textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1228 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

- Moderate to major heat risk remains across much of New Mexico, especially the Rio Grande Valley. Record high temperatures are expected for several days over central and western New Mexico.

- Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through the weekend. Stronger storms will produce gusty outflow winds, heavy rainfall, and frequent lightning strikes.

- Smoke from wildfires in Utah, Nevada, and Colorado may continue to impact air quality across northern New Mexico.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Saturday night) Issued at 1228 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

The monsoon high remains entrenched across the Four Corners region today, centered along the AZ/UT border with H5 heights reaching 598- 599dm. Heat remains the main story for today and Saturday, with highs commonly reaching the 100F mark across all lower elevation areas of western, central and eastern NM. A Heat Advisory is in effect this afternoon for portions of northwestern and central NM including Farmington, Espanola, Albuquerque, Grants, and the East Mtn Communities of the Sandia/Manzano Mts. Another Heat Advisory will be issued with this forecast package for Saturday afternoon and early evening for these same zones, with the exception of the west- central highlands (Grants, Acoma and Laguna Pueblos).

Thunderstorm coverage will be modest this afternoon with scattered storms favoring development along the central mountain chain, and isolated storm development over the west-central mountains. Steering flow will be clockwise around the high, pushing storms southeastward off the Sangre de Cristo's, westward off the Sacramento's and Gila NF, with very slow moving isolated storms if any as one gets closer to the Four Corners. There is enough instability and modest bulk shear to allow for a pulse short-lived strong to severe storm moving off the Sangre de Cristo's over the adjacent highlands and northeastern plains this afternoon. Otherwise, storms look to be fairly typical monsoon season afternoon thunderstorms producing local wetting footprints, lightning, and gusty and erratic winds. This activity looks to congeal over the east-central plains of NM this evening before petering out late this evening the areas between Tucumcari, Ft. Sumner, Roswell, and Clovis.

Thunderstorm activity trends lower Saturday as the high expands and builds slightly over northern NM alongside a bit more drier air intruding from the north. Isolated development and coverage is still forecast over the high terrain, but with less spread over surrounding highlands and lower elevations thru the afternoon and evening.

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 1228 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

Subtle and slow changes to the monsoon high begins to take hold Sunday and through next week. H5 heights begin to lower to 595-596dm Sunday and Monday while the center of the high remains over the Four Corners region to along the NM/CO border. This will allow high temperatures to begin retreating from near record levels across northern and central NM. Scattered afternoon thunderstorm activity will continue to favor development over the high terrain with lower coverage closer to the Four Corners region. Storms will be slow movers tracking slowly clockwise around the center of the high each day. East canyon winds pushing into Santa Fe and Albuquerque each evening also looks likely into early next week.

Tuesday and beyond sees the monsoon high begin to expand in area while also lowering in height and meandering eastward toward TX. This will allow for a tap of monsoonal moisture from the Gulf of CA into the Desert Southwest resulting in an uptick in PWs to the 1.00" to 1.20" by the later half of next week. Coverage of afternoon thunderstorms trends upwards with storms becoming more rain efficient producers. This will increase the risk of flash flooding where locally heavy rainfall does occur, notably over recent burn scars.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1126 AM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms will favor development along the central mountain chain and southwest mountains early this afternoon. Storms will track clockwise around the center of the high situated along the UT/AZ border with storms moving S/SE off the Sangre de Cristo's, and SW/W off the Sacramento's and southwestern mountains. Localized and brief IFR/MVFR conditions will accompany any of these cells with the longest lasting moving off the Sangre de Cristo's. These cells will congeal over the east-central plains of NM lasting well into the evening. PROB30s for TS have been included at KSAF and KROW to address this. Gusty E/SE canyon winds will also impact KSAF and KABQ early this evening with winds calming by the 06Z to 08Z hour.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1228 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

Monsoon high remains entrenched over the region allowing for above normal heat alongside isolated to scattered afternoon thunderstorms with small wetting footprints. Moisture ticks up with high temperatures trending lower by mid to late next week as the monsoon high slides east of NM. Overnight recoveries improve alongside an increased coverage of afternoon and evening thunderstorms each day.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 65 101 66 100 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 53 97 55 97 / 0 0 0 10 Cuba............................ 60 95 61 95 / 0 5 10 10 Gallup.......................... 57 95 59 94 / 0 10 10 20 El Morro........................ 55 89 57 89 / 10 30 10 40 Grants.......................... 57 95 59 95 / 10 10 10 20 Quemado......................... 58 90 59 90 / 20 20 10 30 Magdalena....................... 63 91 64 92 / 40 5 0 20 Datil........................... 58 87 58 87 / 20 20 5 50 Reserve......................... 57 94 58 94 / 10 30 10 40 Glenwood........................ 61 98 62 99 / 10 40 10 30 Chama........................... 53 90 55 90 / 5 5 0 20 Los Alamos...................... 63 91 63 91 / 0 20 5 30 Pecos........................... 57 90 59 92 / 5 20 5 30 Cerro/Questa.................... 57 90 59 91 / 0 5 10 20 Red River....................... 49 81 50 82 / 0 5 10 30 Angel Fire...................... 42 84 45 86 / 0 10 5 40 Taos............................ 55 94 57 95 / 0 5 5 10 Mora............................ 53 88 55 91 / 0 20 5 50 Espanola........................ 61 100 63 100 / 0 10 5 10 Santa Fe........................ 62 92 64 93 / 0 10 5 10 Santa Fe Airport................ 60 95 61 96 / 0 5 5 10 Albuquerque Foothills........... 69 99 70 100 / 5 5 5 5 Albuquerque Heights............. 66 100 68 100 / 5 0 5 5 Albuquerque Valley.............. 68 102 68 103 / 5 0 5 5 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 69 100 70 101 / 5 0 5 5 Belen........................... 65 100 66 102 / 10 0 5 5 Bernalillo...................... 67 101 68 102 / 5 0 5 5 Bosque Farms.................... 64 100 66 102 / 5 0 5 5 Corrales........................ 68 102 70 103 / 5 0 5 5 Los Lunas....................... 66 100 67 101 / 5 0 5 5 Placitas........................ 66 97 67 98 / 5 0 5 5 Rio Rancho...................... 67 100 69 102 / 5 0 5 5 Socorro......................... 71 102 72 102 / 20 0 0 5 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 60 94 63 93 / 10 5 5 10 Tijeras......................... 62 95 64 94 / 10 10 5 10 Edgewood........................ 56 95 59 95 / 10 10 10 20 Moriarty/Estancia............... 54 95 57 97 / 20 10 10 10 Clines Corners.................. 58 91 62 92 / 30 5 5 10 Mountainair..................... 57 94 61 95 / 40 0 10 10 Gran Quivira.................... 58 91 60 92 / 50 0 10 5 Carrizozo....................... 63 93 64 94 / 30 10 5 5 Ruidoso......................... 58 86 58 87 / 20 20 0 20 Capulin......................... 57 90 60 91 / 5 10 5 30 Raton........................... 55 93 56 95 / 5 10 5 20 Springer........................ 54 95 56 98 / 10 20 5 20 Las Vegas....................... 55 90 58 93 / 10 20 5 30 Clayton......................... 65 97 69 98 / 10 0 0 5 Roy............................. 59 93 63 95 / 20 5 5 10 Conchas......................... 63 100 69 102 / 50 0 0 5 Santa Rosa...................... 61 96 66 98 / 60 0 5 5 Tucumcari....................... 63 100 70 102 / 60 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 66 98 68 99 / 30 0 0 0 Portales........................ 66 98 69 99 / 30 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 65 98 68 99 / 70 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 71 99 72 101 / 30 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 64 95 64 97 / 30 0 0 0 Elk............................. 60 92 60 94 / 10 5 0 10

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ201-207-217-219- 221.

Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM MDT Saturday for NMZ201-217-219- 221.