380
FXUS65 KABQ 161901
AFDABQ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
1201 PM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

- High winds will favor areas along and immediately east of the
  Sangre de Cristo Mtns and central highlands Wednesday night into
  Thursday morning, with erratically timed and placed gusts of 45
  to 60 mph creating hazardous crosswinds on area highways.

- Dry and unseasonably warm weather with numerous high temperature
  records threatened on tap thru the end of the week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Wednesday night)
Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Fairly tranquil and benign weather holds onto northern and central
New Mexico this afternoon as the western edge of a ridge of high
pressure noses in from the west. Some breezy conditions will be
present along the central highlands aided by a weak 1005mb MSLP
surface low over northeastern NM this afternoon. Otherwise, high
temperatures today remain well above normal by 10F to 20F.

After another quiet night tonight, the leading edge of a 115kt H5
jetmax with cross over the Intermountain West focused over UT/WY/CO.
The right exit and gradually southern portion of this jetmax will
cross northern NM Wednesday night thru Thursday morning. Numerical
model guidance supports fairly amplified mountain wave activity
capable of pushing high wind gusts to erratic locations at erratic
times along and just lee of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. A more
sustained period of high wind gusts reaching 55 to 60 mph will be
supported along the central highlands into western Guadalupe County
from Clines Corners to Vaughn along U.S. Highway 285. Cross-section
analysis shows these winds may hover just over ground level at many
locations along I-25 from Las Vegas to Raton. Given the closeness
and erratic behavior of this type of weather setup, have gone ahead
and issued a High Wind Watch for favored areas along the east slopes
of and southern Sangre de Cristo Mts, as well as the adjacent
northeast highlands from Raton to Las Vegas and the central
highlands and Guadalupe County Wednesday night thru Thursday
morning. Winds will steadily taper off thru the day Thursday as a
cold front will back into northeastern NM shutting down the high
wind potential. This front will also knock back high temperatures
10F to 15F into the 50s thru northeastern NM, still 5F to 10F above
normal.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Likely record highs at many locations returns Friday and Saturday
with downslope westerlies for areas along and east of the central
mountain chain. Another cold front backs thru eastern NM Sunday
again dropping high temperatures away from record levels but still
well above normal thru eastern NM. Dry, abnormally warm weather
persists Monday into early next week as a ridge of high pressure
builds in from the southwest and slides east of the region
Tuesday.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1004 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

The thin strip of LIFR visibility from freezing fog along the
Pecos River that impacted KROW has cleared up this past hour.
Otherwise, VFR prevails with prevailing W/NW winds most areas this
afternoon. A northerly terrain driven drainage wind is likely to
setup again at KSAF tonight into Wednesday morning.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1159 AM MST Tue Dec 16 2025

Abnormally dry and warm weather persists thru the next seven days.
Winds will remain breezy all afternoons, with the exception of late
Wednesday thru Wednesday night and Thursday morning when erratically
placed and timed high wind gusts will impact areas along and
immediately east of the Sangre de Cristo Mts stretching southward
thru the central highlands.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Farmington......................  27  54  28  53 /   0   0   0   0
Dulce...........................  20  55  21  54 /   0   0   0   0
Cuba............................  25  57  28  54 /   0   0   0   0
Gallup..........................  17  61  23  60 /   0   0   0   0
El Morro........................  28  58  30  57 /   0   0   0   0
Grants..........................  19  63  24  61 /   0   0   0   0
Quemado.........................  27  62  30  58 /   0   0   0   0
Magdalena.......................  33  64  38  61 /   0   0   0   0
Datil...........................  30  62  35  58 /   0   0   0   0
Reserve.........................  25  70  27  69 /   0   0   0   0
Glenwood........................  24  72  25  73 /   0   0   0   0
Chama...........................  25  50  23  48 /   0   0   0   0
Los Alamos......................  33  55  34  53 /   0   0   0   0
Pecos...........................  31  56  34  57 /   0   0   0   0
Cerro/Questa....................  30  53  29  50 /   0   0   0   0
Red River.......................  26  45  25  43 /   0   0   0   0
Angel Fire......................  10  51  23  48 /   0   0   0   0
Taos............................  19  56  25  54 /   0   0   0   0
Mora............................  30  60  35  55 /   0   0   0   0
Espanola........................  25  61  32  61 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Fe........................  34  55  35  55 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Fe Airport................  29  57  31  57 /   0   0   0   0
Albuquerque Foothills...........  38  59  40  60 /   0   0   0   0
Albuquerque Heights.............  31  60  36  62 /   0   0   0   0
Albuquerque Valley..............  24  62  34  64 /   0   0   0   0
Albuquerque West Mesa...........  32  61  36  63 /   0   0   0   0
Belen...........................  20  62  30  63 /   0   0   0   0
Bernalillo......................  31  62  35  63 /   0   0   0   0
Bosque Farms....................  19  62  30  63 /   0   0   0   0
Corrales........................  30  62  35  64 /   0   0   0   0
Los Lunas.......................  21  62  31  63 /   0   0   0   0
Placitas........................  35  58  38  58 /   0   0   0   0
Rio Rancho......................  32  61  35  63 /   0   0   0   0
Socorro.........................  32  66  38  66 /   0   0   0   0
Sandia Park/Cedar Crest.........  33  55  36  55 /   0   0   0   0
Tijeras.........................  33  56  37  56 /   0   0   0   0
Edgewood........................  29  59  37  58 /   0   0   0   0
Moriarty/Estancia...............  21  61  35  60 /   0   0   0   0
Clines Corners..................  29  57  36  55 /   0   0   0   0
Mountainair.....................  30  60  37  59 /   0   0   0   0
Gran Quivira....................  30  60  36  60 /   0   0   0   0
Carrizozo.......................  33  63  38  63 /   0   0   0   0
Ruidoso.........................  35  60  41  60 /   0   0   0   0
Capulin.........................  28  60  28  48 /   0   0   0   0
Raton...........................  26  63  30  54 /   0   0   0   0
Springer........................  24  66  31  57 /   0   0   0   0
Las Vegas.......................  30  62  38  55 /   0   0   0   0
Clayton.........................  33  65  33  50 /   0   0   0   0
Roy.............................  29  65  35  51 /   0   0   0   0
Conchas.........................  28  72  38  59 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Rosa......................  31  68  41  59 /   0   0   0   0
Tucumcari.......................  28  70  36  58 /   0   0   0   0
Clovis..........................  33  68  38  59 /   0   0   0   0
Portales........................  30  69  38  61 /   0   0   0   0
Fort Sumner.....................  29  68  40  62 /   0   0   0   0
Roswell.........................  31  68  37  70 /   0   0   0   0
Picacho.........................  35  72  43  69 /   0   0   0   0
Elk.............................  33  71  40  70 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Watch from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning
for NMZ214-215-223-228-229-233.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...24
LONG TERM....24
AVIATION...24