348  
FXUS65 KABQ 221152 AAA  
AFDABQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM  
552 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
   
..NEW AVIATION  
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
UPDATED AT 541 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
- ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND  
SATURDAY MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN  
WITH A RISK OF CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING, ERRATIC WIND GUSTS,  
AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS.  
 
- SMOKE FROM THE FRIJOLES FIRE WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT AIR QUALITY  
IN THE VICINITY OF THE FIRE THIS WEEK.  
 
- MODERATE-TO-HIGH HEAT RISK WILL IMPACT MUCH OF CENTRAL AND  
EASTERN NEW MEXICO THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK  
WITH RECORD AND NEAR-RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
 
(TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY)  
ISSUED AT 152 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
A 598 DAM HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL MOVE OVER EASTERN NM TODAY  
CAUSING HIGH TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB A FEW TO 5 DEGREES THERE FROM  
FRIDAY'S READINGS. THE UPPER HIGH WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER  
EASTERN NM ON SUNDAY. READINGS TODAY AND SUNDAY WILL VARY AROUND  
5-12 DEGREES ABOVE 1991-2020 AVERAGES WITH NUMEROUS NEAR-RECORD  
HIGH TEMPERATURES, AND EVEN A FEW RECORD HIGHS IN THE EAST. WITH  
THIS FORECAST PACKAGE, WILL ISSUE A HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE  
TUCUMCARI AND ROSWELL AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. HIGH  
CLOUDS MOVING OVER TUCUMCARI AT THIS TIME SHAKES CONFIDENCE THERE  
SOME, BUT FIGURE THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL SUPPRESS THOSE AS  
IT MOVES OVERHEAD ENABLING TEMPS TO REACH 105 F ACROSS AT LEAST  
PARTS OF QUAY AND CHAVES COUNTIES.  
 
MEANWHILE, HUMIDITIES WILL TREND DOWNWARD SOME IN MOST LOCATIONS  
TODAY AND SUNDAY. SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
WILL FAVOR WESTERN AND NORTHERN AREAS BOTH DAYS, AND HIGH RES  
MODELS SUGGEST THERE WILL PROBABLY ALSO BE A FEW CELLS OVER  
CENTRAL AREAS TODAY. WITH THE DECREASING HUMIDITIES LOCALLY HEAVY  
RAINFALL WILL BE LESS OF A CONCERN TODAY, THEN EVEN LESS-SO  
SUNDAY.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM  
 
(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)  
ISSUED AT 152 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
MODELS GENERALLY DEPICT THE CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT SHIFTING  
OVER SOUTHEAST NM MONDAY, WESTWARD OVER SOUTHWEST NM TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY, THEN A LITTLE FARTHER WEST OVER THE SOUTHWEST NM BORDER  
ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL ENABLE RECORD AND NEAR-RECORD  
HIGH TEMPERATURES TO CONTINUE EACH AFTERNOON WITH THE MOST  
WIDESPREAD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY. HAZARDOUS HEAT  
LOOKS TO RETURN TO THE ROSWELL AREA AGAIN ON MONDAY, WHICH SHOULD  
MAKE THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 105 F. A  
SERIES OF BACKDOOR FRONTS WILL INCREASE GULF MOISTURE OVER EASTERN  
AREAS EACH DAY DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE WORK WEEK, WHILE  
WESTERN HUMIDITIES CONTINUE TO TREND LOWER WITH EACH DAY. THE  
FAVORED LOCATION FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO  
SHIFT OVER AND EAST OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND  
TUESDAY, ALONG AND EAST OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS  
WEDNESDAY, THEN ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN  
ON THURSDAY. THE RISK OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL MAINLY BE  
OVER EASTERN AREAS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, WHERE PWATS WILL  
CLIMB OVER 1 INCH. WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER EASTERN AREAS,  
THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A FEW STRONG-TO-SEVERE STORMS EACH  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AT THIS TIME, SHEAR AND INSTABILITY LOOK  
MOST ELEVATED ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, WHEN THE GREATEST COVERAGE  
OF SEVERE STORMS IS EXPECTED.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(12Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 541 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL FAVOR THE  
NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING,  
WITH ISOLATED ACTIVITY ELSEWHERE ALONG AND WEST OF THE CENTRAL  
MOUNTAIN CHAIN. A FEW OF THE STRONGER CELLS WILL BE CAPABLE OF  
PRODUCING LOCALIZED, BRIEF, AND ERRATIC WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 KT.  
STORM MOTION WILL BE SLOW AND VARIABLE. RECORD AND NEAR-RECORD  
HIGH TEMPERATURES AS MUCH AS 13 DEGREES ABOVE 1991-2020 AVERAGES  
WILL MAKE DENSITY ALTITUDE AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR  
AVIATION OPERATIONS NEAR COMPLEX TERRAIN.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 152 AM MDT SAT AUG 22 2026  
 
CRITICALLY LOW MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL BE PRETTY WIDESPREAD OVER  
EASTERN AREAS TODAY AND SUNDAY. SUB-15 PERCENT HUMIDITIES WILL  
THEN INCREASE IN COVERAGE WITH EACH DAY OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN  
AREAS DURING THE WORK WEEK, WHILE DECREASING IN COVERAGE OVER  
EASTERN AREAS WITH THE ARRIVAL OF GULF MOISTURE. WITH DECREASING  
SIZE OF WETTING FOOTPRINTS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE DURING THE WORK  
WEEK, THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING THREAT OF NEW FIRE STARTS AS  
SPOTTY SHOWERS AND STORMS RETURN MAINLY TO THE MOUNTAINS EACH  
AFTERNOON AND TEMPERATURES REACH NEAR-RECORD READINGS. OTHERWISE,  
THE MAIN FIRE WEATHER CONCERN WILL BE GUSTY AND ERRATIC  
THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW, WHICH WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE WITH EACH  
DAY THROUGH MONDAY, THEN INCREASE AGAIN WITH EACH DAY ACROSS THE  
EAST STARTING TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS  
 
FARMINGTON...................... 96 65 94 64 / 5 10 5 0  
DULCE........................... 92 51 90 51 / 20 30 20 5  
CUBA............................ 89 59 88 59 / 20 20 5 10  
GALLUP.......................... 89 57 90 56 / 30 30 30 10  
EL MORRO........................ 85 56 86 55 / 60 30 40 10  
GRANTS.......................... 89 58 89 58 / 50 20 30 10  
QUEMADO......................... 86 58 87 58 / 60 10 40 5  
MAGDALENA....................... 88 63 89 64 / 30 10 20 5  
DATIL........................... 84 58 85 58 / 50 10 30 10  
RESERVE......................... 92 57 93 58 / 40 10 20 5  
GLENWOOD........................ 97 63 98 63 / 20 20 10 10  
CHAMA........................... 85 53 84 52 / 20 20 30 5  
LOS ALAMOS...................... 89 63 87 63 / 20 20 40 30  
PECOS........................... 89 59 89 59 / 20 20 0 0  
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 87 57 86 56 / 20 20 50 30  
RED RIVER....................... 78 49 76 48 / 30 20 40 20  
ANGEL FIRE...................... 84 43 82 43 / 30 20 30 10  
TAOS............................ 91 57 90 55 / 20 20 40 20  
MORA............................ 87 55 87 55 / 20 20 20 5  
ESPANOLA........................ 96 63 94 62 / 10 20 30 20  
SANTA FE........................ 90 63 89 63 / 20 20 0 10  
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 93 61 92 61 / 20 20 0 10  
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 94 69 96 69 / 20 20 0 5  
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 95 68 96 68 / 20 20 0 5  
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 98 66 98 67 / 10 10 0 10  
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 97 69 96 69 / 20 20 0 10  
BELEN........................... 98 65 98 65 / 20 10 0 0  
BERNALILLO...................... 97 68 98 67 / 20 20 0 10  
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 98 64 98 65 / 10 10 0 5  
CORRALES........................ 98 68 98 68 / 20 20 0 10  
LOS LUNAS....................... 97 65 98 66 / 10 10 0 5  
PLACITAS........................ 93 66 94 67 / 20 20 0 10  
RIO RANCHO...................... 97 68 97 68 / 20 20 0 10  
SOCORRO......................... 99 69 100 70 / 20 10 0 0  
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 89 62 90 63 / 20 20 0 10  
TIJERAS......................... 90 63 91 64 / 20 20 0 5  
EDGEWOOD........................ 91 59 92 59 / 20 20 0 5  
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 93 57 94 57 / 20 20 0 5  
CLINES CORNERS.................. 89 61 90 61 / 20 20 0 5  
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 91 60 92 60 / 20 20 0 0  
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 90 61 91 61 / 10 10 0 0  
CARRIZOZO....................... 93 66 94 67 / 10 0 0 0  
RUIDOSO......................... 85 59 87 61 / 20 10 5 0  
CAPULIN......................... 92 59 90 58 / 10 10 30 30  
RATON........................... 95 57 93 55 / 10 10 40 30  
SPRINGER........................ 98 58 96 56 / 10 20 20 30  
LAS VEGAS....................... 90 58 91 57 / 10 20 10 20  
CLAYTON......................... 99 67 98 66 / 10 10 10 30  
ROY............................. 96 63 95 61 / 10 10 10 20  
CONCHAS......................... 104 69 104 69 / 10 10 0 20  
SANTA ROSA...................... 100 66 99 66 / 10 10 0 5  
TUCUMCARI....................... 105 70 105 70 / 10 5 0 0  
CLOVIS.......................... 101 69 102 70 / 10 10 0 0  
PORTALES........................ 102 70 102 72 / 10 10 0 0  
FORT SUMNER..................... 103 69 103 69 / 10 5 0 0  
ROSWELL......................... 105 70 105 71 / 10 5 0 0  
PICACHO......................... 98 65 99 66 / 10 10 0 0  
ELK............................. 94 62 95 62 / 10 10 0 0  
 
 
   
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR  
NMZ234-238.  
 
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...44  
LONG TERM....44  
AVIATION...44  
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