textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 211 PM MDT Tue Apr 28 2026

- A high risk of rapid fire spread due to dry and gusty conditions will continue through sunset today for most areas east of the central mountain chain.

- Widespread rain arrives late Thursday through early Saturday with several inches of high mountain snow accumulating in northern New Mexico. Winter travel conditions are likely in the northern mountains, especially Thursday night and Friday.

- Gusty east crosswinds will develop below canyons opening into the Rio Grande and Upper Tularosa Valleys Thursday night and Friday.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Wednesday night) Issued at 211 PM MDT Tue Apr 28 2026

It's another mild to warm, breezy to gusty, and very dry day across the Land of Enchantment today. Winds are strongest across the northeast highlands and east central NM due to another surface lee trough along the east slopes of the central mountain chain. Wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph have been observed so far today across these zones. These winds combined with relative humidity values in the single digits will result in a higher risk for rapid fire spread across these zones. A backdoor front moved through the northeast plains this morning briefly increasing surface moisture across this part of the state. The front has mixed northeast out of the state thanks to the aforementioned surface lee trough, but southwest winds in this zone will be lighter compared to areas south and west, so decided to cancel the Red Flag Warning for just the Northeast Plains zone.

West winds will taper off around sunset with increasing upper level and mid level clouds heading into Wednesday morning ahead of a disturbance over the Great Basin. Meanwhile, the backdoor front that impacted northeast NM this morning will push south and west once again, this time through all of eastern NM and through the gaps of the central mountain chain around daybreak Wednesday. A few low clouds cannot be ruled out across the east slopes of the central mountain chain around daybreak Wednesday. Eastern Santa Fe and ABQ near canyon openings will see a light to at most breezy southeast to east wind mid to late Wednesday morning before westerly flow mixes down come midday and pushes the backdoor front east into Texas. Breezy west winds across western and central NM amd breezy south winds across the eastern plains Wednesday afternoon. Highs will be similar to today across western and central NM, but around 5 to 10 degrees cooler across the eastern plains due to the backdoor front. Mid to high level clouds will favor central and southern areas due to a tap of subtropical moisture ahead of an upper low southwest of southern CA. Some isolated showers and storms across far northeast NM near a disturbance moving across Colorado. These high to mid level clouds spread north Wednesday night into Thursday morning with some low clouds across far northeast NM as the backdoor front pushes back west and south through northeast and east central NM.

LONG TERM

(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 211 PM MDT Tue Apr 28 2026

A transition to a cooler and wetter pattern for the area begins Thursday as the upper low southwest of southern CA opens up and moves northeast over northern Baja CA and Sonora Mexico. Showers with some embedded storms will favor the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains due to upslope easterly flow behind the backdoor front. Heading into Thursday evening, showers and embedded storms will develop across southwest NM moving and expanding northeast across central and eastern NM Thursday night into Friday morning as the upper low/trough moves across the U.S./Mexico. The backdoor front along the east slopes of the central mountain chain will push through the gaps of the central mountain chain Thursday evening resulting in a very gusty east canyon wind across the eastern ABQ Metro. Guidance from the NAM shows potential for wind gusts of up to 45 mph during this time. This southern disturbance will combine with a northern disturbance across the Great Basin and central Rockies Friday morning helping to precipitation going across central and eastern NM.

Friday will be a chilly and dreary day across central and eastern NM with rain and embedded thunderstorms. A low looks to try to close off over southern UT and northern AZ Friday afternoon on the backside of the large scale disturbance over the Four Corners area. This low combined with better daytime heating across western NM will result in the development of showers and thunderstorms across this part of the state. Shower and storm activity slowly tapers off Friday night into Saturday morning as the upper level trough exits east and upper level ridging over the Pacific NW slowly expands south. Will likely have some patchy areas of fog across central and eastern NM Saturday morning due to low dewpoint depressions combined with saturated grounds. Overall QPF amounts Thursday through Saturday morning will be around 0.1 to 0.25 inches along and west of the Continental Divide, 0.5 inch to an inch across the RGV, and 1 to 2 inches along and east of the central mountain chain. Snow will be favored across the northern mountains above 8500 feet with snowfall amounts of 2 to 6 inches across the peaks of the Tusas and Jemez Mountains and 6 to 15 inches across the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Milder with lingering scattered showers and storms across the central mountains and nearby lower elevations Saturday due to higher surface moisture remaining trapped under the upper level ridge. Warmer with isolated shower and thunderstorm activity across the northern mountains and nearby highlands Sunday and Monday as the low levels gradually dry out underneath the upper level ridge. Unsettled weather looks to return to most of the forecast area as early as next Tuesday as a broad upper low inches east towards the Four Corners area. However, forecast confidence in the exact upper level pattern during this time is low.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1155 AM MDT Tue Apr 28 2026

Breezy to gusty west winds across most areas this afternoon with the strongest winds across the central mountain chain and east central NM with peak gusts around 25 to 35 kts. Increasing high and mid level clouds move in later today and overnight. A backdoor front pushes through eastern NM overnight into Wednesday morning with some low clouds developing along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia and Manzano Mountains mid Wednesday morning. The backdoor front will squeak through the gaps of the central mountain chain resulting in a light to breezy east (southeast) canyon wind at KABQ (KSAF).

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 211 PM MDT Tue Apr 28 2026

Critical fire weather conditions continue through the evening today across the northeast highlands and east-central New Mexico. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are forecast tomorrow, mainly for western New Mexico and central NM. Widespread rain and mountain snow arrives late Thursday into Friday, with good chances of rain amounts over one inch in eastern NM and snowfall over six inches in the northern mountains. Scattered showers and thunderstorms continue Saturday becoming more isolated to the northern high terrain Sunday and Monday as high pressure moves overhead.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 39 71 42 68 / 0 0 0 10 Dulce........................... 30 67 29 62 / 0 0 0 30 Cuba............................ 35 69 37 62 / 0 0 0 30 Gallup.......................... 29 70 34 65 / 0 0 0 20 El Morro........................ 33 68 38 62 / 0 0 0 20 Grants.......................... 31 73 35 66 / 0 0 0 20 Quemado......................... 36 71 40 65 / 0 0 5 30 Magdalena....................... 45 75 48 66 / 0 0 10 30 Datil........................... 38 71 42 63 / 0 0 10 30 Reserve......................... 35 74 38 67 / 0 0 5 30 Glenwood........................ 39 75 43 70 / 0 0 10 40 Chama........................... 30 61 30 56 / 0 0 0 40 Los Alamos...................... 44 71 45 61 / 0 0 5 40 Pecos........................... 34 67 39 58 / 0 5 10 60 Cerro/Questa.................... 37 65 37 56 / 0 10 20 70 Red River....................... 31 54 31 46 / 0 20 30 80 Angel Fire...................... 24 62 25 50 / 0 20 20 80 Taos............................ 32 69 33 60 / 0 5 10 50 Mora............................ 31 66 35 53 / 0 10 10 80 Espanola........................ 40 75 42 66 / 0 0 5 40 Santa Fe........................ 41 69 45 61 / 0 0 5 50 Santa Fe Airport................ 38 73 43 65 / 0 0 5 40 Albuquerque Foothills........... 48 76 52 69 / 0 0 5 30 Albuquerque Heights............. 46 77 49 70 / 0 0 5 30 Albuquerque Valley.............. 44 80 47 73 / 0 0 5 30 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 45 78 50 71 / 0 0 0 30 Belen........................... 41 82 46 73 / 0 0 5 30 Bernalillo...................... 43 79 49 71 / 0 0 0 30 Bosque Farms.................... 40 81 45 73 / 0 0 5 30 Corrales........................ 43 78 49 71 / 0 0 0 30 Los Lunas....................... 40 81 47 73 / 0 0 5 30 Placitas........................ 45 76 50 68 / 0 0 5 30 Rio Rancho...................... 45 77 50 70 / 0 0 0 30 Socorro......................... 48 83 52 73 / 0 0 10 30 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 42 71 45 64 / 0 0 5 40 Tijeras......................... 42 72 46 66 / 0 0 5 40 Edgewood........................ 38 72 41 64 / 0 0 5 40 Moriarty/Estancia............... 30 73 36 65 / 0 0 5 40 Clines Corners.................. 36 69 40 57 / 0 0 5 50 Mountainair..................... 40 73 44 65 / 0 0 10 40 Gran Quivira.................... 41 73 45 65 / 0 0 10 40 Carrizozo....................... 50 74 52 67 / 0 0 10 30 Ruidoso......................... 49 68 49 60 / 0 0 10 40 Capulin......................... 30 60 34 46 / 5 30 40 70 Raton........................... 32 65 36 52 / 0 30 40 70 Springer........................ 34 70 39 54 / 0 20 20 70 Las Vegas....................... 32 67 38 54 / 0 5 10 60 Clayton......................... 36 66 40 52 / 0 20 30 60 Roy............................. 36 66 40 51 / 0 20 20 60 Conchas......................... 42 75 46 58 / 0 5 10 50 Santa Rosa...................... 41 73 45 59 / 0 0 5 50 Tucumcari....................... 44 76 46 60 / 0 0 10 40 Clovis.......................... 45 75 47 62 / 0 0 10 40 Portales........................ 46 76 48 63 / 0 0 10 40 Fort Sumner..................... 45 76 48 64 / 0 0 5 40 Roswell......................... 53 82 55 70 / 0 0 10 40 Picacho......................... 51 78 51 67 / 0 0 10 40 Elk............................. 48 78 49 66 / 0 0 10 40

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ123-125-126.