textproduct: Albuquerque

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 541 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

- Isolated to scattered showers and storms will continue today and Saturday mainly along and west of the central mountain chain with a risk of cloud-to-ground lightning, erratic wind gusts, and ponding of water on roads.

- Smoke from the Frijoles Fire will continue to impact air quality in the vicinity of the fire this week.

- Moderate-to-high heat risk will impact much of central and eastern New Mexico this weekend through the middle of next week with record and near-record high temperatures.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Sunday) Issued at 152 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

A 598 DAM high pressure center will move over eastern NM today causing high temperatures to climb a few to 5 degrees there from Friday's readings. The upper high will remain centered over eastern NM on Sunday. Readings today and Sunday will vary around 5-12 degrees above 1991-2020 averages with numerous near-record high temperatures, and even a few record highs in the east. With this forecast package, will issue a Heat Advisory for the Tucumcari and Roswell areas this afternoon and early evening. High clouds moving over Tucumcari at this time shakes confidence there some, but figure the high pressure center will suppress those as it moves overhead enabling temps to reach 105 F across at least parts of Quay and Chaves Counties.

Meanwhile, humidities will trend downward some in most locations today and Sunday. Scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms will favor western and northern areas both days, and high res models suggest there will probably also be a few cells over central areas today. With the decreasing humidities locally heavy rainfall will be less of a concern today, then even less-so Sunday.

LONG TERM

(Sunday night through Friday) Issued at 152 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

Models generally depict the center of high pressure aloft shifting over southeast NM Monday, westward over southwest NM Tuesday and Wednesday, then a little farther west over the southwest NM border on Thursday and Friday. This will enable record and near-record high temperatures to continue each afternoon with the most widespread record high temperatures on Monday. Hazardous heat looks to return to the Roswell area again on Monday, which should make the third day in a row with a high temperature of 105 F. A series of backdoor fronts will increase Gulf moisture over eastern areas each day during the first half of the work week, while western humidities continue to trend lower with each day. The favored location for showers and thunderstorms will begin to shift over and east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Monday and Tuesday, along and east of the northern and central mountains Wednesday, then along and east of the central mountain chain on Thursday. The risk of locally heavy rainfall will mainly be over eastern areas Tuesday through Thursday, where PWATs will climb over 1 inch. With northwest flow aloft over eastern areas, there will probably be a few strong-to-severe storms each afternoon and evening. At this time, shear and instability look most elevated on Tuesday and Wednesday, when the greatest coverage of severe storms is expected.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 541 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

Scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms will favor the northern and western mountains Saturday afternoon and evening, with isolated activity elsewhere along and west of the central mountain chain. A few of the stronger cells will be capable of producing localized, brief, and erratic wind gusts up to 45 KT. Storm motion will be slow and variable. Record and near-record high temperatures as much as 13 degrees above 1991-2020 averages will make density altitude an important consideration for aviation operations near complex terrain.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 152 AM MDT Sat Aug 22 2026

Critically low minimum humidities will be pretty widespread over eastern areas today and Sunday. Sub-15 percent humidities will then increase in coverage with each day over central and western areas during the work week, while decreasing in coverage over eastern areas with the arrival of Gulf moisture. With decreasing size of wetting footprints west of the Rio Grande during the work week, there will be an increasing threat of new fire starts as spotty showers and storms return mainly to the mountains each afternoon and temperatures reach near-record readings. Otherwise, the main fire weather concern will be gusty and erratic thunderstorm outflow, which will decrease in coverage with each day through Monday, then increase again with each day across the east starting Tuesday.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Farmington...................... 96 65 94 64 / 5 10 5 0 Dulce........................... 92 51 90 51 / 20 30 20 5 Cuba............................ 89 59 88 59 / 20 20 5 10 Gallup.......................... 89 57 90 56 / 30 30 30 10 El Morro........................ 85 56 86 55 / 60 30 40 10 Grants.......................... 89 58 89 58 / 50 20 30 10 Quemado......................... 86 58 87 58 / 60 10 40 5 Magdalena....................... 88 63 89 64 / 30 10 20 5 Datil........................... 84 58 85 58 / 50 10 30 10 Reserve......................... 92 57 93 58 / 40 10 20 5 Glenwood........................ 97 63 98 63 / 20 20 10 10 Chama........................... 85 53 84 52 / 20 20 30 5 Los Alamos...................... 89 63 87 63 / 20 20 40 30 Pecos........................... 89 59 89 59 / 20 20 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 87 57 86 56 / 20 20 50 30 Red River....................... 78 49 76 48 / 30 20 40 20 Angel Fire...................... 84 43 82 43 / 30 20 30 10 Taos............................ 91 57 90 55 / 20 20 40 20 Mora............................ 87 55 87 55 / 20 20 20 5 Espanola........................ 96 63 94 62 / 10 20 30 20 Santa Fe........................ 90 63 89 63 / 20 20 0 10 Santa Fe Airport................ 93 61 92 61 / 20 20 0 10 Albuquerque Foothills........... 94 69 96 69 / 20 20 0 5 Albuquerque Heights............. 95 68 96 68 / 20 20 0 5 Albuquerque Valley.............. 98 66 98 67 / 10 10 0 10 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 97 69 96 69 / 20 20 0 10 Belen........................... 98 65 98 65 / 20 10 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 97 68 98 67 / 20 20 0 10 Bosque Farms.................... 98 64 98 65 / 10 10 0 5 Corrales........................ 98 68 98 68 / 20 20 0 10 Los Lunas....................... 97 65 98 66 / 10 10 0 5 Placitas........................ 93 66 94 67 / 20 20 0 10 Rio Rancho...................... 97 68 97 68 / 20 20 0 10 Socorro......................... 99 69 100 70 / 20 10 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 89 62 90 63 / 20 20 0 10 Tijeras......................... 90 63 91 64 / 20 20 0 5 Edgewood........................ 91 59 92 59 / 20 20 0 5 Moriarty/Estancia............... 93 57 94 57 / 20 20 0 5 Clines Corners.................. 89 61 90 61 / 20 20 0 5 Mountainair..................... 91 60 92 60 / 20 20 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 90 61 91 61 / 10 10 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 93 66 94 67 / 10 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 85 59 87 61 / 20 10 5 0 Capulin......................... 92 59 90 58 / 10 10 30 30 Raton........................... 95 57 93 55 / 10 10 40 30 Springer........................ 98 58 96 56 / 10 20 20 30 Las Vegas....................... 90 58 91 57 / 10 20 10 20 Clayton......................... 99 67 98 66 / 10 10 10 30 Roy............................. 96 63 95 61 / 10 10 10 20 Conchas......................... 104 69 104 69 / 10 10 0 20 Santa Rosa...................... 100 66 99 66 / 10 10 0 5 Tucumcari....................... 105 70 105 70 / 10 5 0 0 Clovis.......................... 101 69 102 70 / 10 10 0 0 Portales........................ 102 70 102 72 / 10 10 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 103 69 103 69 / 10 5 0 0 Roswell......................... 105 70 105 71 / 10 5 0 0 Picacho......................... 98 65 99 66 / 10 10 0 0 Elk............................. 94 62 95 62 / 10 10 0 0

ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory from noon today to 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ234-238.