textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1033 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 - Slick travel will be present over portions of western and north-central NM late tonight through Thursday night.

- West and northwest wind gusts 40 to 50 mph New Year's Day, and up to 55 mph Friday will produce hazardous crosswinds on north- to-south oriented highways.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025

2025 is closing out on a quiet note as a ridge of high pressure crests over the state today. A widespread opaque layer of high cirrus covers nearly all of the state, but plenty of sunshine is still reaching the ground allowing temperatures to warm up today. Thicker broken to overcast skies currently over AZ will steadily progress eastward over western and central NM tonight into Thursday morning. Eventually, showers associated with abundant moisture being transported northward ahead of a 558dm H5 low off the SoCal coast will enter western NM tonight as well. The warmer source region for this moisture will keep snow levels rather high around ~10,000ft, thus limiting snow potential to only the highest peaks of the Chuska's, Tusas, Jemez, and Sangre de Cristo Mts Thursday through Thursday night. There will be a brief period for some valley locations of western, central, and northern NM to see a few flurries early Thursday morning before surface dewpoints increase rapidly.

Stronger winds aloft highlighted by 40-50kt H7 winds over the central mountain chain will be aided by a modest 1002mb MSLP surface low over northeastern NM in producing gusty winds through eastern NM. Clines Corners to Santa Rosa to Clovis will be see a corridor of strong westerly gusts reaching 40-50mph. A Wind Advisory may be necessary for one or more of these forecast zones Thursday afternoon, but will punt any needed issuance to the next forecast package tonight. Nevertheless, gusty westerly winds will be a concern for high profile vehicles on north-to-south oriented highways.

LONG TERM

(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025

Conditions steadily clear out thru the day Friday as what's left of the H5 low opens and crosses northern NM. Winds turn northwesterly thru the day as well, staying strong along the central highlands where another Wind Advisory may be necessary for gusts of 50+ mph.

The first weekend of 2026 will sport wonderful yet abnormally warm weather as the next ridge of high pressure slides across the state. High temperatures will climb 15F to 20F above normal into the 50s and 60s areawide, with a few low 70s across eastern NM.

Thereafter, another storm system will be evolving off the west coast of the CONUS bringing in periods of low PoPs into the Desert Southwest. More appreciable precipitation chances will favor the latter half of next week when the upper level storm system comes ashore.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1033 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025

Clouds will continue to spread northeastward with cloud bases lowering in height into Thursday morning along with spotty to scattered rain and snow showers eventually developing over western and central parts of the state. Periodic MVFR conditions (ceilings at or less than 3,000 ft and/or visibility at or less than 5 miles) will be common over western to north central portions of New Mexico, especially in the pre-dawn to late morning hours, with spotty IFR conditions (ceilings less than 1,000 ft and/or visibility less than 3 miles) over northwestern parts of the state during this time. Also, winds will increase in the eastern half of the state Thursday afternoon with gusts of 25 to 40 kt being concentrated over the central mountain chain into the east central plains. Winds will reduce in speed around sunset Thursday while showers reduce in coverage, but persist over northwestern New Mexico through the evening.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025

Elevated fire weather conditions will arise Thursday and Friday over portions of east-central NM as strong westerly winds arise. However, humidity only falling to ~30% will be the limiting factor. Otherwise, winds will be light alongside above normal warmth this coming weekend. Winds and precipitation chances begin to pickup again next week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 30 44 35 51 / 40 80 60 60 Dulce........................... 25 43 31 47 / 5 70 70 80 Cuba............................ 29 46 33 47 / 30 80 50 60 Gallup.......................... 30 50 35 52 / 70 80 40 30 El Morro........................ 34 48 37 48 / 70 70 40 50 Grants.......................... 30 53 33 53 / 60 70 30 30 Quemado......................... 37 54 35 51 / 60 70 20 30 Magdalena....................... 41 57 39 55 / 40 60 10 5 Datil........................... 38 53 36 51 / 50 60 20 20 Reserve......................... 36 56 30 59 / 60 70 20 30 Glenwood........................ 38 59 33 61 / 70 70 30 30 Chama........................... 26 41 30 40 / 0 60 60 70 Los Alamos...................... 36 47 36 48 / 0 50 40 40 Pecos........................... 33 52 36 50 / 0 30 20 20 Cerro/Questa.................... 29 47 33 47 / 0 30 20 30 Red River....................... 18 44 28 41 / 0 30 20 20 Angel Fire...................... 12 46 29 44 / 0 30 20 30 Taos............................ 24 49 32 49 / 0 30 20 30 Mora............................ 32 53 35 50 / 0 20 20 30 Espanola........................ 29 52 34 55 / 0 40 30 40 Santa Fe........................ 33 49 38 51 / 0 40 30 40 Santa Fe Airport................ 31 51 36 55 / 0 40 20 30 Albuquerque Foothills........... 38 51 43 56 / 10 50 20 10 Albuquerque Heights............. 37 53 42 58 / 10 50 10 10 Albuquerque Valley.............. 32 55 35 61 / 20 50 10 10 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 36 54 38 59 / 20 50 20 20 Belen........................... 32 56 36 63 / 20 60 10 5 Bernalillo...................... 35 54 39 59 / 10 50 20 20 Bosque Farms.................... 30 55 33 62 / 20 50 10 5 Corrales........................ 34 55 38 59 / 20 50 20 20 Los Lunas....................... 30 55 33 62 / 20 50 10 5 Placitas........................ 37 51 43 55 / 10 40 20 20 Rio Rancho...................... 37 53 39 58 / 20 50 20 20 Socorro......................... 39 61 40 64 / 30 50 10 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 36 49 40 51 / 5 40 20 20 Tijeras......................... 37 49 40 52 / 10 40 20 20 Edgewood........................ 35 51 41 53 / 0 30 10 10 Moriarty/Estancia............... 27 54 36 55 / 0 20 10 10 Clines Corners.................. 33 50 36 51 / 0 10 5 10 Mountainair..................... 35 54 39 55 / 5 40 10 5 Gran Quivira.................... 35 54 39 56 / 5 30 10 0 Carrizozo....................... 39 57 40 60 / 5 40 10 0 Ruidoso......................... 38 54 39 54 / 10 30 10 0 Capulin......................... 26 61 29 58 / 0 10 5 5 Raton........................... 25 62 29 60 / 0 20 5 5 Springer........................ 25 62 31 62 / 0 10 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 33 58 36 56 / 0 10 0 10 Clayton......................... 33 67 36 66 / 0 0 5 5 Roy............................. 31 64 37 62 / 0 10 0 0 Conchas......................... 30 69 39 69 / 0 10 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 36 63 44 63 / 0 5 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 31 71 41 71 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 34 68 43 68 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 32 69 43 69 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 32 67 45 67 / 0 5 0 0 Roswell......................... 35 69 42 72 / 0 10 0 0 Picacho......................... 43 66 42 65 / 10 20 0 0 Elk............................. 42 63 37 64 / 10 20 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.