textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 544 AM MDT Fri Aug 21 2026

- Scattered-to-isolated showers and storms will continue today and Saturday with a risk of cloud-to-ground lightning, erratic wind gusts, locally heavy rainfall, ponding of water on roads, as well as a risk of flash flooding below recent burn scars.

- Smoke from the Frijoles Fire will continue to impact air quality in the vicinity of the fire this week.

- Moderate-to-high heat risk will impact much of central and eastern New Mexico this weekend through the middle of next week with record and near-record high temperatures.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Saturday night) Issued at 115 AM MDT Fri Aug 21 2026

A 598 DAM high pressure center over western CO today will drift southeastward over the northeast corner of NM on Saturday. This position will continue to draw increased atmospheric moisture over western parts of the forecast area today, while disturbances embedded in the ridge help spark showers and thunderstorms both today and Friday. Scattered to isolated showers and storms are forecast both days with the greatest coverage of storms over western and north central areas. Storm's today will move slowly and in variable directions. On Saturday, storms should move mostly toward the north and northeast around 5-10 mph. High temperatures both days will vary around 5-11 degrees above 1991-2020 averages with near-record readings in numerous locations. A record high temperature of 105 degrees is forecast for Tucumcari on Saturday, which would beat the previous record of 103 F set in 2024.

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 115 AM MDT Fri Aug 21 2026

Models depict the center of high pressure aloft varying its position over southeast and east central New Mexico Sunday and Monday, then shifting westward over southwest NM on Tuesday and Wednesday. With the high pressure system overhead, the number of record high temperatures will increase early in the coming week. After drier air moves over the forecast area from the southeast with decreasing coverage of storms Sunday and Monday, backdoor fronts will increase Gulf moisture, cause temperatures to trend downward and storm coverage to increase (mainly along and east of the central mountain chain) Tuesday and Wednesday. Disturbances in northwest flow aloft will clip northeast NM Monday, then more-so Tuesday and Wednesday, with a risk of severe storms each afternoon and evening.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 544 AM MDT Fri Aug 21 2026

Scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms will return along and west of the central mountain chain with isolated activity on the east central and southeast plains this afternoon and evening. Storm motion will be slow and variable. A few of the stronger storms will be capable of producing wet microbursts with localized, brief, and erratic wind gusts up to 50 mph.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 115 AM MDT Fri Aug 21 2026

Sub-15 percent minimum humidity is forecast over northwest and northeast corners of the forecast area this afternoon. Critically low minimum humidities will then become more widespread with each day Saturday through Tuesday. Increasing Gulf moisture will produce humidity improvement over the eastern plains Tuesday through Thursday, while many western readings remain critically low. Otherwise, the main fire weather concern will be gusty and erratic thunderstorm outflow, which will be most widespread today and Saturday north and west, then again along and east of the central mountain chain Tuesday and Wednesday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 98 64 95 64 / 0 30 5 10 Dulce........................... 93 50 88 51 / 40 40 50 40 Cuba............................ 89 58 85 59 / 10 20 20 20 Gallup.......................... 91 57 91 57 / 40 20 20 20 El Morro........................ 87 57 86 57 / 40 10 30 20 Grants.......................... 90 59 88 59 / 40 10 50 20 Quemado......................... 88 59 87 58 / 40 10 50 20 Magdalena....................... 88 64 89 64 / 40 10 20 5 Datil........................... 85 59 86 59 / 40 10 30 10 Reserve......................... 94 59 92 59 / 20 10 30 20 Glenwood........................ 98 64 97 63 / 10 10 20 20 Chama........................... 86 52 83 52 / 40 20 50 30 Los Alamos...................... 89 63 87 63 / 10 20 30 20 Pecos........................... 88 58 88 58 / 20 10 10 20 Cerro/Questa.................... 87 57 85 58 / 40 10 40 20 Red River....................... 78 49 76 49 / 50 10 60 20 Angel Fire...................... 83 41 80 42 / 50 10 60 20 Taos............................ 91 55 89 56 / 40 10 30 20 Mora............................ 86 54 86 54 / 30 10 50 20 Espanola........................ 96 62 93 63 / 20 10 10 20 Santa Fe........................ 90 63 89 64 / 20 20 5 20 Santa Fe Airport................ 93 61 91 61 / 10 20 5 20 Albuquerque Foothills........... 96 69 92 70 / 10 20 5 5 Albuquerque Heights............. 96 67 94 68 / 10 20 0 5 Albuquerque Valley.............. 98 66 96 67 / 10 20 0 10 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 97 68 94 69 / 10 20 5 10 Belen........................... 98 65 97 66 / 10 10 0 5 Bernalillo...................... 98 67 95 68 / 10 20 5 10 Bosque Farms.................... 98 64 96 65 / 10 10 0 5 Corrales........................ 98 68 94 69 / 10 20 0 10 Los Lunas....................... 97 66 97 67 / 10 10 0 5 Placitas........................ 94 66 92 67 / 10 20 5 10 Rio Rancho...................... 97 68 94 68 / 10 20 5 10 Socorro......................... 99 69 98 70 / 10 10 0 5 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 89 62 87 62 / 20 20 5 10 Tijeras......................... 90 63 90 64 / 20 20 5 10 Edgewood........................ 92 58 91 59 / 20 10 10 20 Moriarty/Estancia............... 93 56 92 57 / 20 10 10 20 Clines Corners.................. 89 60 89 61 / 20 10 10 20 Mountainair..................... 91 59 89 60 / 20 10 5 20 Gran Quivira.................... 90 60 91 61 / 20 10 5 10 Carrizozo....................... 93 66 92 66 / 20 5 10 0 Ruidoso......................... 85 60 84 59 / 40 10 30 0 Capulin......................... 89 59 91 59 / 10 10 20 20 Raton........................... 93 57 94 57 / 10 10 20 20 Springer........................ 95 56 96 57 / 10 10 20 30 Las Vegas....................... 90 57 90 58 / 10 10 10 20 Clayton......................... 97 67 98 67 / 10 10 5 10 Roy............................. 93 62 95 63 / 10 10 5 20 Conchas......................... 101 67 103 69 / 20 20 0 10 Santa Rosa...................... 96 64 100 66 / 20 20 0 10 Tucumcari....................... 101 68 105 69 / 20 20 0 10 Clovis.......................... 99 68 100 69 / 20 20 0 0 Portales........................ 100 69 101 70 / 20 20 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 99 68 102 69 / 20 20 0 0 Roswell......................... 102 70 105 70 / 10 10 0 0 Picacho......................... 95 65 96 65 / 10 10 5 0 Elk............................. 92 61 91 62 / 10 10 5 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.