233.