489
FXUS65 KABQ 222321 AAA
AFDABQ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
421 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
..NEW AVIATION
KEY MESSAGES
UPDATED AT 407 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
- A WARMING TREND BEGINS TODAY AND CONTINUES THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR OR AT RECORD LEVELS MID TO LATE WEEK.
- CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF RAPID
FIRE SPREAD ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL AREAS TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY THIS WEEK.
SHORT TERM
(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1255 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
IT'S AN IDEAL LAST SUNDAY OF FEBRUARY ACROSS THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT
WITH SOME HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NM.
HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE AROUND 5 TO 10 DEGREES WARMER THAN YESTERDAY
FOR MANY DUE TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DEVELOPING OVERHEAD. SOME BREEZY
SOUTH WINDS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO WEAK
SURFACE LEE TROUGH. ANOTHER NIGHT OF TYPICAL VALLEY INVERSIONS
ACROSS THE AREA, THOUGH LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND 5 TO 10
DEGREES WARMER THAN THIS MORNING. HIGH CLOUDS ACROSS THE STATE TAPER
OFF MONDAY MORNING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WARM UP A LITTLE MORE ON
MONDAY WITH LOW TO MID 60S OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. SOME
BREEZY SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE CAPROCK DUE TO ANOTHER
SURFACE LEE TROUGH. NOT AS COLD MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING
WITH BREEZY WEST WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE PEAKS OF THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND ADJACENT HIGHLANDS.
LONG TERM
(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 1255 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
THE RIDGE ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST FLATTENS EARLY ON TUESDAY
DUE TO A UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ENTERING THE PACIFIC NW AND
ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL U.S. THIS
WILL RESULT IN BREEZY TO GUSTY WEST WINDS, ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST
OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS
THE I-40 CORRIDOR OF EAST CENTRAL NM WITH PEAK GUSTS OF 40 TO 50
MPH. THE DOWNSLOPE WEST WINDS WILL INTENSIFY THE WARMUP AREAWIDE,
ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN, WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES 15 TO 25 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. THESE WARM TEMPERATURES
AND GUSTY WEST WINDS ALONG WITH MINIMUM RH VALUES IN THE UPPER
SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW TEENS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASING RISK FOR
RAPID FIRE SPREAD ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN.
WEDNESDAY WILL BE SIMILAR TO TUESDAY WITH WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS
SLIGHTLY STRONGER AREAWIDE AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE
PACIFIC NW TUESDAY SLIDES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
ROCKIES. A MODERATE PROBABILITY (50 TO 70%) WIND GUSTS TO REACH WIND
ADVISORY CRITERIA ACROSS THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO
MOUNTAINS AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF TORRANCE AND GUADALUPE COUNTY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER DAY OF A RISK FOR RAPID FIRE SPREAD
ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN, THOUGH MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER IN THE MID TEENS TO
LOW 20S. FINALLY, A LOW CHANCE (10 TO 20%) FOR ROSWELL TO HAVE ITS
FIRST 90 DEGREE DAY OF THE YEAR!
HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS ON THURSDAY WILL BE
COOLER BY 10 TO 15 DEGREES COMPARED TO TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BEHIND
A MORNING BACKDOOR FRONT. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES
BOUNCE BACK TO READINGS SIMILAR TO TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY DUE TO
RETURNING DOWNSLOPE WEST WINDS. BREEZY WEST WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS BOTH DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM
REMAIN STEADY AND 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE FOR LATE FEBRUARY.
ALBUQUERQUE WILL SEE HIGHS IN THE MID 70S TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY. RECORDS COULD BE CHALLENGED AS WE CLOSE OUT THE MONTH
OF FEBRUARY.
AVIATION
(00Z TAFS)
ISSUED AT 407 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL AND ARE FORECAST TO PERSIST, ALTHOUGH WITH
PERIODS OF VFR CIGS IN THE FORM OF HIGH CLOUDS. WINDS WILL BE
LIGHT THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD, EXCEPT FOR GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS AT
KROW MONDAY AFTERNOON.
FIRE WEATHER
ISSUED AT 1255 PM MST SUN FEB 22 2026
DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. A WARMING TREND HAS BEGIN WITH
TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL BY 15 TO 25 DEGREES COME TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY. ON TUESDAY, WARM TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH DRY AIR IN PLACE
WILL RESULT IN MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE UPPER SINGLE
DIGITS TO LOW TEENS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN.
COMBINE THIS WITH WEST WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 MPH WILL LIKELY RESULT
IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS. FOR THAT REASON, A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. WINDS
STRENGTHEN A LITTLE AREAWIDE ON WEDNESDAY AS A DISTURBANCE MOVES
ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES. HOWEVER, SURFACE MOISTURE
INCREASES A LITTLE AS WELL RESULTING IN SLIGHTLY HIGHER MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE MID TO UPPER TEENS ACROSS THE
NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN PLAINS. EVEN WITH THE SLIGHTLY
HIGHER MOISTURE, POTENTIAL STILL EXISTS FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACROSS THESE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS. COOLER ACROSS THE
EASTERN PLAINS THURSDAY BEHIND A BACKDOOR FRONT BEFORE WARMING BACK
UP ON FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. SOME BREEZY WEST WINDS ACROSS THE
HIGHLANDS WILL KEEP ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN PLAY
THURSDAY BEFORE SPREADING TO THE EASTERN PLAINS ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
FARMINGTON...................... 53 25 57 27 / 0 0 0 0
DULCE........................... 50 13 55 17 / 0 0 0 0
CUBA............................ 50 22 57 28 / 0 0 0 0
GALLUP.......................... 55 16 62 20 / 0 0 0 0
EL MORRO........................ 55 26 62 31 / 0 0 0 0
GRANTS.......................... 55 16 63 22 / 0 0 0 0
QUEMADO......................... 59 25 65 31 / 0 0 0 0
MAGDALENA....................... 53 30 61 36 / 0 0 0 0
DATIL........................... 53 26 62 32 / 0 0 0 0
RESERVE......................... 63 25 70 29 / 0 0 0 0
GLENWOOD........................ 66 26 71 31 / 0 0 0 0
CHAMA........................... 45 17 49 21 / 0 0 0 0
LOS ALAMOS...................... 49 29 56 33 / 0 0 0 0
PECOS........................... 52 25 61 32 / 0 0 0 0
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 47 24 54 30 / 0 0 0 0
RED RIVER....................... 40 20 47 26 / 0 0 0 0
ANGEL FIRE...................... 45 4 52 19 / 0 0 0 0
TAOS............................ 50 15 57 22 / 0 0 0 0
MORA............................ 54 24 63 32 / 0 0 0 0
ESPANOLA........................ 57 21 63 26 / 0 0 0 0
SANTA FE........................ 51 28 58 33 / 0 0 0 0
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 53 25 60 28 / 0 0 0 0
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 55 34 62 38 / 0 0 0 0
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 57 31 62 34 / 0 0 0 0
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 59 28 65 31 / 0 0 0 0
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 57 30 64 33 / 0 0 0 0
BELEN........................... 58 24 65 26 / 0 0 0 0
BERNALILLO...................... 58 30 65 33 / 0 0 0 0
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 58 24 65 27 / 0 0 0 0
CORRALES........................ 59 29 65 32 / 0 0 0 0
LOS LUNAS....................... 58 25 64 28 / 0 0 0 0
PLACITAS........................ 55 32 60 36 / 0 0 0 0
RIO RANCHO...................... 58 30 64 33 / 0 0 0 0
SOCORRO......................... 60 28 67 33 / 0 0 0 0
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 51 29 58 33 / 0 0 0 0
TIJERAS......................... 52 30 58 34 / 0 0 0 0
EDGEWOOD........................ 55 25 62 30 / 0 0 0 0
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 56 16 64 23 / 0 0 0 0
CLINES CORNERS.................. 51 25 60 31 / 0 0 0 0
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 54 26 61 31 / 0 0 0 0
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 54 26 62 32 / 0 0 0 0
CARRIZOZO....................... 55 29 62 35 / 0 0 0 0
RUIDOSO......................... 53 29 60 37 / 0 0 0 0
CAPULIN......................... 50 21 64 31 / 0 0 0 0
RATON........................... 53 18 66 26 / 0 0 0 0
SPRINGER........................ 56 17 68 25 / 0 0 0 0
LAS VEGAS....................... 53 22 65 32 / 0 0 0 0
CLAYTON......................... 53 25 66 35 / 0 0 0 0
ROY............................. 51 20 63 30 / 0 0 0 0
CONCHAS......................... 58 24 71 30 / 0 0 0 0
SANTA ROSA...................... 54 23 70 39 / 0 0 0 0
TUCUMCARI....................... 58 25 69 34 / 0 0 0 0
CLOVIS.......................... 56 26 65 35 / 0 0 0 0
PORTALES........................ 58 24 66 35 / 0 0 0 0
FORT SUMNER..................... 55 22 65 29 / 0 0 0 0
ROSWELL......................... 55 26 65 30 / 0 0 0 0
PICACHO......................... 55 26 66 37 / 0 0 0 0
ELK............................. 55 25 67 36 / 0 0 0 0
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR NMZ104-123-125-126.
SHORT TERM...71
LONG TERM....71
AVIATION...11
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page