textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 419 AM MST Wed Dec 17 2025

- High winds will favor areas along and immediately east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and central highlands this afternoon through Thursday morning. Erratically timed and placed gusts of 45 to 60 mph will create hazardous crosswinds on area highways for high-profile vehicles. - Dry and unseasonably warm weather persists with numerous high temperature records threatened through the next week.

SHORT TERM

(Tonight through Thursday) Issued at 1259 AM MST Wed Dec 17 2025

Quiet, cool and dry conditions will prevail for the rest of the overnight hours. Later today, it continues to look like the nose of an upper level jet will dive from the PacNW toward the Four Corners. Then the jet should cross the Rockies overnight. At H7, west- northwest winds increase to near 50kt by late Wednesday afternoon over and near the Sangre de Cristo Mtns, then 50-70kt winds will expand to most areas along and east of the Central Mtn Chain Wednesday evening and overnight. These winds will finally weaken around mid morning Thursday. Model cross-sections and conceptual models suggest this will be a good setup for mountain wave activity Wednesday night. Wind gusts and placement will be sporadic through the overnight hours and into Thursday morning, but when/if the mountain wave indeed crashes to the surface, winds will be quite strong and impacts could be quite dangerous (i.e. blown over semi's due to cross winds, etc). Therefore, the High Wind Watch has been upgraded into a High Wind Warning, and Glorieta Pass has been included. Further, some models are suggesting that the wave will crash well east of the I-25 corridor, perhaps as far east as Union and Harding counties. While this is a lower probability scenario, it's certainly possible and will hoist a Wind Advisory to cover this possibility. Will also include the Sandia and Manzano Mts in a Wind Advisory at 45kt+ winds should buffet the peaks. These stronger winds are expanding further south, to the Sacramento Mtns, than earlier model runs suggested and thus later shifts may need to add the South Central Mtns and eastern Lincoln County into a wind highlight.

Winds will diminish on Thursday across eastern NM as a backdoor cold front enters, but northwest breezes may linger through early afternoon elsewhere. The front will cool high temperatures 5 to 15 degrees from today's highs, but all areas will remain above normal for mid December. A few record highs will remain possible both today and Thursday across central and western NM.

LONG TERM

(Thursday night through next Tuesday) Issued at 1259 AM MST Wed Dec 17 2025 Outside of a few breezes across the Central Highlands, Thursday night should be quiet. However, winds behind the aforementioned front will be veering around to the south and southwest as a lee side trough develops. By Friday afternoon, the surface low will deepen to 999mb or so. Meanwhile, H7 winds will increase to 35-45kt Friday afternoon, then increase further to 50-60kt Friday night over the Sangre de Cristo and East Mountains. Thus, another round of breezy to windy conditions are expected along and east of the Central Mountain Chain Friday afternoon, then mountain waves may bring another round of stronger erratic gusts to the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mtns and Central Highlands Friday night. Winds are not expected to be quite as strong on Friday as they will be on Wednesday.

The strong downsloping will allow high temperatures to soar to between 15 and 25 degrees above normal. Numerous high temperature records are expected to be shattered. Though winds will not be as strong on Saturday, westerly downslope flow will continue potentially allowing temperatures to climb a few more degrees across the east. So, more records will be broken. Another backdoor front will slide through eastern NM Saturday evening and overnight. High temperatures will cool around 10 degrees across the plains for Sunday, but these high temperatures will still be 12-15 degrees above normal. The upper level ridge will pump up a little bit on Monday to the south allowing heights to rise over NM. Then on Tuesday, the ridge will shift eastward allowing for southwest flow over NM. All-in-all, above normal temperatures continue.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 424 AM MST Wed Dec 17 2025

VFR conditions will prevail though cirrus will increase along and east of the Central Mountain Chain this evening and overnight in association with mountain waves. West to northwest winds will strengthen late this afternoon and especially this evening and overnight. The strongest winds will be found along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain where moderate to high chances (50-70%) exist that gusts between 45 and 55kt will occur. Winds will also be quite strong just off the surface, so low level wind shear is expected for most areas along and east of the Central Mountain Chain tonight through Thursday morning.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1259 AM MST Wed Dec 17 2025 Strong west to northwest winds this afternoon combined with RH values near 15 percent will create near-critical fire weather conditions across much of northeast and east central NM. An hour or two of critical conditions will be possible, though ERC values remain quite low which will preclude any Red Flag Warnings. These stronger winds will persist and strengthen overnight through Thursday morning along and east of the Central Mtn Chain where gusts up to 65 mph are possible with mountain wave activity. Winds will diminish late Thursday morning, though some breezes may persist across central and western NM though early afternoon. Friday will bring more breezy to windy conditions along and east of the Central Mtn Chain during the afternoon and overnight hours. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected in the afternoon. Outside of the winds, the main story will be record to near-record warmth daily, with Thursday across eastern NM the only exception.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 55 29 53 29 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 53 21 52 22 / 0 5 0 0 Cuba............................ 56 28 52 27 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 60 24 59 24 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 58 28 57 30 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 63 27 59 26 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 62 29 58 31 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 65 37 61 37 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 62 33 59 33 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 67 29 67 29 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 69 32 70 32 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 47 21 46 23 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 56 34 53 33 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 56 33 55 32 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 51 28 49 29 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 47 24 44 24 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 50 26 46 19 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 55 25 52 24 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 60 35 54 31 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 60 32 58 28 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 55 34 54 31 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 57 32 57 28 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 59 39 58 36 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 60 38 60 35 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 62 33 62 30 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 61 36 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 62 32 62 29 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 62 36 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 62 30 61 27 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 61 35 61 32 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 62 32 61 28 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 59 38 58 35 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 61 36 60 34 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 66 38 64 36 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 56 36 55 34 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 57 36 56 34 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 58 36 56 33 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 62 34 59 28 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 58 34 55 32 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 60 36 58 35 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 61 36 59 34 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 63 39 63 39 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 60 40 60 36 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 61 28 50 28 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 63 30 54 24 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 66 32 58 27 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 63 38 57 32 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 66 34 51 31 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 66 35 52 31 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 72 38 59 32 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 69 41 62 38 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 72 37 58 33 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 69 38 58 33 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 71 38 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 69 41 63 32 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 69 38 71 32 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 72 44 69 38 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 70 40 68 36 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM MST Thursday for NMZ221-227-230>232.

High Wind Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MST Thursday for NMZ214-215.

High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM MST Thursday for NMZ212-223-228-229-233.