textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 527 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

- High winds will favor areas along and immediately east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and central highlands through early Thursday morning. Sporadic and erratic wind gusts of 45 to 65 mph will create hazardous crosswinds on area highways, especially for high-profile vehicles. - Dry and unseasonably warm weather persists with numerous high temperature records threatened through the next week.

UPDATE

Issued at 527 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

The backdoor cold front has moved into northeast NM, switching winds around to the northeast and east. Strong winds due to mountain waves are no longer expected across Union, Harding and eastern San Miguel counties so the Wind Advisory has been cancelled.

SHORT TERM

(Tonight through Friday night) Issued at 1255 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

High winds are underway due to mountain wave activity as both Las Vegas and Raton airports have reached 60 mph. Since these reports, winds have come down at these locations, but it's likely the mountain wave is just crashing elsewhere, and it may return to these locations. These herky jerky winds will continue through the remainder of the overnight hours into Thursday morning before decreasing. Will be watching KSRR's winds closely for a potential expansion of the Wind Advisory as well.

The backdoor cold front is quickly pushing through southeast CO early this morning and will continue to press into northeast NM today. The front will bring cooler temperatures to eastern NM, on the order of 10 to 20 degrees. Meanwhile, warm conditions will persist elsewhere with a few records in jeopardy. Though the strong to damaging wind potential will diminish around mid morning, northwest breezes will continue through the day for much of western and central NM. Gusts near 25-30 mph will persist in these areas through the afternoon.

The backdoor front will quickly wash out tonight and winds will veer back around to the south and southwest. Strong zonal flow aloft will allow a lee side trough to deepen through the afternoon and will veer surface winds around to the west. H7 winds will also increase again Friday morning, to around 40-50kt by 18Z. H7 winds will increase further Friday night to near 60kt along and just east of the Central Mountain Chain. Thus, breezy to windy conditions will be felt nearly areawide Friday afternoon, with the strongest winds along and east of the Central Mtn Chain. Friday night, conditions do not look to be as favorable for mountain wave crashes east of the Central Mtn Chain, so high winds will be favored across the Sangre de Cristo Mtns while winds slowly decouple elsewhere. A few Wind Advisories or High Wind Warnings may be needed for the mountains.

In addition to the wind on Friday, the other main story will be the numerous high temperature records that are poised to be broken, if not shattered. High temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees normal will be the rule.

LONG TERM

(Saturday through next Wednesday) Issued at 1255 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

Strong zonal flow aloft will persist on Saturday with breezy westerly winds continuing at the surface. Temperatures will remain well-above normal. A backdoor cold front will slide into northeast NM Saturday night before pressing up to the east slopes of the Central Mtn Chain Sunday morning. High temperatures Sunday will fall several degrees, but will remain around 10 degrees above normal Sunday afternoon. Little change is expected across the west. The upper level ridge pumps up on Monday, allowing heights to rise over NM while weak westerly flow persists at the surface. This will allow temperatures to trend upward areawide with many more records in jeopardy. The ridge translates eastward on Tuesday, allowing southwest flow to develop over NM as a potent low pressure system organizes over the Pacific. On both Tuesday and Christmas Eve (Wednesday), the southwest flow will bring up some modest subtropical moisture increasing cloud cover each day and bringing low (<20%) chances of light precipitation to northwest NM on Wednesday. Temperatures will remain warm, however.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 418 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

Sporadic strong wind gusts (~40-50kt) will persist through the mid morning hours along and east of the Central Mtn Chain as well as around KLAM. Winds will decrease during the late morning hours, but light to moderate northwest breezes will persist through the afternoon across central and western NM. Across eastern NM, a backdoor cold front has moved into far northeast NM and it will continue to press southwestward through the day. Gusts up to 25 kt are possible behind the front. Low level wind shear across central and eastern NM will diminish by mid morning, but will return tonight across the northern mountains and portions of eastern NM.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1255 AM MST Thu Dec 18 2025

Strong to damaging west to northwest winds will persist this morning along and east of the Central Mountain Chain. Winds will decrease across eastern NM today as a cold front presses into the area but northwest breezes will persist elsewhere. West winds will increase on Friday once again. Across the plains, west winds of 20-30 mph with gusts to 45 mph will be common Friday afternoon. These winds combined with RH values near 15% will yield elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions. Low ERC values will preclude any Red Flag Warnings. The strongest winds expected over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Friday night where gusts near 50-60 mph are forecast. Otherwise, aside from cooler temperatures today across eastern NM, unseasonably warm temperatures will be the rule for the next week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 52 28 57 31 / 0 0 0 0 Dulce........................... 51 19 55 24 / 0 0 0 0 Cuba............................ 51 27 60 31 / 0 0 0 0 Gallup.......................... 58 23 64 28 / 0 0 0 0 El Morro........................ 56 26 63 31 / 0 0 0 0 Grants.......................... 59 24 67 29 / 0 0 0 0 Quemado......................... 58 28 68 33 / 0 0 0 0 Magdalena....................... 61 36 69 39 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 59 31 67 34 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 67 29 71 30 / 0 0 0 0 Glenwood........................ 71 33 72 33 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 45 20 49 25 / 0 0 0 0 Los Alamos...................... 52 33 59 37 / 0 0 0 0 Pecos........................... 55 31 58 37 / 0 0 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 48 27 54 32 / 0 0 0 0 Red River....................... 43 24 49 26 / 0 0 0 0 Angel Fire...................... 46 19 51 27 / 0 0 0 0 Taos............................ 51 22 57 28 / 0 0 0 0 Mora............................ 54 31 60 37 / 0 0 0 0 Espanola........................ 58 27 62 32 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 53 31 58 35 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 56 28 61 33 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 57 35 62 40 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 59 34 64 39 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 62 29 66 33 / 0 0 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 60 33 63 37 / 0 0 0 0 Belen........................... 61 30 68 36 / 0 0 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 60 32 64 37 / 0 0 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 61 28 67 33 / 0 0 0 0 Corrales........................ 60 32 64 36 / 0 0 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 61 30 67 35 / 0 0 0 0 Placitas........................ 57 34 62 39 / 0 0 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 59 33 63 37 / 0 0 0 0 Socorro......................... 64 35 70 39 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 54 33 59 38 / 0 0 0 0 Tijeras......................... 55 33 61 38 / 0 0 0 0 Edgewood........................ 56 31 62 38 / 0 0 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 58 27 64 36 / 0 0 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 54 32 60 36 / 0 0 0 0 Mountainair..................... 57 34 64 39 / 0 0 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 58 34 63 38 / 0 0 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 62 39 65 41 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 59 38 63 42 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 50 27 63 35 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 54 24 66 35 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 58 27 68 36 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 57 32 65 40 / 0 0 0 0 Clayton......................... 51 32 73 44 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 52 31 70 40 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 59 34 75 43 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 61 39 71 46 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 59 35 76 45 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 58 32 72 45 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 60 34 74 45 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 62 33 75 45 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 70 32 75 39 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 68 39 76 47 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 67 37 74 45 / 0 0 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Warning until 9 AM MST this morning for NMZ212-214-215- 223-228-229-233.

Wind Advisory until 9 AM MST this morning for NMZ221-227.