textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1215 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

- Dry and unseasonably mild weather, outside of a cooler Sunday, persists through at least late next week across central and northern New Mexico.

- Breezy winds across the central highlands of eastern New Mexico next work week will create difficult crosswinds for large and high-profile vehicles. Strongest winds are expected on Wednesday.

SHORT TERM

(Tonight through Sunday) Issued at 1215 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

Well above normal low temperatures remain on tap for the rest of the overnight period with light winds and mostly clear skies. While upper level ridging remains over NM today, a cold front associated with an upper low over the upper Great Lakes region will push into eastern NM today. Winds will switch around to the north and northeast with some light breezes behind the front. Nonetheless, high temperatures today will still be well above normal. In fact, record or near-record temperatures are expected for multiple locations. The colder air behind the front will really start to push into eastern NM Saturday evening and overnight. Low temperatures will be closer to normal across eastern NM. The front should push through the gaps of the Central Mountain Chain near or just before midnight Sat night but gusts should top out around 20 mph or so in the ABQ area. The modest moisture pushing in with the front combined with the cooler temperatures and weak upslope should allow for low clouds and perhaps some fog and/or freezing fog to develop across east central NM by early Sunday morning, though this should erode by the noon hour. With a 1045mb surface high sliding down the upper midwest, the cooler air across eastern NM will be slow to erode on Sunday. High temperatures will be around 15-25 degrees cooler than on Saturday, but that should be much closer to where temperatures should be for this time of year.

LONG TERM

(Sunday night through next Friday) Issued at 1215 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

The upper level ridge over NM will shift eastward Sunday night into Monday as a pair of weak disturbances move across the Southwest Desert. Outside of a few clouds, these disturbances will have little impact on NM as they cross Monday into Tuesday. Rather, temperatures will rebound Monday across the east to well- above normal and will continue to climb a degree or two on Tuesday. By Wednesday, stronger west-northwest upper level flow will be the rule over NM which should last through the end of the week. A lee side surface trough will develop Wednesday, allowing winds to pick up along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain. Breezy to locally windy conditions will be the rule, and the stronger downsloping will allow temperatures to soar into the low to mid 70s. Less wind is expected on Thursday as a surface high slides into the Great Plains and easterly surface flow moves into E NM, but breezy westerly winds will return on Friday as a lee side trough re-develops. More records and near record temperatures will be on tap throughout the work week.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1006 PM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist through the TAF period, with mostly light winds. A weak backdoor cold front will result in a northeast wind shift at KTCC and KROW Saturday late afternoon, with gusts to between 15-25kts behind the front. The front will progress westward during the evening hours and create a gusty east canyon wind at KABQ by the end of the TAF period.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1215 AM MST Sat Dec 13 2025

Dry and unseasonably warm conditions will prevail for the next week. The one exception will be Sunday when temperatures are closer to normal across eastern NM in the wake of a cold front. Minimum RH values between 10 and 25 percent will be common most days (sans Sunday across the east). Apart from a few breezes here and there, winds will be light until Wednesday when breezy to windy conditions will become more common along and east of the Central Mountain Chain. No fire weather conditions are expected though localized elevated conditions will be possible. Lighter winds on Thursday, but more breezes are expected on Friday. Ventilation will be mainly poor outside of the noted windier locations/days.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 27 54 27 55 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 21 56 22 57 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 26 55 24 54 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 22 62 18 60 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 30 61 26 60 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 24 63 20 59 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 29 61 26 61 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 35 63 30 56 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 31 62 27 57 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 27 69 26 65 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 32 72 31 68 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 24 52 22 51 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 34 57 31 52 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 34 63 26 55 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 30 55 25 51 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 27 48 22 46 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 20 56 11 52 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 22 58 22 53 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 33 62 24 57 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 27 61 26 56 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 35 58 29 53 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 30 60 27 54 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 39 62 34 56 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 33 65 33 57 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 31 66 30 58 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 33 64 30 56 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 27 64 26 57 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 33 65 30 57 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 27 65 25 58 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 32 65 29 57 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 28 65 24 58 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 37 61 32 55 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 33 64 31 56 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 32 66 32 60 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 35 58 29 53 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 59 30 54 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 31 60 27 55 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 25 62 22 56 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 32 59 25 52 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 32 61 27 56 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 32 62 25 57 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 37 64 32 58 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 39 62 28 54 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 30 61 23 52 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 27 65 21 54 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 25 68 21 57 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 32 66 24 56 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 35 66 24 52 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 30 68 23 50 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 30 72 26 55 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 35 72 27 53 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 33 71 25 53 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 35 70 27 47 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 34 71 25 48 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 31 73 25 50 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 33 76 31 49 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 38 73 29 51 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 35 72 26 53 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.