textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1202 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026

- The risk of rapid fire spread will return to northeast and east central areas on Sunday when stronger winds and low humidity return.

- A Pacific low will bring chances for precipitation, increased cloud cover and cooler temperatures Monday night through Tuesday.

- A warming trend is forecast from mid to late next week, with temperatures rising well above average areawide by Friday.

- Breezy to locally windy and dry conditions will bring the risk of rapid fire spread back on Thursday and Friday, focusing across eastern NM.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Sunday) Issued at 1202 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026

The latest water vapor satellite imagery shows a developing and retrograding upper low along the AZ/CA border, which will be player in our forecast early next week. In the meantime, a developing upper level ridge over NM will be the story this weekend. Today will be on the cooler side behind a weak cold front that is currently progressing south across the area. Warming is forecast Sunday with temperatures rising above average areawide, especially across northeast and east central NM where a deepening lee side trough will bring gusty westerly winds and provide some downslope warming.

LONG TERM

(Sunday night through Friday) Issued at 1202 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026

The upper level ridge will hold over the area on Monday as the previously mentioned upper low spins over the northern Baja Peninsula. Warming will continue Monday, with temperatures rising well above average areawide. Breezy to locally windy conditions are forecast once again across east central NM due mostly to lee side troughing. Moisture advection will ramp up Monday night in advance of the approaching upper level low. The 00Z medium range model solutions are in good agreement with the upper low filling as it moves northeast across the state on Tuesday, eventually opening up into an upper level trough as it ejects into the TX Panhandle Tuesday night. This will be a quick- hitter, which will limit the associated qpf, and relatively warm temperatures aloft will limit snow accumulation to above 8-9Kft across southern portions of the area. Low probabilities exist for higher terrain at this time. A backdoor cold front will drop south across eastern NM late Tuesday night into Wednesday behind the departing trough, brining temperatures down closer to average. Increasing west-northwest flow aloft is forecast Thu/Fri, bringing breezy to locally windy conditions and a renewed warming trend with temperatures rising well above average areawide by Friday.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1202 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026

Light breezes will prevailing in most western and central locations tonight, but the exception will come from a weak and dry cold front that will kick up a few gusts to 20 to 30 kt late tonight when it enters the far eastern plains of NM (impacting KCAO, KTCC, and KCVN). Winds will subside through the daytime with wind direction veering (turning clockwise) in direction. VFR conditions will prevail.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1202 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026

Cooler conditions will prevail today behind a cold front, but warming is forecast Sun/Mon under the influence of ridging aloft. A deepening lee side trough will bring stronger west-southwest winds to much of northeast and east central NM on Sunday, with a good chance for critical fire weather conditions. A Fire Weather Watch remains in effect for Sunday for portions of northeast and east central NM. Similar setup for Monday, but with the potential for critical fire weather conditions focusing slightly further south across east central NM. A cutoff low over the Baja Peninsula will approach Monday night and move over the area on Tuesday, bringing increased humidity, cooler temperatures and chances for wetting precipitation that will focus south of I-40. A backdoor cold front will bring cooling to eastern NM on Wednesday behind the departing upper low. A renewed warming/drying trend is forecast next Thu/Fri, with temperatures trending well above average and strengthening WNW flow aloft bringing breezy to locally windy conditions and the potential for critical fire weather conditions.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 53 24 61 28 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 51 17 58 21 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 50 23 60 28 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 54 16 63 21 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 52 20 61 25 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 54 18 65 23 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 55 22 64 27 / 0 0 5 0 Magdalena....................... 54 31 63 37 / 0 0 5 0 Datil........................... 52 25 61 30 / 0 0 5 0 Reserve......................... 60 24 68 29 / 0 0 5 0 Glenwood........................ 64 29 73 34 / 0 0 5 5 Chama........................... 45 18 52 23 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 50 30 60 36 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 51 26 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 48 23 57 30 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 42 16 50 22 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 46 10 53 18 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 52 18 61 22 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 51 24 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 57 23 66 28 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 53 27 62 31 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 56 25 65 29 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 57 34 65 41 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 59 33 68 38 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 61 26 70 30 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 59 31 68 36 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 61 27 70 33 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 59 29 68 34 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 61 26 70 30 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 60 29 69 34 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 61 27 69 32 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 56 31 64 38 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 59 31 67 37 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 63 34 71 39 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 53 31 61 36 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 54 31 62 37 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 54 27 63 33 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 55 19 66 24 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 51 27 62 32 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 55 28 65 34 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 55 28 64 35 / 0 0 5 0 Carrizozo....................... 60 36 68 42 / 0 0 10 0 Ruidoso......................... 51 28 62 36 / 0 0 10 5 Capulin......................... 51 19 64 27 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 54 18 68 25 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 57 18 69 25 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 52 25 65 33 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 56 31 72 39 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 54 26 70 33 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 61 28 76 37 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 57 28 72 38 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 61 30 77 40 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 60 33 74 42 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 62 30 75 41 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 61 27 73 35 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 63 34 72 41 / 0 0 10 0 Picacho......................... 57 32 70 40 / 0 0 5 0 Elk............................. 56 30 68 38 / 0 0 10 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Fire Weather Watch from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening for NMZ104-123-126.