358
FXUS65 KABQ 240836
AFDABQ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
236 AM MDT Sat Oct 24 2026

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

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 118 AM MDT Sat Oct 24 2026

- Severe thunderstorms are forecast to return to the forecast area
  this afternoon and evening, when large hail and damaging winds
  will be the main threats, with a lower risk of isolated
  tornadoes.

- River flooding will continue over parts of central and northwest
  New Mexico today and tonight.

- Heavy rainfall will impact central and eastern parts of the
  forecast area today and tonight with a continued risk of flash
  flooding. The risk of heavy rainfall and flash flooding will
  persist east of the central mountain chain Sunday and Sunday
  night.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Sunday night)
Issued at 118 AM MDT Sat Oct 24 2026

The second upper level low pressure system in a series of two
impacting the forecast area with widespread heavy rain has formed
over southern CA. It will eject northeastward over the Four
Corners and CO Sunday and Sunday night. This slow-moving storm
system will again draw extremely rich subtropical moisture
northward over the forecast area producing widespread showers and
thunderstorms over central and eastern areas today and tonight
with scattered to numerous activity westward to the AZ border.
Sunday and Sunday night, the focus for widespread showers and
thunderstorms will shift over the eastern plains with scattered
to numerous cells over central areas. Models depict a line of
clearing that will advance northeastward across west central and
southwest areas Saturday night, but there is less certainty about
how much eastward progress the dryslot will be able to make on
Sunday. GEFS ensemble PWATS are forecast to peak around 160-250
percent of normal over central, northern, and eastern areas this
afternoon through tonight, with values closer to normal farther
southwest. PWATs will then trend downward over central and western
areas Sunday, while vary high values persist across the plains.
With actual PWATs around 0.80-1.15", stronger storms along and
east of the central mountain chain will again be capable of
producing locally heavy rainfall at rates near and over 1"/hr
today and tonight, then again east of the central mountain chain
Sunday and Sunday night. Additional rain amounts today through
Sunday night are progged to reach around 0.50-3.0" along and east
of the central mountain chain with the heaviest amounts northeast,
and mostly lighter amounts elsewhere. NBM 90th Percentile QPF,
which indicates what a few of the higher rainfall totals will
probably end up being, reaches 4-6" on the eastern plains, and
2-3" along the central mountain chain, over north central areas,
and across the northwest mountains and northwest highlands. This
upper-end scenario also indicates up to 1.5" of rain will be
possible in parts of the Albuquerque area with higher amounts of
2-3" in the urban corridor north of Albuquerque to Taos. With this
forecast package we will continue a Flash Flood Watch today
through tonight from Navajo Lake eastward and southeastward to
Capulin, Conchas, Fort Sumner, Roswell, and Ruidoso; including
Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Later shifts will probably extend and
expand the Watch over eastern areas for Sunday and Sunday evening.

A few inches of snow are also forecast on the highest peaks of
the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Saturday night through Sunday
night, where 700 mb temperatures look to bottom out around +2 to
+4 C. Otherwise, high temperatures across the forecast area will
continue to trend cooler through the weekend, when readings should
vary from a few to around 9 degrees below 30-year averages.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday through Friday)
Issued at 118 AM MDT Sat Oct 24 2026

On Monday, scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will
continue over east central and southeast areas, where moist
southeast low level return flow will develop as a weak trailing
disturbance crosses aloft. PWATs are forecast to trend downward,
so the risk of additional flash flooding will be low. Otherwise,
drier and warmer weather is forecast Monday through midweek as an
active storm track north of NM draws dry west and southwest flow
over the forecast area. Showers and thunderstorms may increase
in coverage again across the forecast area Thursday and Friday,
depending on how much progress another upper level low pressure
system can make advancing into the western US. At this time
confidence is low in another widespread rain event over the
forecast area, due to significant and persistent differences in
model track and timing of the weather system.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1140 PM MDT Fri Oct 23 2026

Around the time the broad line of storms exits eastern NM to the
east early Saturday morning, scattered to numerous showers and
storms will begin to develop over central NM again. Widespread
showers and thunderstorms are then forecast across central and
eastern areas from late morning through Saturday evening.
Scattered to numerous activity is forecast farther west to the AZ
border Saturday, then a line of clearing will advance over the
southwest and west central mountains from the southwest Saturday
evening. Some thunderstorms will probably turn severe Saturday
afternoon and evening by producing large hail and damaging winds,
with a risk of an isolated tornado. The greatest severe threat
will be over central, south central, and southeast areas. Storms
will move toward the north and northeast at speeds around 30-45 KT
Saturday.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 118 AM MDT Sat Oct 24 2026

The main fire weather concern through the weekend will be gusty
and erratic thunderstorm outflow. Southwest winds will probably
gust in the 30-40 mph range over northeast areas on Tuesday
afternoon.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Farmington......................  65  44  61  37 /  90  60  20   5
Dulce...........................  60  39  58  30 / 100  90  70  40
Cuba............................  59  42  58  36 /  90  70  20  20
Gallup..........................  63  34  58  29 /  50  10   0   0
El Morro........................  61  34  58  28 /  50  10   0   0
Grants..........................  63  36  60  31 /  80  20   5   0
Quemado.........................  64  35  61  32 /  20   0   0   0
Magdalena.......................  62  44  61  40 /  90  40  10   0
Datil...........................  59  37  59  34 /  60  10   0   0
Reserve.........................  64  36  64  34 /  40   0   0   0
Glenwood........................  69  40  69  39 /  50   0   0   0
Chama...........................  55  38  52  30 / 100  90  70  40
Los Alamos......................  56  45  58  41 / 100 100  40  30
Pecos...........................  58  42  60  36 / 100  90  60  40
Cerro/Questa....................  57  41  56  36 / 100 100  40  30
Red River.......................  48  33  48  27 / 100  90  50  30
Angel Fire......................  52  32  54  17 / 100  90  50  40
Taos............................  59  39  59  31 / 100  90  40  30
Mora............................  54  39  57  31 / 100 100  60  30
Espanola........................  64  46  65  39 / 100  90  40  20
Santa Fe........................  59  46  60  40 / 100  90  50  30
Santa Fe Airport................  62  45  62  38 / 100  90  40  30
Albuquerque Foothills...........  65  51  65  47 / 100  80  20  30
Albuquerque Heights.............  66  50  66  45 / 100  80  20  20
Albuquerque Valley..............  68  49  68  44 / 100  70  20  20
Albuquerque West Mesa...........  66  50  66  46 / 100  80  20  20
Belen...........................  70  49  68  44 /  90  60  10  10
Bernalillo......................  68  49  67  44 / 100  80  20  30
Bosque Farms....................  69  47  68  42 /  90  70  10  10
Corrales........................  68  49  67  44 / 100  80  20  30
Los Lunas.......................  69  48  68  44 /  90  70  10  10
Placitas........................  64  49  64  45 / 100  90  20  30
Rio Rancho......................  67  50  66  45 / 100  80  20  30
Socorro.........................  71  50  69  48 /  90  60  10   5
Sandia Park/Cedar Crest.........  60  45  60  40 / 100  90  20  30
Tijeras.........................  62  47  61  42 / 100  90  20  20
Edgewood........................  61  44  62  36 / 100  90  20  20
Moriarty/Estancia...............  63  43  64  34 / 100  90  20  20
Clines Corners..................  57  44  59  39 / 100 100  40  30
Mountainair.....................  63  45  62  39 /  90  90  20  10
Gran Quivira....................  62  45  61  40 /  90  90  20  20
Carrizozo.......................  67  49  64  46 /  90  90  30  20
Ruidoso.........................  60  46  61  43 /  80  90  50  30
Capulin.........................  55  38  55  38 / 100 100  70  60
Raton...........................  57  40  60  37 / 100 100  60  60
Springer........................  58  40  61  36 / 100 100  70  40
Las Vegas.......................  54  42  57  36 / 100 100  70  50
Clayton.........................  61  48  59  47 /  90 100  90  90
Roy.............................  57  46  58  42 / 100 100  70  70
Conchas.........................  66  52  65  48 / 100 100  80  80
Santa Rosa......................  63  52  63  48 /  90 100  80  70
Tucumcari.......................  69  54  66  50 /  90  90  90  80
Clovis..........................  69  54  65  53 /  60  90 100  80
Portales........................  69  55  67  53 /  70  90  90  80
Fort Sumner.....................  67  54  66  51 /  80 100  90  90
Roswell.........................  70  56  68  54 /  80 100  80  70
Picacho.........................  66  51  66  48 /  80 100  70  60
Elk.............................  66  49  65  46 /  80 100  50  60

&&

.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch from 6 AM MDT this morning through late tonight for
NMZ203-204-210>219-221>224-227>229-232-233-237>240.

Flood Watch through late tonight for NMZ226.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...44
LONG TERM....44
AVIATION...44