textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1055 AM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

- Dry and unseasonably mild weather (outside of a cooler Sunday) persists through at least late next week across central and northern New Mexico.

- Breezy winds across the central highlands of eastern New Mexico most days (except today and Sunday) will create some difficult crosswinds for large and high-profile vehicles. Strongest winds expected on Wednesday.

SHORT TERM

(This afternoon through Saturday) Issued at 1055 AM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

A weak backdoor front has pushed south across eastern NM early this morning. The result has been cooler highs compared to yesterday's near record to record breaking warmth but today's highs are still around 10 to 15 degrees above average for mid December. Temperatures across western and central NM are still around record warm for mid December and 15 to 20 degrees above average. Dry northwest flow remains over the state Saturday as an upper level ridge remains over the Great Basin. Eastern NM warms back up around 5 to 8 degrees compared to today due to another surface lee trough resulting in downslope west and northwest winds across east central and southeast NM. Winds across the central highlands and Torrance and eastern Guadalupe County will once again become a little windy with max gusts of around 45 mph during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A stronger backdoor front, associated with an upper low moving across the northern Great Lakes, enters northeast NM Saturday afternoon before pushing through all of eastern NM Saturday evening. Some gusty north winds across the eastern plains behind this front with max wind gusts of around 20 to 30 mph. The backdoor front squeezes through the gaps of the central mountain chain late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Still looking at an at most moderate gap wind across Santa Fe, eastern ABQ and Carrizozo. Max gap wind gusts of around 25 to 30 mph early Sunday morning.

LONG TERM

(Saturday night through next Thursday) Issued at 1055 AM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

Saturday night's backdoor front cools temperatures across central and especially eastern NM on Sunday. Temperatures will be around 5 to 10 degrees cooler compared to Saturday across central NM (still around 10 degrees above average) and around 15 to 25 degrees cooler compared to Saturday across the eastern plains. Upslope flow behind the backdoor front will result in some low clouds across southeast NM through early Sunday afternoon and thus the coolest high temperatures across this part of the state, 5 to 10 degrees below average for mid December. No impact to temperatures, compared to Saturday, across northwest NM as the axis of the upper level ridge moves over the state.

A baggy upper level trough moves through the desert SW Monday morning through Tuesday morning with the only noticable feature during this time being some mid to high level clouds over the state Sunday evening through Monday evening. Downslope west winds warms temperatures across eastern NM back up to around 10 to 20 degrees above average on Monday. High temperatures still around 10 to 15 degrees above average across western and central NM. Dry northwest flow on Tuesday in the wake of the trough becoming stronger zonal flow mid to late next week. Another weak trough among this zonal flow moves through the central Rockies Wednesday resulting in generally breezy west winds along and east of the central mountain chain. Locally windy across the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and adjacent eastern highlands with max gusts of around 45 to 50 mph. NBM 90th percentile winds do show Wind Advisory criteria in this zone, so this bears watching as we get closer. Near record to record warm temperatures for many Monday through Wednesday. Cooler, but still decently above average, across eastern NM Thursday behind a weak backdoor front. Still near record to record warm across western and central NM.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1055 AM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

VFR conditions with clear skies and generally light winds. Another brisk north drainage wind at KSAF Saturday morning.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1055 AM MST Fri Dec 12 2025

Dry weather with no critical fire weather conditions through mid next week. Very mild to warm through Saturday. Gusty northwest winds across the central highlands Saturday afternoon. Cooler across central and especially eastern areas Sunday behind a stronger backdoor front Saturday evening and night. Temperatures warm up to well above normal readings Monday and beyond. Near record to record warm for most Monday through Wednesday and western and central areas Thursday. Breezy to locally gusty west winds along and east of the central mountain chain Wednesday could result in some elevated fire weather condtions due to being in a decently long dry stretch, but ERCs are expected to be well below the 50th percentile. Ventilation generally poor, expect for some fair to locally good ventilation across the eastern and San Augustin plains Saturday afternoon.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 25 55 26 56 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 20 58 21 56 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 25 57 25 53 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 16 62 15 60 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 29 61 28 61 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 16 63 15 60 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 29 62 26 62 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 34 65 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 31 63 28 58 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 25 70 25 64 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 30 74 28 67 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 24 53 25 50 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 36 58 33 52 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 34 62 27 56 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 29 56 29 53 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 27 49 25 47 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 15 55 10 53 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 19 57 15 55 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 32 62 26 58 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 27 62 25 57 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 35 58 31 54 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 29 60 25 54 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 39 62 34 56 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 34 64 32 57 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 31 66 29 59 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 33 65 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 26 64 24 57 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 33 65 30 58 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 27 65 25 58 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 32 65 30 58 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 28 65 26 58 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 37 62 32 55 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 33 65 31 57 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 32 68 30 60 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 35 58 28 53 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 35 60 30 54 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 31 61 26 55 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 25 64 22 57 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 32 60 25 53 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 32 62 26 56 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 32 62 26 57 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 37 65 33 60 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 39 61 29 54 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 30 62 23 53 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 27 65 22 54 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 25 69 20 57 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 32 66 25 56 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 35 66 26 51 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 30 69 24 50 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 29 73 27 55 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 35 73 27 53 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 33 72 25 56 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 35 69 27 49 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 33 70 26 49 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 31 75 25 51 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 33 74 31 51 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 37 73 30 52 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 35 72 26 53 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.