textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 501 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

- Hazardous west northwest crosswinds around 50 mph will persist across the central highlands this morning mainly impacting Highway 285, Highway 84, and Route 3. West crosswinds will probably gust from 40 to 60 mph across much of the area along and east of the central mountain chain on Friday.

- Snow will produce winter driving conditions across the west central and northern mountains tonight and Friday, with a moderate risk of snow squalls even at lower elevations Friday morning as a blustery cold front crosses west central, northwest, and north central New Mexico. - Critical fire weather conditions will increase the risk of rapid fire spread across northeast and east central areas today and Friday.

UPDATE

Issued at 501 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

Quite a mountain wave got going early this morning with a 69 KT wind gusts observed at KRTN at 1045Z. Gust speed dropped to 24 KT at 1153Z, so we let the High Wind Warning and most of the Wind Advisories along and east of the central mountain chain expire at 12Z. It would not be surprising if localized gusts to 45 KT or even 50 KT continue to occur along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains over the next few hours, but the forecast cross section shows near surface wind speeds with the mountain wave creeping upslope from the I-25 corridor and gradually weakening through 15Z. Higher confidence exists in gusts up to 45 KT from Clines Corners to Vaughn, and perhaps Santa Rosa, through the morning hours. The speed max aloft is forecast to linger longest over this typically gusty area, so we converted the High Wind Warning to a Wind Advisory there, which continues until 19Z.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Friday) Issued at 127 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

Northwest wind gusts around 50 mph will linger this morning around Clines Corners and Vaughn, as the tail end of a jet max aloft gradually exits east of New Mexico. Elsewhere along and east of the central mountain chain, wind gusts will generally reach 30-40 mph, except for lighter winds on the Chaves County plains including Roswell. Humidities will be low enough for critical fire weather conditions across northeast areas along and east of I-25 this afternoon, as well as across the east central plains.

Another upper level trough and gusty Pacific cold front will pass eastward over the central and southern Rockies with a quick burst of snow tonight and Friday. Precip-wise, this system should be very similar to the snow makers that crossed Tuesday and Wednesday. The northern mountains and Chuska Mountains will be favored for a few inches of snow, except up to 6 inches on higher ridgelines of the Tusas and Chuska Mountains. Instability looks sufficient Friday morning for snow-squall-like conditions as the blustery Pacific cold front crosses west central, northwest, and north central parts of the forecast area with an hour or so of visibilities around 1/4-1/2 mile, wind gusts from 40-50 mph, and a quick inch or so of snow. Low temperatures mostly in the teens and 20s Friday morning will enable the snow to stick causing quick deterioration of road conditions and making driving hazardous along the continental divide, and around Gallup, Farmington, and Taos. Snow will gradually decrease in coverage and intensity Friday afternoon, lingering longest near the CO border.

Windy conditions will also return on Friday as the upper trough steers another jet streak over the forecast area. Wind speeds at 700 mb look to vary around 40-55 KT, while a ~998 mb surface low develops over the northeast corner of NM. This will enable wind gusts from 50-60 mph along the central mountain chain, and eastward across the northeast and east central plains. Lighter gusts from 35-50 mph are likely elsewhere across the forecast area. Humidities will be low enough on Friday for critical fire weather conditions on the eastern plains in the afternoon.

Otherwise, high temperatures will vary from near to around 19 degrees below 1991-2020 averages with the greatest departures from average near the northern and western borders of NM.

LONG TERM

(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 127 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

Dry weather is forecast this weekend and during the first half of the coming work week as a ridge of high pressure builds over the Desert Southwest. After another cool day Saturday, high temperatures will trend warmer, reaching a few to several degrees above 30-year averages across all but the lower Pecos River Valley Monday, and around 5-19 degrees above average areawide Tuesday and Wednesday. An increasingly active storm track over the northern and central Rockies will weaken the ridge aloft Tuesday and Wednesday, with stronger flow aloft and gustier surface winds.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 501 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

West and northwest wind gusts from 30-45 KT will continue along the central mountain chain and eastward across east central and northeast plains today. The strongest gusts will impact the Santa Rosa Airport westward to Clines Corners during the morning hours. Winds will weaken with sunset, then strengthen again over the southern high terrain and western areas tonight as another storm system moves in. Isolated to widely scattered and light snow showers are also forecast along and west of the central mountain chain today with most of the activity in the afternoon. Tonight, scattered to numerous snow showers will move in from the west with mountain obscuration, MVFR conditions, and localized IFR conditions over north central and western parts of the forecast area. Some light snow accumulation is forecast in Chama, Dulce, Farmington, and Dulce after midnight.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 127 AM MST Thu Feb 19 2026

With ERC's varying from the 50th to 95th percentile, humidities from 9-18 percent, and wind gusts up to 40 mph this afternoon, we decided to expand the ongoing Red Flag Warning for this afternoon westward to the I-25 corridor from Las Vegas northward. Winds will strengthen on Friday, when the northeast highlands will feel higher humidities and a chance for snow showers. However, it should be drier on Friday compared to today over Guadalupe County, so Friday's Fire Weather Watch will be expanded to the eastern half of the Central Highlands with this forecast package. Depending on how well the upper level ridge breaks down, Tuesday and Wednesday will probably be our next days with a risk of critical fire weather conditions. Otherwise, broad areas of poor ventilation are forecast over central and western parts of the fire weather forecast area on Saturday and Sunday. Poor ventilation will probably spread to northeast areas as well on Monday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 37 27 38 14 / 5 60 50 5 Dulce........................... 30 19 31 3 / 10 90 100 10 Cuba............................ 35 23 34 13 / 20 50 80 10 Gallup.......................... 37 23 36 4 / 20 50 40 0 El Morro........................ 36 22 34 10 / 30 30 70 0 Grants.......................... 41 24 38 11 / 10 20 30 0 Quemado......................... 41 25 40 17 / 20 10 20 0 Magdalena....................... 46 29 47 24 / 10 0 10 0 Datil........................... 41 25 41 19 / 10 0 20 0 Reserve......................... 45 29 45 15 / 30 10 20 0 Glenwood........................ 49 32 47 18 / 30 20 20 0 Chama........................... 25 12 25 3 / 10 90 100 10 Los Alamos...................... 36 24 37 18 / 10 30 80 5 Pecos........................... 37 22 37 16 / 10 20 70 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 29 18 30 10 / 5 30 90 0 Red River....................... 22 11 22 6 / 10 40 90 5 Angel Fire...................... 26 13 28 -5 / 10 30 80 5 Taos............................ 33 20 34 9 / 10 30 90 0 Mora............................ 36 20 36 13 / 5 20 60 0 Espanola........................ 43 24 43 15 / 10 20 30 5 Santa Fe........................ 37 26 38 20 / 20 30 40 5 Santa Fe Airport................ 41 25 41 17 / 10 20 30 5 Albuquerque Foothills........... 44 31 45 28 / 20 20 20 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 48 31 47 25 / 10 10 20 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 50 30 49 22 / 10 10 20 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 48 29 47 25 / 10 10 20 0 Belen........................... 52 30 51 17 / 10 5 20 0 Bernalillo...................... 47 30 47 24 / 10 20 30 0 Bosque Farms.................... 51 30 50 16 / 10 5 20 0 Corrales........................ 48 30 47 23 / 10 20 20 0 Los Lunas....................... 51 30 50 17 / 10 5 20 0 Placitas........................ 43 30 44 25 / 10 20 20 0 Rio Rancho...................... 47 29 46 25 / 10 10 20 0 Socorro......................... 55 31 55 25 / 5 0 5 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 39 26 39 22 / 20 20 60 0 Tijeras......................... 41 27 42 23 / 20 20 20 0 Edgewood........................ 41 24 42 20 / 10 10 20 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 44 23 44 15 / 5 10 30 0 Clines Corners.................. 39 24 40 18 / 0 5 20 0 Mountainair..................... 42 27 44 20 / 10 5 10 0 Gran Quivira.................... 44 28 47 21 / 10 5 10 0 Carrizozo....................... 52 35 52 26 / 5 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 44 31 45 25 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 40 16 41 11 / 0 0 20 0 Raton........................... 42 16 42 10 / 0 5 40 0 Springer........................ 45 18 46 12 / 0 5 20 0 Las Vegas....................... 41 23 41 15 / 0 5 30 0 Clayton......................... 49 20 50 17 / 0 0 10 0 Roy............................. 47 22 47 16 / 0 5 10 0 Conchas......................... 55 25 55 20 / 0 0 5 0 Santa Rosa...................... 51 25 53 23 / 0 0 5 0 Tucumcari....................... 55 26 57 20 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 56 29 59 25 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 58 30 60 25 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 56 28 59 24 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 65 36 66 29 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 56 36 57 27 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 54 35 52 25 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning from noon today to 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ104-123-126.

Fire Weather Watch Friday afternoon for NMZ104-125-126.

Wind Advisory until noon MST today for NMZ223-233.