730 FXUS65 KABQ 110829 AFDABQArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 229 AM MDT Thu Sep 11 2025
...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER...
.KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 108 AM MDT Thu Sep 11 2025
- Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will favor the continental divide westward today and tonight, then the continental divide eastward Friday through Saturday night.
- Locally heavy rainfall is expected during the latter half of this week with the main risk of flash flooding below recent burn scars, and in places that receive repeated rounds of thunderstorms in succession.
- There will be a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms over western areas this afternoon and evening, another over central and western areas Friday afternoon and evening, then along and east of the central mountain chain Saturday afternoon and evening.
- In the wake of a Pacific cold front that crosses Saturday, some parts of the northern mountains will probably experience their first freeze of the season Saturday night and Sunday night.
- After a brief break in storms Sunday, monsoon moisture and storm coverage will begin to increase again Monday and especially Tuesday, before another downtick in storms Wednesday in the wake of another Pacific cold front.
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.SHORT TERM... (Today through Friday) Issued at 108 AM MDT Thu Sep 11 2025
Some moderate to locally heavy rain amounts are forecast today through Friday night. A broad upper level low pressure system passing eastward over the Great Basin will steer a series of disturbances northeastward across western NM today and tonight, then a stronger shortwave trough across western, central, and northern areas Friday and Friday night. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will favor the continental divide westward today and tonight with spottier activity as far east as a Socorro-to-Raton line. On Friday, a line or broken line of showers and thunderstorms looks to form over western parts of the forecast area (especially along the continental divide), then track eastward across the central valley and central mountain chain Friday evening, and eventually spread out as cells cross the eastern plains late Friday night. There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms over western areas today and again Friday, with 0-6 KM bulk shear values climbing from around 30-40 KT today to around 30-50 KT on Friday. The squall line models are generally depicting crossing from the continental divide through central areas on Friday afternoon and evening may well produce 50 KT wind gusts in some locations, with a risk of large hail from some cells. A few weak supercells will also be possible with a low but relevant risk of tornadoes. Rain amounts today through Friday night should mostly vary from 0.20-0.75" along and west of the continental divide with locally higher amounts potentially over 2 inches as PWATs climb well over 1", or around 125-175% of average for this time of year. Over central areas, most of the rain will come Friday and Friday night with amounts generally around 0.25-1", again with locally higher amounts probably exceeding 2 inches in spots. Burn scars and locations that receive multiple storms in succession will be at greatest risk for flash flooding.
High temperatures today should vary from a few degrees below 1991-2020 averages over the Four Corners to as much as 7 degrees above on the eastern plains. Readings will fall a few to 7 degrees across the forecast area on Friday with the greatest decrease near the Four Corners.
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.LONG TERM... (Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 108 AM MDT Thu Sep 11 2025
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will return mainly to locations along and east of the continental divide on Saturday, then favor locations along and east of the central mountain chain Saturday night, as an upper level trough sweeps eastward across the state with a Pacific cold front. There will be another marginal risk of severe thunderstorms on Saturday, but this time along and east of the central mountain chain where the cold front will cross during the overnight hours. Locally heavy rainfall will again occur Saturday with some locations along and east of the central mountain chain seeing rain rates potentially over 2 inches per hour. Storms will be moving at a good 20-30 mph, so locations where the ground is already saturated from precip on Friday and Friday night will have the greatest risk of flash flooding, as well as the recent burn scars, and locations that receive a series of storms in succession.
After high temperatures bottom out Saturday from near to around 8 degrees below 30-year averages, readings will generally rebound Sunday and Monday. Drier air will filter over the area in west and northwest flow aloft on Sunday, when only a few spotty storms will be possible with a dryline on the southeast plains. On Monday, isolated showers and thunderstorms will return the east slopes of the central mountain chain westward as a high pressure system centered over Texas, and an upper level low pressure system passing eastward over the northern and central Rockies, begin to steer a modest stream of monsoon moisture over northeastward out of Mexico. This round of monsoon moisture should peak across southwest, central, and northeast parts of the forecast area on Tuesday with another round of scattered to potentially numerous showers and storms. Drier air should arrive on Wednesday in the wake of another Pacific cold front that crosses Tuesday night.
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.AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1128 PM MDT Wed Sep 10 2025
Shower and thunderstorm activity has reduced and dwindled to northwestern and north central areas of New Mexico. Lightning activity is decreasing, signifying activity is weaker than a few hours ago, but a few showers or stray storms will periodically redevelop into the early morning hours Thursday. Low level wind shear will impact eastern plains airports overnight as a low level jet (a belt of higher wind speeds just a couple thousand feet above the surface) develops. This low level wind shear will fade into the late morning Thursday as vertical mixing processes in the atmosphere resume. Additional showers and thunderstorms will redevelop Thursday afternoon with the northwestern areas of New Mexico being favored as an unseasonably strong upper level trough approaches. A few strong to severe storms will be observed in these northwestern areas Thursday afternoon and evening with damaging downburst winds, hail, and brief heavy downpours accompanying.
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.FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 108 AM MDT Thu Sep 11 2025
South and southwest winds will be gusty across the forecast area today and Friday. Erratic wind gusts with thunderstorms over western areas Thursday, then from the continental divide eastward over central areas Friday, could reach 50 KT. A squall line passing eastward over central areas Friday evening could produce a 1-2 hour period of strong west winds. A Pacific cold front will produce a west and northwest wind shift over western then central areas Saturday, and over eastern areas Saturday night. After a good shot at wetting to potentially soaking precip over the fire weather forecast area during the latter half of this week, there will be drying on Sunday as min humidities drop below 15 percent in some west central and northwest locations. Minimum humidities will climb above 15 percent on Monday and Tuesday as another surge of moderate monsoon moisture crosses with the best chance for wetting precip from southwest to northeast areas on Tuesday afternoon and night. There will be northwest wind shift with another Pacific cold front Tuesday night, then drier air with fewer storms on Wednesday.
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.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 84 59 77 54 / 80 60 80 50 Dulce........................... 78 48 71 45 / 80 70 80 80 Cuba............................ 82 53 77 49 / 50 60 80 80 Gallup.......................... 81 52 76 47 / 60 50 70 40 El Morro........................ 78 53 74 48 / 70 60 80 60 Grants.......................... 82 53 77 49 / 60 50 90 70 Quemado......................... 82 53 78 50 / 40 40 70 50 Magdalena....................... 82 58 80 55 / 10 20 60 70 Datil........................... 80 52 76 50 / 30 20 70 70 Reserve......................... 86 52 83 50 / 20 30 50 50 Glenwood........................ 90 57 87 54 / 30 30 50 40 Chama........................... 73 47 68 45 / 70 70 80 80 Los Alamos...................... 79 57 76 54 / 30 30 60 80 Pecos........................... 81 52 79 51 / 20 20 40 70 Cerro/Questa.................... 78 51 76 49 / 30 30 50 70 Red River....................... 70 41 68 42 / 30 30 50 60 Angel Fire...................... 73 37 71 42 / 30 20 40 60 Taos............................ 81 52 78 50 / 30 30 40 60 Mora............................ 77 48 74 48 / 30 20 40 60 Espanola........................ 87 55 83 53 / 20 20 50 70 Santa Fe........................ 82 57 79 54 / 20 20 50 70 Santa Fe Airport................ 86 55 83 53 / 20 20 40 70 Albuquerque Foothills........... 88 63 85 59 / 20 20 50 80 Albuquerque Heights............. 89 64 86 60 / 20 20 50 70 Albuquerque Valley.............. 91 58 88 55 / 10 20 50 70 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 90 63 87 59 / 20 20 50 80 Belen........................... 91 61 89 59 / 10 20 40 70 Bernalillo...................... 90 61 87 57 / 20 20 50 80 Bosque Farms.................... 90 58 87 55 / 10 20 50 70 Corrales........................ 91 61 88 58 / 20 20 50 80 Los Lunas....................... 90 60 88 57 / 10 20 40 70 Placitas........................ 86 59 84 56 / 20 20 50 70 Rio Rancho...................... 89 63 86 59 / 20 20 50 80 Socorro......................... 92 63 89 61 / 10 20 40 60 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 82 57 79 54 / 20 20 50 70 Tijeras......................... 84 59 81 55 / 20 20 50 70 Edgewood........................ 83 54 81 54 / 20 20 40 70 Moriarty/Estancia............... 85 50 82 51 / 20 20 40 70 Clines Corners.................. 80 53 78 52 / 20 20 30 60 Mountainair..................... 84 55 82 54 / 10 20 40 70 Gran Quivira.................... 83 54 81 54 / 10 10 30 60 Carrizozo....................... 86 59 84 59 / 10 5 20 50 Ruidoso......................... 79 51 77 52 / 20 10 30 40 Capulin......................... 80 51 78 51 / 10 10 10 40 Raton........................... 83 51 80 51 / 20 10 20 40 Springer........................ 86 53 83 53 / 20 10 20 50 Las Vegas....................... 80 52 78 51 / 20 20 30 60 Clayton......................... 89 60 86 60 / 0 0 0 20 Roy............................. 84 57 82 56 / 5 0 10 40 Conchas......................... 91 61 88 62 / 0 0 5 40 Santa Rosa...................... 87 59 85 60 / 0 0 10 50 Tucumcari....................... 90 59 87 60 / 0 0 0 30 Clovis.......................... 91 60 89 63 / 0 0 0 20 Portales........................ 92 60 89 63 / 0 0 0 20 Fort Sumner..................... 91 60 88 62 / 0 0 0 30 Roswell......................... 93 62 91 64 / 0 0 0 20 Picacho......................... 88 57 86 59 / 5 0 10 30 Elk............................. 83 54 81 56 / 5 0 20 30
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.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
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SHORT TERM...44 LONG TERM....44 AVIATION...44
NWS ABQ Office Area Forecast Discussion