textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 120 PM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

- The risk of rapid fire spread will taper off across the region through early this evening as strong winds decrease areawide.

- Most areas will experience a hard freeze tonight, including portions of the Rio Grande Valley.

- A strong area of high pressure will move over the region going into the middle of next week resulting in record warmth for March.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Monday night) Issued at 120 PM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

Widespread strong winds will taper off thru late this afternoon as a potent upper level speed max exits quickly east of the region. Very dry air with increasing surface high pressure and decreasing winds will lead to much colder temps tonight. High clouds will be the fly in the ointment in terms of how cold lows actually get. Nonetheless, there will be a widespread hard freeze with lots of eastern NM falling into the teens tonight. Folks with early season yard projects, cool season veggies, and fruit trees will need to take the necessary precautions.

Monday will be slow to warm up as high clouds exit the region. Highs will actually be 10-20F below normal over eastern NM and near normal across the west. Northwest winds will strengthen over northwest NM beneath a thin 130kt upper level speed max moving south from western CO. Peak winds may approach Wind Advisory around Farmington for a few hours. There will still be a risk of fire spread with very low humidity however it is more marginal than today. Low temps will be chilly again Monday night with another hard freeze over eastern NM. Stronger midslope inversions will return to northern and western NM.

LONG TERM

(Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 120 PM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

There is still high confidence on widespread record high temps by the end of the week as a March record H5 high center drifts east across the desert southwest. Several locales are still progged to break their all-time March and potentially all-time April record high temps by Friday and Saturday. The latest NBM continues to run higher than MOS guidance. However, even MOS is high enough to break many records so the overall message remains that a historic March heatwave is in store later this week. If the ABQ Sunport hits 90F Friday or Saturday, it will beat the previous earliest 90F on record by 6 weeks!

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1153 AM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

Very strong northwest to north winds will continue across the airspace thru this afternoon. A SIGMET for turbulence remains in place over northern NM with several severe PIREPs reported. Areas of blowing dust will also limit vsbys below 5 miles at times, mainly over southeast NM. Winds will taper off quickly by sunset with strong surface high pressure building over the region.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 120 PM MDT Sun Mar 15 2026

Widespread strong winds and very low humidity today will give way to much colder temperatures tonight but with only poor to fair humidity recoveries. Northwest winds will strengthen over northwest NM Monday but with cool temperatures, shallow mixing, and marginally critical humidity. A Fire Weather Watch is not anticipated at this time as conditions warrant only elevated to locally critical fire weather. The remainder of this week will feature a record strong area of high pressure building east into the southwest U.S. A historic heatwave is expected by the end of the week with widespread record temps, low humidity, and lighter winds.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 27 61 36 74 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 19 58 24 72 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 25 55 30 69 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 22 61 27 74 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 26 59 32 71 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 23 61 27 74 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 30 60 31 72 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 33 64 37 75 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 31 60 34 71 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 33 69 31 79 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 34 74 33 85 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 18 52 25 65 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 26 56 36 70 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 16 56 31 71 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 18 51 31 67 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 10 44 22 61 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 9 48 19 64 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 12 55 22 72 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 15 54 30 71 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 23 62 30 78 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 21 56 36 71 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 22 59 32 74 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 31 62 42 76 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 32 65 38 78 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 29 67 33 81 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 33 65 39 78 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 32 69 32 80 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 29 65 37 79 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 29 68 30 81 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 31 66 37 80 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 32 68 32 81 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 28 61 39 74 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 32 65 39 79 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 35 70 39 83 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 28 56 37 70 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 25 59 33 74 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 19 59 31 74 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 17 60 29 74 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 18 55 30 69 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 23 60 32 72 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 23 60 33 72 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 30 58 36 73 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 24 55 36 68 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 8 47 22 69 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 9 50 20 74 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 11 52 21 75 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 14 54 27 73 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 14 49 28 74 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 13 47 23 72 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 18 55 24 80 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 21 53 25 78 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 19 54 26 79 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 21 51 27 76 / 0 5 0 0 Portales........................ 19 52 25 77 / 0 5 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 21 52 24 79 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 28 53 27 78 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 25 55 30 79 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 23 58 30 78 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory until 4 PM MDT this afternoon for NMZ201-204- 206>208-212-218-219-238-240.

Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ101-104>106- 109-120>126.

High Wind Warning until 4 PM MDT this afternoon for NMZ211- 213>215-221>224-226>237-239.