401  
FXUS65 KABQ 302321 AAB  
AFDABQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM  
521 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
   
..NEW AVIATION
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
UPDATED AT 511 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
 
- MODERATE TO MAJOR HEAT RISK WILL IMPACT MANY LOWER ELEVATIONS OF  
NEW MEXICO THROUGH FRIDAY, RETREATING TO NORTHWEST AND FAR WEST  
CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS WEEKEND BEFORE EXPANDING BACK EAST  
EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
- HIGHER COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL AND  
EASTERN NEW MEXICO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STORMS ON FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND  
LARGE HAIL ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 217 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
 
A 598 DAM UPPER HIGH AT 500 MB IS CURRENTLY SQUARELY OVER CENTRAL NM  
THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS RESULTING IN ANOTHER DAY OF HOT TEMPERATURES  
ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH MID 90S TO LOW 100S ACROSS WESTERN AND  
CENTRAL NM AND MID 100S ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN NM. HEAT  
ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT IN FOR THE ABQ METRO, EASTERN SAN MIGUEL,  
QUAY AND DE BACA COUNTIES, AND CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON  
DUE TO TEMPERATURES AROUND 100 FOR THE ABQ METRO AND 105 FOR THE  
EASTERN ZONES. SUBSIDENCE UNDER THE HIGH WILL LIMIT SCATTERED  
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH  
FAR NORTHEAST NM DUE TO A WEAK DISTURBANCE ROTATING AROUND THE  
NORTHEAST PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER HIGH. ANY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM  
ACTIVITY SHOULD TAPER OFF EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS THE WESTERN AND  
SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH TERRAIN AND JUST AFTER SUNSET ACROSS FAR  
NORTHEAST NM.  
 
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS THIS  
AFTERNOON WILL MOVE EAST TO OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY  
TOMORROW. THIS WILL HELP SHIFT THE 598 TO 599 DAM 500 MB HIGH TO  
OVER ARIZONA AS WELL AS PUSH A BACKDOOR FRONT THROUGH AREAS ALONG  
AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN COME LATE FRIDAY MORNING.  
HIGHER MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF PWATS AROUND 1 TO 1.3 INCHES BEHIND  
THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL HELP SET THE STAGE FOR A GREATER COVERAGE  
OF SHOWERS AND STORMS FIRST ACROSS THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL  
MOUNTAIN CHAIN MIDDAY BEFORE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE  
EASTERN HIGHLANDS AND PLAINS LATER IN THE DAY. STORMS ALONG AND EAST  
OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY  
HEAVY RAINFALL AS WELL AS SEVERE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS DUE TO  
EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR VALUES OF 35 TO 40 KTS. STORMS ACROSS THE  
SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS FRIDAY AFTERNOON APPEAR TO MOVE BRISK ENOUGH TO  
THE SOUTHEAST TO KEEP THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF  
RUIDOSO. FOR THAT REASON, HAVE OPTED TO NOT ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD  
WATCH FOR THE ZONE AND WILL LET THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT SHIFTS  
REASSESS. DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW AROUND THE UPPER HIGH WILL HELP DROP  
PWATS TO AROUND 0.5 TO 0.8 INCHES FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF  
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY KEEPING CONDITIONS DRY AND HOT ACROSS THIS  
PART OF THE STATE. HEAT ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR FARMINGTON,  
ALBUQUERQUE, AND SOCORRO TO THE EXPECTED HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE  
LOW TO MID 100S. A HEAT ADVISORY HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR THE  
ROSWELL AREA DUE TO EXPECTED TEMPERATURES AROUND 105 SOUTH OF THE  
BACKDOOR FRONT. SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS STILL  
EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GILA MOUNTAINS AND LOWER RGV FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING DUE TO HIGHER MOISTURE OF PWATS AROUND 1 INCH  
LINGERING ACROSS THIS PART OF THE STATE. STORMS ALONG AND EAST OF  
THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WILL HELP PUSH THE BACKDOOR FRONT THROUGH  
THE GAPS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN RESULTING IN A STRONG EAST  
CANYON WIND AT CANYON OPENINGS INTO THE RGV. THE MET GUIDANCE AT  
KABQ IS SHOWING POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH LATE FRIDAY  
EVENING, SO A WIND ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE ISSUED IN SUBSEQUENT  
SHIFTS DUE TO THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THIS EAST CANYON WIND. STORMS  
ACROSS EASTERN NM LOOK TO PERSIST WELL INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS  
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WHILE THE BACKDOOR FRONT CONTINUES PUSHING WEST  
TO THE ARIZONA BORDER COME SUNRISE SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 217 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
 
HIGHER MOISTURE WILL BE IN PLACE ALONG AND EAST OF A BACKDOOR FRONT  
ACROSS FAR WESTERN NM SATURDAY WITH PWATS AROUND 1 TO 1.3 INCHES  
ALONG AND EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL GET  
GOING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN RANGES MIDDAY BEFORE  
MOVING SOUTH INTO SURROUNDING LOWER ELEVATIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON  
AND EVENING HOURS DUE TO UPPER LEVEL NORTHERLY FLOW ON THE WESTERN  
PERIPHERY OF A 598 TO 599 UPPER HIGH OVER ARIZONA. STORMS ALONG AND  
EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL DUE TO BULK SHEAR VALUES OF 30 TO 40 KTS  
ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL DUE TO THE HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT  
MENTIONED ABOVE. THE FLASH FLOODING RISK WILL BE HIGHEST ON RECENT  
BURN SCARS (I.E. RUIDOSO AREA). ELSEWHERE, THE HEAT WILL BE THE MAIN  
STORY ACROSS NORTHWEST AND FAR WEST CENTRAL NM WITH HIGH  
TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S TO AROUND 100 DUE TO BEING CLOSE TO  
THE CENTER OF THE UPPER HIGH. HEAT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED  
FOR THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU AND WELL AS THE WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU  
(INCLUDING GALLUP AND ZUNI) DUE TO RECOVERY OPERATIONS FROM FLASH  
FLOODING EVENTS THE LAST FEW WEEKS. STORMS SATURDAY EVENING WILL BE  
FOCUSED ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-40 BEFORE TAPERING OFF ACROSS SOUTHERN  
NM OVERNIGHT.  
 
THE UPPER HIGH WILL BEGIN NOSING BACK EAST TO OVER THE FOUR CORNERS  
AREA SUNDAY BEFORE FLATTENING ACROSS MUCH OF THE DESERT SW MONDAY  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN A LOWER STORM COVERAGE WITH  
ANY ISOLATED ACTIVITY LIMITED TO THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AND MONDAY DUE  
TO LOWER PWATS AROUND 0.6 TO 0.9 INCHES. WITH THE 595 TO 596 UPPER  
HIGH OVERHEAD, THE HEAT WILL REINTENSIFY ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN  
NM WITH UPPER 90S TO LOW 100S COMMON ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS.  
EVENTUAL HEAT ADVISORIES ACROSS NORTHWEST AND FAR WEST CENTRAL NM  
THIS WEEKEND WILL POTENTIALLY NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO SOME CENTRAL  
AND EASTERN ZONES COME MONDAY. PWATS GRADUALLY INCREASE TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY TO AROUND 1 TO 1.1 INCHES HELPING TO RESULT IN A SLIGHTLY  
HIGHER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND  
CENTRAL HIGH TERRAIN AND NEARBY LOWER ELEVATIONS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(00Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 511 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
 
FEWER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMPACTING NEW MEXICO TODAY  
WITH ACTIVITY MOSTLY FOCUSED IN SOUTHWESTERN AND FAR NORTHEASTERN  
AREAS OF THE STATE. A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE  
OF BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS THAT WILL TEMPORARILY LOWER CEILINGS AND  
VISIBILITY. FREQUENT LIGHTNING, SMALL HAIL, AND GUSTY DOWNBURST  
WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY. STORMS WILL DWINDLE AND DIE OFF THROUGH  
MID EVENIG. A MOIST FRONT WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN NEW MEXICO LATE  
FRIDAY, BRINGING AN INCREASE IN STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS  
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGER HAIL IN THAT EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE.  
STORMS WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE WILL BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, MAINLY  
DEVELOPING OVER THE GILA WILDERNESS. OUTSIDE OF STORMS, HOT  
TEMPERATURES AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE READINGS WILL PERSIST AND  
COULD IMPACT AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE.  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
ISSUED AT 217 PM MDT THU JUL 30 2026  
 
NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH LATE NEXT WEEK. ISOLATED  
TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FAVORING SOUTHWEST AND FAR NORTHEAST NEW  
MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A BACKDOOR FRONT BRINGS HIGHER  
MOISTURE TO AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN  
RESULTING IN A MUCH HIGHER STORM COVERAGE TOMORROW. STORMS WILL  
BRING HIGHER MOISTURE WEST INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND WESTERN  
NEW MEXICO AND A STRONG EAST CANYON WIND FRIDAY EVENING INTO  
SATURDAY MORNING. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS  
CENTRAL AND EASTERN NM SATURDAY. STORMS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL  
BE CAPABLE OF BECOMING SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE  
HAIL ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE FLASH FLOOD RISK WILL BE  
HIGHEST ON AREA BURN SCARS, LOW LYING, POOR DRAINAGE AND URBAN  
AREAS. HOT AND DRY ACROSS NORTHWEST AND FAR WEST CENTRAL NEW MEXICO  
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. DRIER AND HOTTER WEATHER EXPANDS BACK EAST  
EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
FARMINGTON...................... 65 101 67 100 / 0 0 0 0  
DULCE........................... 52 97 54 94 / 0 5 20 20  
CUBA............................ 59 93 59 90 / 0 0 5 20  
GALLUP.......................... 59 97 59 98 / 0 0 0 0  
EL MORRO........................ 59 91 59 90 / 10 0 5 20  
GRANTS.......................... 61 94 62 94 / 10 0 5 10  
QUEMADO......................... 60 92 61 92 / 10 5 5 20  
MAGDALENA....................... 67 93 65 89 / 20 20 30 10  
DATIL........................... 61 89 61 87 / 20 20 20 30  
RESERVE......................... 61 96 61 97 / 20 30 10 30  
GLENWOOD........................ 66 101 66 100 / 20 30 10 30  
CHAMA........................... 53 88 51 85 / 0 20 30 50  
LOS ALAMOS...................... 64 90 62 86 / 0 20 20 60  
PECOS........................... 61 89 57 84 / 0 40 40 90  
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 57 87 55 85 / 5 30 60 40  
RED RIVER....................... 49 76 46 74 / 5 50 60 60  
ANGEL FIRE...................... 45 80 39 78 / 0 70 70 90  
TAOS............................ 56 90 54 87 / 0 30 40 50  
MORA............................ 57 83 52 81 / 5 60 70 90  
ESPANOLA........................ 63 97 62 93 / 0 20 20 50  
SANTA FE........................ 65 92 62 86 / 0 20 30 60  
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 63 94 60 90 / 0 10 20 50  
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 70 100 67 95 / 0 10 10 40  
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 69 101 67 95 / 0 10 10 20  
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 69 103 66 98 / 5 5 10 10  
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 70 102 68 96 / 0 5 10 20  
BELEN........................... 68 104 66 97 / 5 5 20 5  
BERNALILLO...................... 69 102 67 96 / 0 5 10 30  
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 67 103 64 96 / 5 5 10 10  
CORRALES........................ 70 103 67 97 / 0 5 10 20  
LOS LUNAS....................... 68 103 66 96 / 5 5 10 10  
PLACITAS........................ 68 97 65 92 / 0 10 10 40  
RIO RANCHO...................... 69 102 67 96 / 0 5 10 20  
SOCORRO......................... 72 105 70 99 / 10 10 30 10  
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 65 92 60 88 / 0 20 10 50  
TIJERAS......................... 66 94 61 89 / 0 20 10 50  
EDGEWOOD........................ 63 94 58 89 / 0 30 20 60  
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 60 95 56 89 / 0 30 20 60  
CLINES CORNERS.................. 63 89 58 83 / 0 50 20 70  
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 63 94 58 89 / 0 30 20 50  
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 64 93 60 87 / 5 30 20 50  
CARRIZOZO....................... 69 98 66 91 / 10 40 40 70  
RUIDOSO......................... 63 89 60 81 / 10 60 30 80  
CAPULIN......................... 57 84 52 81 / 30 70 70 60  
RATON........................... 57 88 52 85 / 20 80 80 60  
SPRINGER........................ 58 91 54 86 / 20 90 80 60  
LAS VEGAS....................... 59 87 55 82 / 5 80 60 80  
CLAYTON......................... 66 91 61 88 / 50 30 40 20  
ROY............................. 63 90 58 84 / 20 80 70 60  
CONCHAS......................... 68 99 63 91 / 10 70 60 40  
SANTA ROSA...................... 66 97 63 87 / 10 50 40 50  
TUCUMCARI....................... 70 100 64 93 / 10 40 50 40  
CLOVIS.......................... 69 100 66 93 / 0 20 60 40  
PORTALES........................ 70 100 67 93 / 0 20 60 40  
FORT SUMNER..................... 70 101 66 92 / 5 30 50 50  
ROSWELL......................... 73 105 71 95 / 0 0 50 40  
PICACHO......................... 67 99 65 89 / 5 30 30 50  
ELK............................. 64 97 62 88 / 5 40 20 80  
 

 
   
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 7 PM MDT FRIDAY FOR NMZ201-219-220-  
238.  
 
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR NMZ219-232-234-237-  
238.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...71  
LONG TERM....71  
AVIATION...52  
 
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