textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 451 AM MST Fri Feb 20 2026

- Strong to potentially damaging westerly winds will plague much of the area from the central mountain chain eastward again on today, creating hazardous crosswinds on north-to-south oriented roads.

- Snow will produce winter driving conditions across the west central and northern mountains today, with a moderately strong snow squall even at lower elevations this morning as a blustery cold front crosses west central, northwest, and north central New Mexico. - Critical fire weather conditions will increase the risk of rapid fire spread across northeast and east central areas today, then potentially again Tuesday and especially Wednesday.

- A warming trend will begin this weekend and continue into the middle of next week with temperatures rising well above average most places starting Monday.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Saturday) Issued at 150 AM MST Fri Feb 20 2026

The third and final upper level trough of the week will pass eastward over the central and southern Rockies with a quick burst of snow over the northwest third of the forecast area for the remainder of tonight and Friday. Because temperatures are colder there will be higher snow ratios, so this system will produce more snow than the previous two. The northern mountains, Chuska Mountains, and far northwest highlands will be favored for a few inches of snow, except 5-10 inches on higher ridgelines near the CO border. Further, a blustery Pacific cold front looks to have plenty of instability and wind to produce a moderate snow squall as it crosses west central, northwest, and north central NM this morning. The NAM12 Snow Squall Parameter varies from 7-10 (on a scale of 12) over this area, with the greatest impacts expected from the Tusas and Chuska Mountains westward, where CAPE around 200 J/KG and LIs around 0 to -3 C could result in a few lightning strikes and thundersnow. Motorists on I-40 from Grants westward, on Highway 550 from Cuba northwestward, and on Highway 64 from Taos westward will likely encounter a roughly 1 hour period of heavy snow dropping visibilities around 1/4-1/2 mile, wind gusts up to 45 mph, and a quick inch or so of accumulation as the cold front passes from east to west from 7 AM to noon. Low temperatures mostly in the teens and 20s this morning will enable the snow to stick causing quick deterioration of road conditions and making driving hazardous. Snow will gradually decrease in coverage and intensity this afternoon, lingering longest near the CO border.

The storm system will also steer the jetstream over NM, while a surface low over the northeast corner of NM deepens near 998 mb, producing another high wind event today. Wind speeds at 700 mb look to vary around 40-55 KT, with the strongest surface wind gusts reaching 45-55 mph in most locations along and east of the central mountain chain. An exception will be gusts around 60 mph from the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains south and southeastward to Clines Corners, Vaughn, Santa Rosa, Las Vegas, and Conchas Lake. Lighter gusts from 35-40 mph are expected west of the central mountain chain, except for a brief period of gusts around 45 mph with the passage of the Pacific cold front, and some localized gusts over 50 mph on the highest mountain peaks. Humidities will be low enough today for critical fire weather conditions across the northeast and east central areas.

High temperatures will vary from near to around 18 degrees below 1991-2020 averages this afternoon, then from near to 15 degrees below the averages on Saturday as the weather dries out and skies clear.

LONG TERM

(Saturday night through Thursday) Issued at 150 AM MST Fri Feb 20 2026

Dry weather is forecast this weekend and during the first half of the coming work week as a ridge of high pressure builds over the Desert Southwest. High temperatures will trend warmer, reaching near to several degrees above 30-year averages starting Monday, then peaking around 6-19 degrees above the averages on Tuesday an Wednesday. An increasingly active storm track over the northern and central Rockies will weaken the ridge and strengthen the flow aloft producing breezy to windy conditions along and east of the central mountain chain Tuesday. Wednesday and Wednesday night, an upper level trough diving southeastward out of the central Rockies is forecast to steer a strong jetstream over the forecast area with a good chance for wind gusts in the 40 to 55 mph range, and potentially higher in our typically windy locations like mountain peaks and Clines Corners. Cooler temperatures are then likely on Thursday in the wake of the storm system, which doesn't look to produce much if any precipitation over New Mexico.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 451 AM MST Fri Feb 20 2026

Snow and mountain obscurations will continue today in the northern and western mountains, through much of the morning at lower elevations of northwest and west central NM with MVFR and IFR conditions. The snow and flight category restrictions should linger well into the afternoon from Taos and Questa to Chama and Dulce. A blustery Pacific cold front will pass from west to east over west central, northwest, and north central NM this morning with a moderately strong snow squall producing an hour or so of IFR conditions, a west and northwest wind shift, and wind gusts from 30-45KT. The strongest winds today will be felt along and east of the central mountain chain, where gusts will commonly peak around 45-60 KT. Blowing dust is likely in dust-prone parts of the eastern plains. Wind speeds will weaken with sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 150 AM MST Fri Feb 20 2026

With ERC's varying from the 50th to 95th percentile, humidities from 13-20 percent, and wind gusts up to 60 mph today, a Red Flag Warning remains in effect from 9 AM until 6 PM for the eastern plains and the Central Highlands. The main concern in the central highlands will be Guadalupe County, where ERCs are above the 50th percentile. Farther west in the Central Highlands, ERC's are below the 50th percentile, but wind gusts should be the strongest there reaching around 60 mph. Models are now indicating critical fire weather conditions developing across east central areas Tuesday, then becoming widespread east of the central mountain chain with the strong wind event on Wednesday. We will need to watch the progress of the upper level trough midweek, because it could push a backdoor front into the northeast plains on Wednesday limiting the coverage of critical fire weather conditions somewhat. Otherwise, broad areas of poor ventilation are forecast over central and western parts of the fire weather forecast area on Saturday and Sunday. Poor ventilation will probably spread to northeast areas as well on Monday, with pockets of poor ventilation lingering into Tuesday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 38 16 41 20 / 80 5 0 0 Dulce........................... 34 2 41 4 / 100 10 0 0 Cuba............................ 37 14 42 17 / 80 5 0 0 Gallup.......................... 36 6 44 10 / 80 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 34 14 45 21 / 80 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 39 9 47 14 / 70 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 40 15 50 22 / 30 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 46 23 48 28 / 10 0 0 0 Datil........................... 41 19 47 24 / 20 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 45 14 57 21 / 50 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 48 18 61 24 / 50 0 0 0 Chama........................... 27 1 36 9 / 100 20 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 36 18 41 23 / 60 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 37 16 45 18 / 60 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 31 10 38 16 / 90 5 0 0 Red River....................... 23 5 30 11 / 90 10 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 29 3 36 3 / 80 5 0 0 Taos............................ 35 8 43 9 / 70 5 0 0 Mora............................ 36 13 44 15 / 70 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 44 14 49 15 / 60 5 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 38 19 44 23 / 60 5 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 41 18 46 20 / 50 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 46 27 50 30 / 30 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 49 25 52 27 / 20 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 51 22 55 24 / 20 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 49 24 52 26 / 20 0 0 0 Belen........................... 52 19 54 20 / 20 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 49 24 53 26 / 30 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 51 19 54 21 / 20 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 50 24 53 25 / 20 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 51 21 54 22 / 20 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 45 24 48 28 / 30 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 49 24 52 26 / 20 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 57 25 56 26 / 5 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 41 21 44 25 / 40 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 42 23 46 26 / 40 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 43 19 47 20 / 30 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 45 14 49 13 / 30 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 40 17 44 21 / 30 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 46 19 49 21 / 20 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 48 19 50 22 / 10 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 53 25 55 27 / 5 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 46 24 49 24 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 41 12 42 17 / 20 0 0 0 Raton........................... 42 11 45 13 / 40 0 0 0 Springer........................ 45 13 48 13 / 30 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 40 14 45 17 / 30 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 51 19 48 23 / 20 0 0 0 Roy............................. 47 16 47 19 / 20 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 57 19 54 21 / 10 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 52 22 50 21 / 10 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 59 21 53 21 / 10 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 61 26 53 23 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 63 24 55 21 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 60 23 54 20 / 5 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 65 29 58 26 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 58 26 57 24 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 56 22 57 22 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM MST this evening for NMZ104-125-126.

High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ214-215-223-229-232-233.

Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ212-213-221-222-226-228-231-234>237-239-240.

Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ210.

Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for NMZ203.