Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
157 FXUS65 KABQ 201733 AAB AFDABQ Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1133 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 302 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 Unseasonal warmth will combine with dry and breezy to windy conditions today. This will create high fire danger across portions of western and central New Mexico in the afternoon. Virga showers will create erratic gusty winds across portions of northern and western New Mexico. A cold front will bring a modest cooldown on Tuesday alongside breezy to locally windy west winds. Winds relax slightly on Wednesday and temperatures begin rebounding. The warm, dry, and breezy trend then continues through the weekend. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Tuesday) Issued at 302 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 Hazy skies are expected early this morning as smoke from the Wildcat Fire in AZ spreads over the area. However, any smoke should clear out this afternoon as winds increase. It continues to look like a Pacific low off the coast of SoCal will weaken and rapidly cross NM this afternoon and evening while a northern stream trough dives southeastward from the PacNW. The combination of these systems will make for busy weather day (and night) across NM. First, winds are expected to increase this afternoon as a 120kt upper level jet moves over the area in advance of the (then) Pacific trough. A deepening lee side surface low will aid in this endeavor, though the strongest winds this afternoon are expected to be across western NM where gusts near 50 mph are likely. A batch of mid level moisture will also advect into western NM ahead of this trough, increasing cloud cover throughout the afternoon. But, it really starts to get interesting late this afternoon and evening. Models are indicating that virga and/or light rain showers across eastern AZ will result in a meso-high/cold pool which will end up enhancing the Pacific front that will push from west to east across NM. Thus, some of the strongest winds speeds of the day will actually occur late this afternoon and this evening along and behind the cold front/outflow boundary across western NM. Lift from the trough and the front combined with the aforementioned mid level moisture and strong inverted-V profiles may result in virga and/or light rain showers of our own with enhanced gusty and erratic winds. It will not be out of the question for some of these (mostly) dry microbursts to have wind gusts near 60 mph. The front/boundary will continue to push eastward this evening, reaching the Rio Grande Valley between 6p-9p MDT. There will be an increase in wind speed as the front passes and if any sprinkles persist, winds will be enhanced. Across the Northern Mountains, light rain and even some snow above 11kft is likely. A thunderstorm or two will be possible as well. The front will continue to press eastward, clearing the eastern plains by midnight or 1am. On Tuesday, temperatures areawide will be around 5 degrees cooler than today. Breezy to windy conditions will persist as the northern stream trough crosses Colorado and another surface low deepens across NE NM. The strongest winds on Tuesday should be across northeast NM with gusts between 35 and 40 mph. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday night through Sunday) Issued at 302 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 The H5 pressure gradient loosens on Tuesday night into Wednesday as a baggy trough sweeps across SoCal and the northern Baja. A shallow backdoor cold front will descend into the eastern plains Tuesday night, surging south and westward through Wednesday morning. This will allow for a few more degrees of cooling to afternoon highs across eastern NM, while areas across the central mts and westward see high temperatures rebound. Winds will relax a skosh but will remain breezy across the highlands of the central mts in the afternoon. A trio of upper lows waltzing across the northern CONUS and CAN will keep the low amplitude wave pattern going across the southern CONUS. A regime of quasi-zonal flow aloft will prevail Thursday through Saturday amongst persisting lee-side sfc troughing. This will keep breezy west to southwest winds in the forecast for most areas through the end of the week. Moderated temperatures can be expected alongside dry conditions. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1007 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 VFR conditions prevail and are forecast to persist through the TAF period with moderate/strong west-southwest low level flow. Expect the development and gradual lowering of VFR cigs this afternoon and evening across central and western NM as Pacific moisture increases in advance of a shortwave trough. Virga showers are likely across central/western NM late this afternoon and evening and will result in strong/erratic wind gusts and may bring blowing dust to KFMN, although low probability on vsbys below VFR. Westerly winds will trend down overnight, but pick back up going into mid day Tuesday. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 302 AM MDT Mon May 20 2024 ...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NM TODAY... Hot, dry and unstable conditions will persist through the end of the week. Windy conditions across western and portions of central NM today combined with single digit or near single digit RH and high Haines will result in critical fire weather conditions this afternoon and evening. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the area. Complicating matters will be virga and/or light rain resulting in (mostly) dry microbursts resulting in potentially stronger and erratic wind gusts late this afternoon and evening. Hot, dry, unstable and windy conditions will also be present across much of eastern NM, but ongoing greenup will mitigate the critical fire weather threat. Breezy to windy conditions will return on Tuesday, but the strongest winds are expected across eastern NM, so like today, will not issue a Red Flag Warning due to greenup. A cold front will press through the area Tuesday night. Temperatures will be a few degrees colder across the east on Wednesday, but the bigger story will be that less wind will be in store for Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, breezy to windy conditions will return for Thursday through the weekend resulting in near-critical to critical conditions across the area. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 80 44 74 39 / 10 20 0 0 Dulce........................... 75 34 69 31 / 10 30 5 0 Cuba............................ 75 39 71 37 / 5 20 0 0 Gallup.......................... 76 38 74 31 / 10 10 0 0 El Morro........................ 72 38 71 36 / 5 10 0 0 Grants.......................... 78 39 74 32 / 5 10 0 0 Quemado......................... 77 40 74 37 / 10 5 0 0 Magdalena....................... 82 47 78 46 / 0 0 0 0 Datil........................... 77 43 74 40 / 0 0 0 0 Reserve......................... 81 37 78 33 / 5 5 0 0 Glenwood........................ 85 49 82 49 / 0 0 0 0 Chama........................... 69 33 62 31 / 10 40 10 0 Los Alamos...................... 74 46 70 45 / 5 20 0 0 Pecos........................... 78 43 72 41 / 0 10 0 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 71 39 63 35 / 0 30 0 0 Red River....................... 66 33 59 31 / 0 40 5 0 Angel Fire...................... 70 34 62 29 / 0 40 0 0 Taos............................ 76 38 70 34 / 0 20 0 0 Mora............................ 75 42 69 37 / 0 10 0 0 Espanola........................ 82 47 77 43 / 0 20 0 0 Santa Fe........................ 77 45 72 45 / 5 10 0 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 81 46 76 43 / 5 10 0 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 83 52 79 51 / 5 10 0 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 85 53 80 49 / 0 5 0 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 87 50 82 48 / 0 5 0 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 86 51 81 49 / 0 10 0 0 Belen........................... 89 51 84 46 / 0 5 0 0 Bernalillo...................... 85 51 81 48 / 5 10 0 0 Bosque Farms.................... 87 49 83 46 / 0 5 0 0 Corrales........................ 86 51 81 48 / 5 10 0 0 Los Lunas....................... 88 50 83 46 / 0 5 0 0 Placitas........................ 82 50 77 48 / 5 10 0 0 Rio Rancho...................... 84 51 80 48 / 5 10 0 0 Socorro......................... 92 54 86 50 / 0 0 0 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 77 47 72 45 / 5 10 0 0 Tijeras......................... 80 48 75 45 / 0 5 0 0 Edgewood........................ 79 46 74 42 / 0 5 0 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 82 45 77 38 / 0 5 0 0 Clines Corners.................. 78 44 72 41 / 0 5 0 0 Mountainair..................... 81 47 76 44 / 0 5 0 0 Gran Quivira.................... 82 46 76 43 / 0 5 0 0 Carrizozo....................... 87 55 81 52 / 0 0 0 0 Ruidoso......................... 81 52 75 48 / 0 0 0 0 Capulin......................... 81 45 75 39 / 0 0 0 0 Raton........................... 85 45 77 39 / 0 0 0 0 Springer........................ 85 47 78 40 / 0 0 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 80 46 74 39 / 0 5 0 0 Clayton......................... 88 53 81 45 / 0 0 0 0 Roy............................. 84 50 78 44 / 0 0 0 0 Conchas......................... 91 56 85 49 / 0 0 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 88 54 82 47 / 0 0 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 93 56 87 48 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 95 57 88 51 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 96 56 88 51 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 93 57 87 51 / 0 0 0 0 Roswell......................... 100 61 95 58 / 0 0 0 0 Picacho......................... 91 56 85 52 / 0 0 0 0 Elk............................. 89 56 83 50 / 0 0 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ101-105-106- 109-124. Wind Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM MDT this evening for NMZ201-202-205-206. && $$ SHORT TERM...34 LONG TERM....12 AVIATION...11