Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
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293 FXUS65 KABQ 212323 AAA AFDABQ Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 423 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 423 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 - Low chance of fog and freezing fog across central, northern, and eastern NM Saturday morning. - Another storm system will bring a round of widespread lower elevation rain and mountain snow Saturday night through Sunday into early Monday morning. A few inches of accumulating snow will again be favored above 8,500 feet. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Saturday night) Issued at 1235 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 What`s left of yesterday`s storm system is now over KS/MO with wraparound northerly flow pushing into northeastern NM where some low clouds are lingering b/w Raton and Clayton. More widespread low clouds persist over the slopes of the northern mountains which will be slow to erode this afternoon. Visible satellite imagery also shows fresh snow atop the western and northern mountain peaks from yesterday`s storm system, a pleasant sight to see. Meanwhile GOES WV satellite imagery shows the next and last in the line of storm systems spinning down the CA coastline, well defined with two distinct vort-loves on the western and eastern peripheries of the 554dm H5 low center. A steady increase in high cirrus will encroach across western and central NM this afternoon associated with the east side vort-lobe, spreading over eastern NM tonight. Meanwhile, a weak surface front pushing southward thru eastern NM will help bring low clouds and some patchy fog there late tonight into early Saturday morning. A few northern valley locations may also see some fog or freezing fog Saturday morning as well. Saturday sees the low become more symmetrical with the drier westerly lobe wrapping to the southern periphery of the H5 low as it moves over the northern Baja Peninsula. High temperatures rebound further over NM Saturday as WAA fills in across much of the state. Surface high pressure will also slide east over OK/TX bringing southerly return flow into southeastern NM. The increase in surface moisture highlighted by Td`s rising into the 40s across southeastern NM underlying favorable divergent flow aloft will yield the onset and subsequent expansion of showers with embedded thunderstorms through south-central and southeastern NM Sunday morning. Surface southeasterly upslope flow further north along the Sandia/Manzano`s and Sangre de Cristo Mts will yield numerous showers with snow levels still favoring 8,000 to 9,000 feet. An east canyon wind into eastern ABQ thru the Tijeras Canyon will also likely result Saturday night into Sunday morning. While more convective shower and thunderstorm activity over eastern NM moves into TX Sunday afternoon, a continuation of valley rain and mountain showers will persist over the western and northern mountains as the core of the H5 low moves over the Four Corners region. Numerical model guidance continues to advertise relatively warm H7 temperatures of roughly -2C to -4C which will limit snow to liquid ratios. As such, forecast snow totals look to be remarkable similar to the most recent winter system over the northern mountains of 2 to 8 inches. Liquid equivalents will range from the 0.25" to 1.00" over the western and northern mountains as well. && .LONG TERM... (Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 1235 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 Snow will persist the longest over the western slopes of the northern mountains Sunday night into Monday morning with northwest flow aloft continuing orographically driving snow there on the back side of the H5 low. Temperatures rebound Monday with breezy northwesterly flow filling in behind the exiting H5 low. Forecast confidence is low regarding wind speeds Monday afternoon as numerical model confidence differs on the evolution of an upper level system over MT/WY. This will impact the N-S pressure gradient across the state and how strong the westerly to northwesterly winds will be. Tuesday sees a cold front back southward thru eastern NM from the aforementioned upper level system crossing the northern Great Plains. Temperatures fall back 5F to 15F across eastern NM behind the cold front. Dry weather persists Wednesday and thru the end of the Thanksgiving Day Holiday and Friday. Long range ensemble guidance shows a return to another active weather pattern Sunday into Monday after Thanksgiving with a more amplified polar jet over the northern Pacific. This will set the stage for the next storm system to enter the western CONUS. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 423 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 VFR low clouds across northwest and north central NM, including KFMN and KSAF will continue to break up early this evening. BKN mid-level clouds moving across the airspace from south to northwest overnight. A weak boundary across northeast NM will push southeast across the rest of eastern NM overnight with low clouds developing across northeast and east central NM in it`s wake early Saturday morning. This will result in some IFR to potentially as low as Airport Minimum conditions for sites across this area, including KLVS and KTCC. Some patchy fog cannot be ruled out as well. Low clouds look to remain in the vicinity but not directly impact KROW at this time. Low clouds across northeast and east central NM look to break up during the late morning hours with two areas of SCT to BKN mid to high level clouds moving into western and central NM and far southeast NM during the afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1235 PM MST Fri Nov 21 2025 No fire weather concerns today and Saturday as temperatures rebound. Widespread valley rain and mountain snow spread over the state Saturday night through Sunday night. Dry conditions return Monday with strengthening northwesterly winds Monday afternoon, where gusty winds of 35 to 45 mph could reach the highlands along the central mountain chain. Temperatures and humidity will remain well outside critical fire weather thresholds however. Otherwise, dry conditions persist through the Thanksgiving Holiday week. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 33 59 38 49 / 0 0 50 70 Dulce........................... 21 58 27 47 / 0 0 40 90 Cuba............................ 27 56 33 46 / 0 0 60 80 Gallup.......................... 25 58 30 45 / 0 0 70 60 El Morro........................ 28 55 32 44 / 0 0 80 70 Grants.......................... 26 56 32 49 / 0 0 80 70 Quemado......................... 28 58 33 46 / 0 0 80 50 Magdalena....................... 32 56 37 50 / 0 0 80 50 Datil........................... 28 55 33 46 / 0 0 80 40 Reserve......................... 24 63 30 50 / 0 5 90 50 Glenwood........................ 27 67 34 55 / 0 5 90 50 Chama........................... 20 52 27 43 / 0 0 40 90 Los Alamos...................... 33 53 35 44 / 0 0 70 90 Pecos........................... 28 57 33 46 / 0 0 70 90 Cerro/Questa.................... 26 52 30 43 / 0 0 30 90 Red River....................... 20 44 25 36 / 0 0 30 90 Angel Fire...................... 13 52 20 43 / 0 0 40 90 Taos............................ 22 56 29 47 / 0 0 40 90 Mora............................ 25 57 30 47 / 0 0 50 90 Espanola........................ 25 60 32 52 / 0 0 60 90 Santa Fe........................ 31 57 37 47 / 0 0 70 90 Santa Fe Airport................ 29 58 36 50 / 0 0 70 80 Albuquerque Foothills........... 36 62 43 53 / 0 0 70 70 Albuquerque Heights............. 34 63 42 55 / 0 0 70 70 Albuquerque Valley.............. 33 64 41 57 / 0 0 70 60 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 35 62 42 55 / 0 0 70 60 Belen........................... 28 62 38 57 / 0 0 70 60 Bernalillo...................... 34 64 41 56 / 0 0 70 70 Bosque Farms.................... 28 63 37 57 / 0 0 70 60 Corrales........................ 33 64 41 57 / 0 0 70 70 Los Lunas....................... 30 63 38 57 / 0 0 70 60 Placitas........................ 35 60 40 51 / 0 0 70 80 Rio Rancho...................... 35 63 41 55 / 0 0 70 70 Socorro......................... 33 64 40 60 / 0 0 70 40 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 31 57 36 47 / 0 0 70 80 Tijeras......................... 32 58 38 49 / 0 0 70 80 Edgewood........................ 28 58 35 50 / 0 0 70 80 Moriarty/Estancia............... 22 60 33 52 / 0 0 60 80 Clines Corners.................. 28 55 33 47 / 0 0 60 80 Mountainair..................... 28 59 35 50 / 0 0 70 70 Gran Quivira.................... 28 60 36 50 / 0 0 70 70 Carrizozo....................... 33 63 40 54 / 0 0 60 60 Ruidoso......................... 32 57 37 49 / 0 0 60 60 Capulin......................... 27 57 29 45 / 0 0 10 90 Raton........................... 26 59 28 47 / 0 0 20 80 Springer........................ 26 60 29 51 / 0 0 20 80 Las Vegas....................... 28 57 32 46 / 0 0 50 90 Clayton......................... 33 62 35 50 / 0 0 10 90 Roy............................. 29 58 33 50 / 0 0 30 90 Conchas......................... 31 63 35 57 / 0 0 40 90 Santa Rosa...................... 31 58 36 56 / 0 0 40 80 Tucumcari....................... 31 64 36 58 / 0 0 30 90 Clovis.......................... 34 64 40 59 / 0 0 40 90 Portales........................ 33 65 40 62 / 0 0 40 90 Fort Sumner..................... 31 61 38 60 / 0 0 50 80 Roswell......................... 34 63 44 64 / 0 0 50 50 Picacho......................... 33 62 39 62 / 0 0 50 50 Elk............................. 29 61 35 59 / 0 0 50 40 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....24 AVIATION...71