textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 619 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026 - A potent cold front moving south through the area this afternoon and evening will create showers and storms over northern New Mexico along with a brief period of strong wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph.

- Valley rain and mountain snow will bring minor travel impacts with reduced visibility to the northern mountains through this evening.

- A late season hard freeze tonight will pose a risk to newly budding plants and sensitive vegetation over northern valley areas and the northeast plains Thursday morning.

UPDATE

Issued at 619 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

The Freeze Warning for tonight was expanded to include the Estancia Basin and the Central Highlands. A hard freeze is likely for much of this area and both locations are within a week or two of the average last freeze date. Temperatures may drop as low as 24 degrees near Moriarty.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

A potent shortwave trough is dropping south from the southern Rockies into northern NM per the latest water vapor satellite imagery. An area of precipitation with embedded shower and isolated storms is expanding and moving southeast into northern NM and will bring another round of snow to the northern mountains, with a mix of rain/snow across the lower elevations of northeast NM through this evening. Several inches of snow are likely across the peaks of the northern mountains, especially in the Sangre De Cristos. The shortwave trough will also push a cold front south through the area late this afternoon and evening, resulting in gusty north-northwest winds and brisk conditions. Cold air advection and clearing overnight will result in a late season freeze across portions of northern NM and areas that haven't reached their average last freeze date (or are close) have been included in a Freeze Warning through early Thursday morning. Areas of fog are likely to develop across portions of eastern NM early Thursday morning depending on the extent of precipitation later today, but forecast confidence is too low to include a mention at this time. Much lighter winds will prevail Thursday behind the departing shortwave trough and a warming/drying trend will begin.

LONG TERM

(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

A weak Baja low will pass south of the area on Friday, with pressure heights on the uptrend and the warming trend continuing through Saturday. Daytime mixing of moderate northwest flow aloft on Saturday will bring breezy to locally windy conditions by afternoon. A strong backdoor cold front will push down the eastern plains and highlands Saturday night and may create an easterly gap/canyon wind into the Rio Grande and Upper Tularosa Valleys early Sunday morning. Cooler conditions will prevail behind the front on Sunday, which will bring sufficient moisture for a limited round of afternoon/evening convection along the central mountain chain and adjacent eastern highlands. Pressure heights will trend up more Mon/Tue as a 590dam 500mb high develops over AZ and shifts east over NM, bringing well above average temperatures. Albuquerque will likely see high temperatures in the low 90s next Mon/Tue, while Roswell soars to near 100 degrees. The upper high will move east of the area by the middle of next week, opening up the southern door for moisture and a potential round of convection.

AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 536 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

Scattered showers will continue to favor areas north of I-40 through the evening, with precip. ending from west to east as a Pacific cold front ushers in drier air from the west. Meanwhile, north to northeast winds are present in eastern NM in the wake of the backdoor portion of the cold front. Snow showers have been observed at locations such as KRTN and a brief period of snow cannot be ruled out at KLVS. Snow accumulations are unlikely on runways given the warm temperatures.

The backdoor front will push south and west overnight, creating gusty north winds at sites such as KROW. The front may squeeze through the gaps of the central mtn chain around sunrise, but wind gusts should remain below 20 knots. Patchy MVFR conditions will likely develop in east-central NM overnight and in southeastern NM around sunrise, but the probability was too low (~15%) to include in the Roswell TAF.

Mostly clear skies with winds generally below 15 knots are expected tomorrow afternoon.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1228 PM MDT Wed May 6 2026

Critical fire weather conditions are not forecast through at least the next seven days. A strong cold front will move south through the area this afternoon and evening, bringing a northerly wind shift and strong gusts. Good chances for wetting precipitation will persist through the evening hours across northeast and east central NM behind the cold front. Drying and warming is forecast through Saturday, with temperatures rising above average areawide by Friday. Breezy to locally wind conditions on Saturday afternoon will bring elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions, but ERC values are currently unsupportive of the rapid spread of fire. A strong backdoor cold front will push down the eastern plains Saturday night and bring and cooler conditions with an increase in humidity through Sunday. A few wetting showers or storms are possible Sunday afternoon/evening, mainly along the east slopes of the central mountain chain and adjacent eastern highlands. Continued warming is forecast early next week under the influence of high pressure aloft, with temperatures trending well above average.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 31 72 41 81 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 24 69 29 78 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 27 67 36 75 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 25 70 31 79 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 29 68 36 76 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 26 72 34 79 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 32 69 38 76 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 40 70 44 77 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 34 68 40 74 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 33 75 35 83 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 37 79 39 87 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 23 63 30 71 / 10 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 35 67 43 74 / 10 0 0 5 Pecos........................... 28 68 37 75 / 30 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 24 64 36 71 / 40 0 0 0 Red River....................... 21 54 31 61 / 50 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 15 61 25 68 / 30 0 0 5 Taos............................ 21 68 31 75 / 20 0 0 0 Mora............................ 26 68 37 73 / 30 0 0 5 Espanola........................ 31 73 40 81 / 10 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 33 67 41 75 / 20 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 31 70 38 79 / 10 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 41 72 48 82 / 10 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 42 73 45 83 / 10 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 38 76 43 86 / 5 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 40 75 45 84 / 5 0 0 0 Belen........................... 36 75 40 85 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 37 75 44 85 / 5 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 35 75 39 85 / 5 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 38 76 44 85 / 5 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 36 75 40 85 / 5 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 38 70 46 80 / 10 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 39 75 45 84 / 5 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 45 78 48 86 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 35 67 43 76 / 20 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 36 68 44 77 / 10 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 32 70 38 78 / 10 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 25 72 30 80 / 10 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 29 68 39 75 / 30 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 33 69 40 78 / 5 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 33 69 41 77 / 5 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 42 73 48 80 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 36 68 45 73 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 22 62 35 68 / 20 0 0 0 Raton........................... 22 67 33 74 / 10 0 0 0 Springer........................ 23 69 34 76 / 40 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 26 69 37 75 / 40 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 31 70 43 76 / 70 0 0 0 Roy............................. 28 68 39 76 / 60 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 34 77 44 84 / 60 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 33 75 42 81 / 20 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 34 77 48 85 / 50 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 36 77 47 87 / 5 0 0 0 Portales........................ 37 78 47 88 / 5 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 35 76 45 87 / 5 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 44 76 48 88 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 39 73 45 83 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 37 74 42 81 / 0 0 0 5

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Freeze Warning from 3 AM to 9 AM MDT Thursday for NMZ201-217-218.

Freeze Warning from 10 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT Thursday for NMZ222-223-228>231.