textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 213 PM MDT Thu Jul 23 2026

- Moderate to major heat risk will impact lower elevations of central and eastern New Mexico through the 7 day period due to high temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s.

- Daily rounds of afternoon thunderstorms threatening lightning, gusty winds, small hail, and localized heavy rainfall continues at varying coverages through the 7 day period.

SHORT TERM

(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 213 PM MDT Thu Jul 23 2026

The remnants of the upper low that caused the severe flash flooding in Gallup and Zuni Tuesday is now over Colorado this afternoon rotating around the 597 to 598 dam 500 mb upper high circulation centered near Midland, TX. A mid level moisture boundary based on water vapor imagery has resulted in the early development of scattered showers and thunderstorms from the Gila Mountains extending northeast to the far northeast highlands. With PWATS around record values (1.27 inches based on the 18Z KABQ sounding) and rainfall rates around 2 inches an hour, any storm will be capable of producing flash flooding. This is potentially already the case near the Alamo Chapter of the Navajo Nation. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue across southwest, central, and northeast NM through mid this evening. Storms across northeast NM could linger through midnight as the upper level disturbance over Colorado exits east into Kansas.

The aforementioned disturbance brings a moist boundary southwest into northeast NM along with the 598 to 599 dam 500 mb upper high circulation moving west to over the Gila Mountains and Mogollon Rim Friday. With this, thunderstorm development will favor the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and adjacent northeast highlands and plains (where numerous coverage is expected due to the boundary present) along with scattered coverage across the western high terrain and east central and southeast NM. Once again with 90th to near record PWATS around 1 to 1.6 inches, any storm will be capable of producing flash flooding. However, the much drier soils across northeast should help mitigate the risk across this part of the state. Outside of the storms, the other main hazard will be the heat across central and eastern NM with high temperatures generally in the mid 90s to low 100s and mid 100s across the lower Pecos River Valley including Roswell. A Heat Advisory has been issued for the Chaves County Plains from 12 PM to 8 PM Friday. Storms across northeast NM looks to coalesce into a pseudo MCS across east central and southeast NM Friday evening before tapering off around midnight. Lingering clouds across central and southeast NM early Saturday morning.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1135 AM MDT Thu Jul 23 2026

Developing showers and thunderstorms favoring areas from the southwest mountain northeast through the north central mountains and northeast highlands this afternoon into early this evening. Some lingering thunderstorms across far northeast NM late this evening. Main hazards from thunderstorms will be frequent lightning, gusty and erratic winds, and locally heavy rainfall. Clearing skies and light winds overnight into Friday morning.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 213 PM MDT Thu Jul 23 2026

No critical fire weather concerns through late next week. Diurnal shower and thunderstorm activity favoring southwest to northeast New Mexico this afternoon and evening, northeast and east central New Mexico Friday afternoon and evening, western and central New Mexico Saturday, western New Mexico Sunday, and western and north central NM Monday through Wednesday. Thunderstorms will be capable of producing locally heavy rainfall with flash flooding concerns highest across western New Mexico and the burn scars around Ruidoso.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 65 97 67 97 / 0 0 10 0 Dulce........................... 51 91 53 91 / 10 20 20 50 Cuba............................ 59 90 61 88 / 10 10 10 40 Gallup.......................... 59 93 60 92 / 10 20 10 30 El Morro........................ 59 88 60 87 / 10 50 10 70 Grants.......................... 60 92 62 90 / 20 30 10 40 Quemado......................... 60 90 61 88 / 20 30 20 70 Magdalena....................... 67 91 68 88 / 20 50 20 60 Datil........................... 62 88 63 85 / 20 40 20 80 Reserve......................... 59 94 61 91 / 10 40 20 80 Glenwood........................ 64 96 65 96 / 5 20 20 70 Chama........................... 51 82 53 82 / 10 60 20 60 Los Alamos...................... 65 87 67 89 / 10 40 30 50 Pecos........................... 60 87 60 86 / 10 60 30 80 Cerro/Questa.................... 57 84 59 85 / 30 60 20 60 Red River....................... 50 75 51 75 / 30 70 20 70 Angel Fire...................... 48 80 48 81 / 10 80 30 70 Taos............................ 56 89 57 89 / 20 40 20 60 Mora............................ 57 84 57 84 / 10 70 40 70 Espanola........................ 64 94 66 93 / 10 30 20 40 Santa Fe........................ 65 88 66 88 / 10 30 20 70 Santa Fe Airport................ 63 93 64 92 / 10 20 20 50 Albuquerque Foothills........... 71 97 71 93 / 20 10 30 60 Albuquerque Heights............. 68 97 68 95 / 20 5 40 50 Albuquerque Valley.............. 68 99 68 97 / 20 5 40 40 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 70 98 71 95 / 20 5 30 40 Belen........................... 67 100 68 97 / 20 5 30 30 Bernalillo...................... 69 99 70 97 / 20 10 30 40 Bosque Farms.................... 66 99 66 97 / 20 5 40 30 Corrales........................ 69 98 70 96 / 20 0 30 40 Los Lunas....................... 67 100 68 97 / 20 5 30 30 Placitas........................ 69 96 70 94 / 20 10 30 50 Rio Rancho...................... 69 98 70 95 / 20 0 30 40 Socorro......................... 73 101 74 100 / 10 20 30 30 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 64 91 64 89 / 10 20 30 70 Tijeras......................... 65 94 64 90 / 10 20 40 60 Edgewood........................ 61 94 61 90 / 10 20 40 70 Moriarty/Estancia............... 59 95 59 91 / 5 20 40 70 Clines Corners.................. 61 89 60 87 / 5 30 40 70 Mountainair..................... 61 92 61 88 / 10 20 40 70 Gran Quivira.................... 64 93 63 88 / 0 20 40 60 Carrizozo....................... 69 95 69 90 / 0 20 30 50 Ruidoso......................... 64 86 65 81 / 5 30 30 70 Capulin......................... 58 89 58 89 / 30 60 40 30 Raton........................... 58 93 57 93 / 20 70 30 30 Springer........................ 60 95 59 96 / 20 70 40 30 Las Vegas....................... 61 89 60 88 / 5 70 40 60 Clayton......................... 66 96 66 98 / 50 20 30 10 Roy............................. 64 92 63 93 / 20 60 40 30 Conchas......................... 70 102 68 100 / 20 30 40 20 Santa Rosa...................... 68 99 66 95 / 10 40 50 30 Tucumcari....................... 74 103 70 100 / 10 20 40 10 Clovis.......................... 72 100 69 96 / 0 30 40 20 Portales........................ 74 101 70 97 / 0 30 50 20 Fort Sumner..................... 72 102 70 97 / 5 30 40 20 Roswell......................... 75 106 74 101 / 0 10 30 10 Picacho......................... 69 98 69 93 / 0 30 30 30 Elk............................. 65 94 66 90 / 0 30 20 40

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ234.

Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM MDT Friday for NMZ238.