493  
FXUS65 KABQ 152334  
AFDABQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM  
534 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
   
..NEW AVIATION  
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
UPDATED AT 528 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
- WIDESPREAD STORMS EACH DAY THIS WEEK WILL FOCUS OVER NORTHERN  
AND WESTERN NEW MEXICO, WITH LESSER COVERAGE ACROSS THE EAST.  
SMALL HAIL, GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS, AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING  
MAY OCCUR WITH STRONGER STORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
HOURS.  
 
- THERE IS A LOW RISK OF FLASH FLOODING OVER THE RUIDOSO AREA BURN  
SCARS THROUGH THURSDAY, THEN AT LEAST A LOW TO MODERATE RISK  
FROM FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 200 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
A COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN EVOLVING ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. WILL  
MAKE FOR A TRICKY CONVECTIVE FORECAST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  
THE MAIN AXIS OF MONSOON MOISTURE STRETCHES FROM SOUTH TO NORTH  
ACROSS AZ AND WESTERN NM WHILE A BROAD AREA OF UPPER LEVEL DRY AIR  
IS WEDGED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. MEANWHILE, A SERIES OF EASTERLY  
WAVES ARE STACKED FROM THE SOUTHERN BAJA INTO SOUTH TX AND OK. THE  
LARGE-SCALE FLOW PATTERN WILL UNDERGO A SQUEEZE PLAY ACROSS NM AS  
THE EASTERLY WAVES MOVE NORTHWESTWARD AND A NEW UPPER LEVEL HIGH  
CENTER BEGINS TO FORM AROUND NORTHERN CO. THIS SQUEEZE PLAY IS  
ALREADY RESULTING IN A SPEED MAX STRENGTHENING TO NEAR 50KT ALONG  
THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS ALSO DEEPENING ACROSS  
THE REGION WITH SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW BUILDING TO NEAR 700MB OVER  
SOUTHEAST NM. THE DEEPER MOISTURE, IMPROVING LIFT, DAYTIME HEATING,  
AND OROGRAPHICS WILL ALLOW SHOWERS AND STORMS TO CONTINUE AROUND  
THE HIGH TERRAIN TODAY. STORMS WILL MOVE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST INTO  
NEARBY HIGHLANDS AND VALLEYS ON CONVECTIVE OUTFLOWS THRU LATE THIS  
EVENING. ANOTHER GAP WIND WILL DEVELOP IN THE RGV THIS EVENING  
WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH LIKELY. 24-HR LPMM QPF FROM ENSEMBLE CAMS  
SHOWS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL >1" OVER THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN  
HIGH TERRAIN. THE UPPER LEVEL DRY AIR AND SUBSIDENCE OVER EASTERN  
NM IS CAPPING CONVECTION EAST OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN. THIS DRY  
AIR ALOFT WILL SPREAD WEST TONIGHT AND BE POSITIONED MORE OVER  
CENTRAL NM THURSDAY. THERE IS ALSO A 20-30% CHANCE OF LOW STRATUS  
TO DEVELOP WESTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST NM LATE TONIGHT AS RICHER LOW  
LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTS INTO THE AREA.  
 
THERE IS CONFLICTING GUIDANCE ON STORM COVERAGE THURSDAY DEPENDING  
ON EXACTLY WHERE THE AFOREMENTIONED DRY WEDGE LINES UP OVER THE  
AREA. THE EASTERLY WAVE OVER SOUTH TX MAY HAVE MADE ENOUGH PROGRESS  
TO THE NORTHWEST TO ALLOW FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS TO INCREASE OVER  
SOUTHEAST NM WHILE THE MAIN STORM AXIS FOCUSES FROM THE NORTHERN  
MOUNTAINS DOWN THE CONT DIVIDE TO THE GILA REGION. 24-HR LPMM QPF  
FROM ENSEMBLE CAMS DOES INDICATE A DOWNTICK IN STORM FOOTPRINTS  
>1". STORM MOTIONS THURSDAY MAY ALSO BE SLOWER AND MORE ERRATIC  
FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST AS THE UPPER LEVEL WIND FIELD BECOMES  
MORE DEFORMED OVER THE REGION.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM  
 
(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 200 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE DEEPENING  
OVER THE AREA WHILE 700-500MB LAYER FLOW STARTS TO VEER SOUTHWARD  
AND THE BAJA SHORTWAVE TROUGH DRIFTS NORTH TOWARD SOUTHWEST AZ.  
PWATS ARE SHOWN INCREASING TO NEAR 1.1" AT KABQ AND NEAR 1.5" AT  
KEPZ. STEERING FLOW IS LIKELY TO WEAKEN OVER THE REGION AND BECOME  
MORE EAST/WEST FRIDAY THRU SATURDAY. THE MAIN FOCUS FOR STORMS IS  
MOST LIKELY TO CENTER OVER NORTHERN AND WESTERN NM AGAIN. WPC QPF  
FAVORS THIS AREA AND NBM 90TH PERCENTILE QPF SHOWS DAILY BULLSEYES  
>1". NORTHEAST NM AND PERHAPS PARTS OF CENTRAL NM MAY REMAIN UNDER  
THE POCKET OF DRIER AND MORE STABLE UPPER LEVEL DRY AIR SO STORM  
COVERAGE WILL DEPEND ON HOW THAT EVOLVES.  
 
MODEL AGREEMENT FALLS OFF CONSIDERABLY SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS THE  
H5 HIGH CENTER OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES BEGINS TO DRIFT SOUTHEAST  
INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. THE GFS SHOWS A BROAD AREA OF DRY AND STABLE  
UPPER LEVEL AIR OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. BUILDING SOUTHWEST INTO NM  
FOR MOST OF NEXT WEEK WITH HOTTER TEMPS. HOWEVER, THE ECMWF AND  
NBM CONTINUE TO FAVOR THE AXIS OF MONSOON MOISTURE ALONG AND WEST  
OF THE CENTRAL MT CHAIN THRU EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH LOCALLY HEAVY  
RAINFALL STILL POSSIBLE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(00Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 528 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD BE IMPACTING THE ABQ METRO  
TERMINALS THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO WITH OTHER ACTIVITY OFF TO THE NW  
WITH THIS CLUSTER. THE WESTERN FRINGES OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD  
REACH KGUP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. TAFS MAINTAIN MENTION OF  
TSRA FOR KAEG AND KABQ BUT THE ACTIVITY HAS WEAKENED AS IT HAS  
MOVED INTO THE AREA. THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH TS BUT MORE SHRA. KFMN  
AND KSAF SHOULD BE DONE WITH CONVECTION FOR THE NIGHT.  
 
TOMORROW CHANCES OF STORMS AT THE TERMINALS LOOKS LESS SO THERE  
WAS A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO THE LATER PERIODS OF THE TAFS  
GIVEN LOWER CONFIDENCE. KROW COULD BE ON THE EDGES OF SOME MVFR  
DECKS IN THE MORNING BUT LESS THAN A 20 PERCENT CHANCE SO WILL NOT  
INCLUDE IN THE TAF. KSAF, KFMN AND KGUP LOOK LIKE THE AREAS WITH  
THE HIGHER CHANCES OF TSRA BUT EVEN THAT IS LOW CONFIDENCE.  
 
39  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 200 PM MDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
THERE IS NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.  
SHOWERS AND STORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL DEVELOP OVER THE  
HIGH TERRAIN EACH DAY THEN MOVE INTO NEARBY HIGHLANDS AND VALLEYS  
THRU THE EVENING HOURS. STEERING FLOW WILL BE GENERALLY NORTHEAST TO  
SOUTHWEST THRU THURSDAY, MORE EAST TO WEST FRIDAY THRU SUNDAY, THEN  
EVENTUALLY SOUTH TO NORTH THRU NEXT WEEK. MIN HUMIDITY EACH DAY WILL  
AVERAGE 20 TO 30% WITH GOOD TO EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES.  
 
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS  
 
FARMINGTON...................... 63 90 62 90 / 50 20 50 30  
DULCE........................... 49 86 48 86 / 70 60 50 70  
CUBA............................ 56 82 55 82 / 30 30 50 60  
GALLUP.......................... 54 84 52 82 / 60 40 60 60  
EL MORRO........................ 55 79 54 78 / 80 40 50 60  
GRANTS.......................... 56 83 55 83 / 60 40 50 50  
QUEMADO......................... 57 79 55 79 / 80 60 40 60  
MAGDALENA....................... 62 81 61 82 / 50 40 20 50  
DATIL........................... 58 76 57 77 / 70 60 30 60  
RESERVE......................... 56 83 52 84 / 60 60 30 70  
GLENWOOD........................ 58 87 54 88 / 40 60 30 60  
CHAMA........................... 48 78 47 78 / 60 70 50 70  
LOS ALAMOS...................... 62 81 61 81 / 50 30 40 60  
PECOS........................... 54 81 54 82 / 40 50 20 80  
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 55 79 54 80 / 60 70 40 60  
RED RIVER....................... 43 75 42 76 / 60 70 40 70  
ANGEL FIRE...................... 41 75 40 75 / 50 70 40 70  
TAOS............................ 52 81 50 82 / 40 50 30 60  
MORA............................ 51 77 51 79 / 40 60 30 70  
ESPANOLA........................ 60 88 60 89 / 40 30 30 50  
SANTA FE........................ 60 82 60 82 / 40 40 20 70  
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 58 85 58 85 / 40 30 20 60  
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 66 88 66 89 / 40 40 30 50  
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 63 89 63 90 / 40 30 30 40  
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 63 91 63 92 / 30 30 30 40  
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 66 90 66 91 / 40 20 30 40  
BELEN........................... 62 91 62 91 / 30 20 20 30  
BERNALILLO...................... 65 91 64 91 / 40 30 30 40  
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 60 90 60 91 / 30 30 20 30  
CORRALES........................ 65 91 65 92 / 40 20 30 40  
LOS LUNAS....................... 62 90 62 91 / 30 20 20 30  
PLACITAS........................ 65 87 65 87 / 40 30 30 40  
RIO RANCHO...................... 65 90 65 91 / 40 20 30 40  
SOCORRO......................... 68 92 67 93 / 30 5 10 20  
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 59 82 59 83 / 40 50 30 60  
TIJERAS......................... 57 86 57 86 / 40 40 30 60  
EDGEWOOD........................ 54 86 54 86 / 30 30 20 60  
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 52 86 52 86 / 20 30 10 50  
CLINES CORNERS.................. 54 81 54 81 / 30 20 10 50  
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 56 85 56 85 / 20 30 20 60  
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 57 82 57 83 / 20 30 10 60  
CARRIZOZO....................... 62 85 61 85 / 20 30 10 60  
RUIDOSO......................... 55 78 54 77 / 10 40 10 70  
CAPULIN......................... 53 80 53 81 / 5 10 10 10  
RATON........................... 54 84 53 86 / 10 5 10 20  
SPRINGER........................ 56 85 55 86 / 5 5 10 20  
LAS VEGAS....................... 54 80 54 81 / 30 20 10 50  
CLAYTON......................... 61 87 60 88 / 5 0 5 5  
ROY............................. 59 83 58 84 / 5 0 10 20  
CONCHAS......................... 63 91 63 91 / 5 0 10 20  
SANTA ROSA...................... 61 85 61 86 / 5 0 10 20  
TUCUMCARI....................... 63 91 63 91 / 5 0 5 10  
CLOVIS.......................... 62 87 62 87 / 5 0 10 20  
PORTALES........................ 62 88 62 88 / 5 0 10 20  
FORT SUMNER..................... 63 89 63 89 / 10 0 10 10  
ROSWELL......................... 66 89 65 90 / 10 5 20 20  
PICACHO......................... 60 85 59 85 / 10 5 10 40  
ELK............................. 55 83 55 83 / 10 10 10 70  
 
 
   
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...42  
LONG TERM....42  
AVIATION...39  
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