textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1140 PM MDT Wed Aug 19 2026

- Some storms may turn severe over northeast and east central New Mexico Thursday afternoon with large hail and damaging winds being the main threats.

- Smoke from the Frijoles Fire will continue to impact air quality in the vicinity of the fire this week.

- Moderate-to-major heat risk will impact portions of the region on most days through early next week with record-to-near-record high temperatures in some areas.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 149 PM MDT Wed Aug 19 2026

Storm coverage is expected to peak today and Thursday in the wake of a "moist" backdoor "cold" front that entered eastern NM this morning. Unfortunately, this "uptick" will be brief as yet another dry, hot, and stable airmass returns by the weekend and thru most of next week. The 18Z KABQ sounding showed a PWAT of 1.03" but a pesky subsidence inversion is present near 500mb with heights at 598dm. Surface dewpoints have risen into the upper 50s over northeast NM but remain in the 30s and 40s over central and western NM. 12Z CAMs and probabilistic QPF still shows the next 48-hrs as the more favorable period for locally heavy rainfall over parts of the area, except the southeast plains and the Four Corners area. The focus for strong storms today will be over northeast NM where the richer moisture and instability is present beneath northwest flow aloft. Elsewhere, any storms today will be capable of strong downburst wind gusts with small footprints of heavy rainfall. This rainfall will act like a top-down moistening effect for the higher QPF potential Thursday.

LONG TERM

(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 149 PM MDT Wed Aug 19 2026

Friday thru Monday has trended even drier with the main storm focus over far northern and western NM while a 598dm H5 high centers over eastern NM. Drier upper level air will slide northwest beneath the upper high which helps to stabilize the airmass even moreso. PWATs are also shown falling below 0.75" in many areas. Temps continue to rise over the weekend and early next week with readings well above normal for most of next week. This pattern will continue to prove challenging for firefighting efforts on any fires over the area. This pattern will also place the 2026 monsoon season in even more solid territory as one of the driest and hottest ever recorded for many areas to date.

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1140 PM MDT Wed Aug 19 2026

Showers and thunderstorms will gradually decrease in coverage through the late night hours lingering longest between Socorro and Fort Sumner. On Thursday afternoon and evening, scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms return to much of the forecast area. Storm motion will be toward the south and southwest around 5-15 KT. A few of Thursday's stronger storms will be capable of producing wet microbursts with localized, brief, and erratic wind gusts up to 45 KT.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 149 PM MDT Wed Aug 19 2026

The coverage of showers and storms with locally heavy rainfall will peak today thru Friday then chances decrease for much of the region thru the weekend. New fire starts are still possible from lightning strikes in dry fuels. Burn scar flooding may occur in areas with repeated rounds of heavy rainfall the next few days. Temperatures will be hot thru all of next week with record highs possible in some areas. Storm chances will be low in most areas for most of next week as well. Min humidity will fall to near 15% over localized areas of central and western NM thru the weekend before lowering further next week over a larger area. Overnight humidity recoveries will be fair to good with the higher values over eastern NM.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 65 99 67 96 / 0 5 10 10 Dulce........................... 56 93 56 93 / 10 40 20 60 Cuba............................ 60 94 59 91 / 10 30 40 10 Gallup.......................... 59 96 60 91 / 20 10 20 50 El Morro........................ 56 87 56 86 / 30 40 40 60 Grants.......................... 59 94 56 90 / 30 30 50 40 Quemado......................... 60 88 59 86 / 30 50 30 60 Magdalena....................... 64 89 63 87 / 30 20 30 40 Datil........................... 58 86 58 84 / 20 40 30 30 Reserve......................... 58 92 58 91 / 30 50 20 30 Glenwood........................ 62 96 62 97 / 20 40 20 10 Chama........................... 54 85 54 85 / 20 50 30 60 Los Alamos...................... 64 84 62 87 / 30 20 30 20 Pecos........................... 57 90 57 91 / 60 50 30 30 Cerro/Questa.................... 56 86 56 87 / 60 20 30 40 Red River....................... 49 76 48 77 / 60 50 30 60 Angel Fire...................... 42 79 38 81 / 70 50 30 60 Taos............................ 59 88 49 90 / 50 20 30 30 Mora............................ 54 85 54 86 / 80 50 20 50 Espanola........................ 65 96 65 96 / 40 20 30 20 Santa Fe........................ 61 89 57 90 / 50 40 30 20 Santa Fe Airport................ 60 91 56 92 / 50 20 30 10 Albuquerque Foothills........... 68 93 64 93 / 30 20 40 10 Albuquerque Heights............. 70 95 67 94 / 30 20 30 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 68 96 65 96 / 30 20 30 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 68 96 64 96 / 30 20 30 0 Belen........................... 67 99 66 98 / 20 20 30 0 Bernalillo...................... 68 97 65 96 / 30 20 40 5 Bosque Farms.................... 65 97 64 97 / 30 20 30 0 Corrales........................ 67 98 65 97 / 30 20 30 5 Los Lunas....................... 64 98 64 97 / 20 20 30 0 Placitas........................ 67 92 63 92 / 40 20 40 10 Rio Rancho...................... 69 97 68 96 / 30 20 30 5 Socorro......................... 71 99 67 97 / 10 20 20 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 64 90 63 89 / 40 30 40 20 Tijeras......................... 64 91 64 90 / 40 30 40 20 Edgewood........................ 62 90 60 90 / 40 40 30 20 Moriarty/Estancia............... 56 92 53 93 / 40 40 30 10 Clines Corners.................. 60 86 57 87 / 50 40 30 10 Mountainair..................... 61 91 60 91 / 30 40 40 30 Gran Quivira.................... 60 90 60 90 / 30 40 30 30 Carrizozo....................... 67 94 66 94 / 30 30 20 10 Ruidoso......................... 60 84 60 85 / 20 40 10 50 Capulin......................... 56 86 57 88 / 60 30 20 20 Raton........................... 55 90 56 93 / 60 40 30 10 Springer........................ 56 92 56 94 / 60 30 20 10 Las Vegas....................... 57 85 54 88 / 70 40 20 20 Clayton......................... 63 92 64 96 / 30 5 10 5 Roy............................. 60 91 61 93 / 40 10 20 0 Conchas......................... 66 98 66 100 / 40 5 10 0 Santa Rosa...................... 66 95 66 96 / 40 10 30 0 Tucumcari....................... 66 98 67 102 / 20 5 10 0 Clovis.......................... 67 97 67 98 / 30 5 20 0 Portales........................ 67 100 68 99 / 20 5 20 0 Fort Sumner..................... 69 98 69 99 / 30 5 20 0 Roswell......................... 70 104 72 103 / 10 0 10 0 Picacho......................... 66 96 65 96 / 5 10 5 0 Elk............................. 62 91 61 91 / 0 10 5 10

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.