Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
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408 FXUS65 KABQ 230535 AAB AFDABQ Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1035 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1027 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 - Minor impacts expected late tonight through Sunday from the next round of winter weather bringing valley rain and mountain snow. Three to eight inches of accumulating snow will again be favored above 8,500 feet. - Those with travel plans for the late weekend and early week after Thanksgiving will want to stay updated with the latest weather forecasts and statements. Remain prepared to alter travel routes or plans, as there are increasing indications a potent storm system will bring travel impacts across the Desert Southwest, including New Mexico. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 1209 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 Low level stratus and freezing fog have dissipated across northeastern and east-central NM this hour with high level cirrus beginning to encroach into far western NM ahead of the next winter system. WV satellite imagery shows the well defined 558dm H5 low just offshore of the northern Baja Peninsula with a spoke of vorticity wrapping around its southern periphery. Dry conditions persist thru the afternoon today before the aforementioned vort-max rotates up around the eastern periphery of the H5 low bringing up a solid band of convective showers with embedded isolated thunderstorms into southwestern NM late this evening. The band then progresses north and east to Gallup to Socorro by 2am to 4am MST, Farmington to ABQ to Santa Fe 3am to 5am MST, and then over the highlands and northern mountains near or just after that. Snow levels steadily fall from 9,000` at the onset of precipitation tonight to 8,000` to 8,500` Sunday morning. Accumulating snowfall will favor these elevations and higher over the northern mountains where 3 to 8 inches are favored with locally higher amounts atop the peaks. Lighter amounts of a dusting to an inch or so on southwest and west facing slopes along the Continental Divide. The Winter Weather Advisory was left intact with only a slight delay to the onset to 2am MST with this forecast package. The Pacific front quickly fills in through western and central NM mid-day Sunday with wrap around moisture bringing lingering scattered showers over western, central, and northern NM thru the rest of the day Sunday. This activity slowly wanes thru the afternoon and Sunday night as snow levels fall to 7,500` alongside post-frontal CAA. This activity looks to completely end by early Monday morning with remnant lingering fog and freezing fog over portions of western, central, and northern NM. && .LONG TERM... (Monday through Friday) Issued at 1209 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 Temperatures rebound Monday afternoon with a tightening pressure gradient aloft over NM as a shortwave system traverses eastern MT/WY and out over the northern Great Plains. This will yield breezy to windy northwesterly winds along and just east of the central mountain chain Monday. Thereafter, the shortwave to the north will send down a cold front backing into eastern NM Tuesday, knocking back high temperatures 5F to 15F into the 40s to low 60s. Wednesday through Friday including the Thanksgiving Holiday looks rather pleasant across the Land of Enchantment with warming temperatures and moderate afternoon winds. The extended period of late next weekend into early next week continues to see a strong signal for a much more amplified polar jet over the northern Pacific. Numerical model guidance and their associated suite of ensemble members are in remarkably good agreement that a sharp and deepening troughing pattern will bring the seasons first significant winter storm system across a large portion of the western CONUS. How far south this system dives into the Desert Southwest and northern Mexico and the inner workings of it remain a question this far out. However, those with post- Thanksgiving travel plans during this timeframe should stay aware of the latest forecast updates. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1027 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 VFR conditions will deteriorate from west to east overnight through Sunday morning. Rain and mountain snow have begun to move into southwest NM and will continue to shift east/northeast through Sun morning. MVFR cigs are expected, but moderate to high chances for IFR cigs/vsbys exists in the heavier precipitation. In general, the heavier precipitation should last no more than 2-5 hours at most locales. Mtn obscurations are expected. Once the main area of precipitation passes and the upper low moves over the NM/CO border in the afternoon, scattered instability showers and a few thunderstorms will develop favoring areas along and west of the Central Mountain Chain through early evening. These will be more spotty in nature, but may briefly reduce cigs/vsby. Meanwhile, the east canyon wind has thus far has underperformed. Therefore, have reduced winds in the TAF for KSAF and KABQ, but gusts near 20-25kt remain possible until the heavier precipitation arrives around 12-13Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1209 PM MST Sat Nov 22 2025 No fire weather concerns through the holiday week. Winter weather traverses much of the state tonight thru Sunday. Breezy to locally windy conditions will focus over the highlands along and just east of the central mountain chain Monday afternoon. Temperatures rebound late week after a brief cool down over eastern NM Tuesday, alongside modest winds and minimum humidity staying at or above 25 to 30 percent. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 40 48 33 51 / 70 60 20 0 Dulce........................... 30 46 29 46 / 50 100 40 0 Cuba............................ 33 44 31 45 / 80 90 30 0 Gallup.......................... 33 44 28 51 / 90 40 20 0 El Morro........................ 34 42 33 47 / 90 50 30 0 Grants.......................... 33 47 29 52 / 80 50 10 0 Quemado......................... 34 46 32 50 / 90 50 20 0 Magdalena....................... 37 49 34 54 / 80 40 5 0 Datil........................... 34 45 32 50 / 90 30 10 0 Reserve......................... 32 47 27 57 / 90 60 5 0 Glenwood........................ 35 53 31 61 / 90 70 5 0 Chama........................... 29 41 25 41 / 50 100 50 0 Los Alamos...................... 36 43 32 47 / 60 90 20 0 Pecos........................... 32 45 30 51 / 60 100 10 0 Cerro/Questa.................... 31 42 28 44 / 20 90 30 0 Red River....................... 26 36 24 37 / 10 90 30 0 Angel Fire...................... 23 40 20 43 / 20 90 20 0 Taos............................ 30 43 27 46 / 30 90 20 0 Mora............................ 30 45 27 51 / 40 100 10 0 Espanola........................ 33 49 31 52 / 50 100 20 0 Santa Fe........................ 36 46 33 48 / 60 100 20 0 Santa Fe Airport................ 35 49 31 51 / 60 100 20 0 Albuquerque Foothills........... 41 51 38 53 / 80 90 20 0 Albuquerque Heights............. 42 53 37 56 / 80 90 20 0 Albuquerque Valley.............. 39 55 34 58 / 80 80 10 0 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 40 53 35 56 / 80 90 10 0 Belen........................... 38 56 32 59 / 80 80 10 0 Bernalillo...................... 39 53 36 56 / 80 90 20 0 Bosque Farms.................... 36 54 30 58 / 80 80 20 0 Corrales........................ 38 53 34 56 / 80 90 20 0 Los Lunas....................... 36 54 30 58 / 80 80 10 0 Placitas........................ 40 50 37 52 / 80 90 20 0 Rio Rancho...................... 40 52 36 55 / 80 90 20 0 Socorro......................... 41 59 36 62 / 80 60 5 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 36 47 34 49 / 70 90 20 0 Tijeras......................... 38 48 35 50 / 80 90 20 0 Edgewood........................ 36 49 34 51 / 70 90 20 0 Moriarty/Estancia............... 31 52 33 54 / 70 90 10 0 Clines Corners.................. 33 48 31 50 / 60 90 10 0 Mountainair..................... 36 50 33 52 / 80 90 10 0 Gran Quivira.................... 37 51 32 53 / 80 90 10 0 Carrizozo....................... 41 54 35 55 / 60 90 10 0 Ruidoso......................... 36 49 33 52 / 60 80 0 0 Capulin......................... 30 46 28 52 / 0 90 5 0 Raton........................... 30 47 29 56 / 0 90 10 0 Springer........................ 29 48 28 58 / 5 90 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 32 46 31 55 / 40 100 5 0 Clayton......................... 36 50 37 60 / 0 80 0 0 Roy............................. 34 47 31 58 / 5 100 0 0 Conchas......................... 35 55 34 64 / 10 100 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 37 55 38 61 / 30 90 5 0 Tucumcari....................... 36 55 36 65 / 10 90 0 0 Clovis.......................... 41 57 38 64 / 10 90 5 0 Portales........................ 39 60 37 66 / 10 90 5 0 Fort Sumner..................... 38 57 37 64 / 20 90 5 0 Roswell......................... 44 64 40 68 / 20 60 0 0 Picacho......................... 39 62 36 63 / 40 50 0 0 Elk............................. 35 58 31 61 / 40 50 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 2 AM Sunday to midnight MST Sunday night for NMZ210-211-213-214. && $$ SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....24 AVIATION...34