textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1250 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

- An unprecedented heatwave for the month of March will continue today and Saturday producing a risk of heat-related illness for those most sensitive to heat. Additional record high temperatures look increasingly likely Tuesday through Thursday.

- Critical fire weather conditions will produce a risk of rapid fire spread across the eastern plains on Sunday.

- East wind gusts below canyons opening into the central valley Sunday night will produce crosswinds up to 45 mph on north-to- south roads from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, including I-25.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Saturday night) Issued at 1250 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

Happy Astronomical Spring, as today is the Spring Equinox! You wouldn't know it though, as we continue to mimic late May rather than late March. The anomalously strong dome of high pressure continues to reign over AZ with geopotential heights still boasting impressive values near 593-595 decameters, or 3 to almost 4 standard deviations above normal. A weak east northeast wind shift at the surface is sliding into the eastern plains, but will not do much to alter temperatures. Breezes will remain light to moderate into the late afternoon and early evening with cloudless skies. The light breezes and clear skies will lead to optimal radiational cooling overnight with still almost 12 hours of darkness that will yield cool to chilly overnight low temperatures with large diurnal swings continuing.

Heights will lower a couple of decameters into Saturday as the high sags southward a bit. This will introduce a belt of westerlies aloft to northern NM that we have not observed for a few days now, so breezes will respond upward. Occasional gusts of 25 to 30 mph will be common Saturday afternoon. Despite the lowering heights, downsloping will actually boost high temperatures by a couple to a few degrees Saturday, especially across the eastern plains. This includes lots of mid to upper 90's forecast in southeastern zones, and farther west a forecast high of 90 F in ABQ which would be the earliest on record (previous earliest 90-F was May 3rd).

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 1250 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

Temperature drops are coming to northern zones Sunday as the upper high sags farther south into Sonora and Chihuahua and a notable surface front slides in. The frontal passage will usher in some higher dewpoints into the upper 20's and low 30's, but these will be far too low to produce any low to mid layer clouds, so the weather will remain dry with mostly just high cirrus overhead. The backdoor front will pack a punch of stronger winds with isobars modeled to pack tightly in northeastern zones late Sunday afternoon before spreading over the rest of the plains and eventually western NM early Monday morning. Gusts of 30 to 40 mph are forecast behind the boundary, potentially rising to 45 to 50 mph in eastern portions of the ABQ metro as the front accelerates through gaps/canyons within the central mountain chain.

The stage will then be set for cooler readings on Monday, mostly in central and especially eastern NM, but all areas should still stay slightly above seasonal averages. Western NM zones will not observe much in the way of cooling, as any wind shift will quickly retreat eastward by Monday afternoon with warm westerly breezes replacing.

Into Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the upper high makes a more intrusive presence, initially strengthening near the upper Gulf of CA Tuesday before sliding eastward along the US-Mexico borderlands into Wednesday and Thursday. High temperatures soar above normal again through this time frame. There are faint indications for weak backdoor fronts entering northeastern zones with poor model member- to-member continuity each day, however there is better consensus for a more substantial frontal push by late Thursday or Thursday night. Once again, this front may advect higher dewpoints into NM, but not enough for substantial cloud increases, much less precipitation. Rather, it will only temper the heat going into Friday with temperatures dropping back to near normal in eastern zones and staying above in western ones.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1250 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

Mostly clear skies and VFR conditions will prevail through the next 24 hours with just a few fair weather high cirrus clouds moving near the Four Corners area by Saturday afternoon. Breezes will also increase Saturday afternoon with occasional gusts to 25 to 30 kt.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1250 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

Anomalous warmth continues today into Saturday with monthly and daily high temperatures likely breaking both days. With dewpoints in the single digits and teens, very low afternoon RH will continue each afternoon. Breezes will remain mostly light today, but will start to turn a bit more gusty into Saturday afternoon from the west with occasional gusts of 25 to 30 mph. While below critical speeds, this will elevate concerns for Saturday afternoon given such dry fuel status.

A backdoor front will enter northeastern NM on Sunday before spilling into much of the remainder of the state late Sunday night and early Monday morning. The northerly gusts of 30 to 40 mph along and behind the front will bring conditions up to, or just slightly over, critical wind thresholds, and while a cooling trend will take hold, temperatures will stay slightly above average with very low RH below 10%. Consequently, a Fire Weather Watch remains in effect for the eastern plains Sunday. In a typical setting, the borderline or marginal winds might preclude the need for a Watch, but the cured fine fuels from ongoing drought are pushing the needle more towards critical conditions.

Breezy to locally windy conditions will repeatedly redevelop in the far northeast highlands and plains Monday onward through the middle of the week. Any setback in temperatures on Monday from the cold front will be lost and reverted into Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with readings soaring 18 to 25 degrees above normal again. Another potential dry cold front will arrive late Thursday with gusty conditions likely accompanying into Friday morning, but confidence in the details of this boundary are low at this time.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 86 41 87 44 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 83 34 83 37 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 82 40 85 42 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 86 31 86 35 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 83 33 83 38 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 86 30 88 36 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 84 35 85 40 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 83 48 86 50 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 82 40 83 44 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 89 37 89 37 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 92 43 93 43 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 77 38 77 38 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 81 51 83 53 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 83 44 84 46 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 79 43 80 45 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 69 33 73 35 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 76 18 77 26 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 83 34 85 35 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 80 44 84 46 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 88 42 89 43 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 84 46 84 47 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 86 43 87 44 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 87 52 88 52 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 89 53 90 53 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 91 44 93 45 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 89 50 91 51 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 90 43 92 45 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 89 48 91 50 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 90 42 92 43 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 90 48 91 49 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 89 43 91 44 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 85 50 87 51 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 88 50 90 52 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 91 51 93 53 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 83 50 83 52 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 83 51 85 51 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 85 46 85 48 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 87 35 88 37 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 82 46 83 47 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 86 46 86 48 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 84 47 85 47 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 88 53 87 54 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 82 46 82 48 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 80 40 85 44 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 84 37 88 42 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 86 38 91 41 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 83 44 86 48 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 86 50 91 54 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 85 45 90 49 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 92 43 97 46 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 89 45 93 51 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 91 45 97 49 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 93 51 96 53 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 94 48 97 50 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 93 44 96 48 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 95 47 97 50 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 90 52 93 55 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 88 50 90 53 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening for NMZ104-126.