262  
FXUS65 KABQ 171804 AAB  
AFDABQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM  
1104 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
   
..NEW AVIATION  
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
UPDATED AT 1058 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
- A DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST FOR AT  
LEAST THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS, EXCEPT FOR SOME NEAR AVERAGE HIGHS  
ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WEDNESDAY.  
 
 
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
ISSUED AT 131 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
QUIET WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT WEEK. ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY, SANS ACROSS THE EASTERN  
PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL BEHIND  
A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT. MAINLY LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED, THOUGH  
BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON  
ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR ACROSS EASTERN NM. NO PRECIPITATION IS  
EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
 
(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 131 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
THE MILD AND TRANQUIL WEATHER ACROSS THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT ROLLS  
ON TODAY. HIGH CLOUDS MOVE ACROSS THE STATE AHEAD AND SOUTH OF A  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL  
ROCKIES. DECENT DAYTIME MIXING ALONG AND EAST OF THE SANDIA AND  
MANZANO MOUNTAINS LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON WILL TAP INTO AND  
MOSTLY MIX DOWN SOME STRONGER 30 TO 40 KT 700 MB WINDS AT THE BASE  
OF THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THIS WILL RESULT IN A BREEZY DAY ALONG THE  
I-40 CORRIDOR FROM CLINES CORNERS TO THE TEXAS BORDER. SOME GUSTS OF  
30 TO 35 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. WITH THE  
DOWNSLOPE WEST WINDS, TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP ACROSS EASTERN NM  
WITH HIGHS AROUND 10 TO 15 DEGREES HIGHER THAN YESTERDAY. HIGHS WILL  
BE AROUND 8 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE AREAWIDE.  
 
THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH EXITS EAST INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREAT  
PLAINS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT, PUSHING A BACKDOOR FRONT THROUGH  
THE EASTERN PLAINS IN ITS WAKE. WINDS WILL SWITCH TO A NORTHERLY  
DIRECTION BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS COULD GET BRIEFLY GUSTY ON THE  
LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT WITH SOME GUSTS OF 20 MPH POSSIBLE.  
OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONABLY COLD. THE BACKDOOR FRONT  
WILL BRING VERY NOTICEABLE COOLING TO HIGHS ACROSS EASTERN NM ON  
WEDNESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES BACK DOWN NEAR AVERAGE. LITTLE COOLING  
OCCURS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM WITH TEMPERATURES STILL AROUND  
5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE FOR MID DECEMBER. IT WILL ALSO BE A  
SUNNIER DAY FOR THE REGION WITH LESS HIGH CLOUDS OVERHEAD.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM  
 
(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)  
ISSUED AT 131 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE EXTENDED  
FORECAST BY 5 TO 15 DEGREES, AT LEAST. LARGE DIURNAL SWINGS ARE  
PROJECTED, MAINLY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM WHERE LOW TEMPS  
WILL STILL REMAIN QUITE COLD WITH EXCELLENT RADIATIONAL COOLING  
MOST NIGHTS. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DIVE INTO  
THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL SEND  
DOWN ANOTHER BACKDOOR COLD FRONT INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS OF NM.  
HOWEVER, THIS ONE WILL BE WEAKER THAN THE ONE THAT ARRIVES  
WEDNESDAY. SO, DESPITE THE FRONT, TEMPERATURES WILL ACTUALLY WARM  
ON THURSDAY AS H5 HEIGHTS SLIGHTLY INCREASE. STARTING FRIDAY,  
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BE FIRMLY IN PLACE OVER THE DESERT  
SOUTHWEST WITH THE RIDGE AXIS NEAR THE AZ/NM BORDER. THIS WILL  
PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY THEN UPPER LEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL  
FOR SUNDAY. IT'S POSSIBLE A WEAK TROUGH WILL CROSS THE AREA ON  
MONDAY, BUT NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED WITH IT ATTM.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(18Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 1058 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
BATCHES OF HIGH CIRRUS CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER NORTHERN  
AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TODAY, TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY, BUT NO  
PRECIPITATION OR OBSTRUCTIONS TO CEILINGS OR VISIBILITY ARE  
FORECAST. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON, MAINLY  
FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN TOWARD THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS  
WHERE KAXX, KCQC, KSXU, KLVS, KTCC, AND KCVN COULD OBSERVE  
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 25 TO 30 KT. THESE BREEZES WILL TURN NORTHERLY  
TONIGHT AS A WEAK FRONT ARRIVES, AND WIND SPEEDS WILL GRADUALLY  
SUBSIDE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 131 AM MST TUE DEC 17 2024  
 
DRY AND VERY MILD WEATHER WILL PERSIST HEADING INTO CHRISTMAS WEEK  
AS THE STORM TRACK REMAINS WELL NORTH OF THE STATE AND HIGH PRESSURE  
BUILDS LATE THIS WEEK. VENTILATION WILL REMAIN MOSTLY POOR DUE TO  
GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS. THE ONE EXCEPTION WILL BE SOME FAIR TO GOOD  
VENTILATION ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR ACROSS EASTERN NM THIS AFTERNOON  
DUE TO BREEZY WEST WINDS. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES AROUND 10  
TO 20 PERCENT TODAY INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 PERCENT FOR THE REST OF  
THIS WEEK INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK DUE TO SLIGHTLY HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN  
THE TEENS AND 20S.  
 
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS  
 
FARMINGTON...................... 50 19 49 18 / 0 0 0 0  
DULCE........................... 53 12 51 14 / 0 0 0 0  
CUBA............................ 53 21 48 21 / 0 0 0 0  
GALLUP.......................... 57 12 55 10 / 0 0 0 0  
EL MORRO........................ 55 24 54 22 / 0 0 0 0  
GRANTS.......................... 59 11 53 13 / 0 0 0 0  
QUEMADO......................... 59 21 58 20 / 0 0 0 0  
MAGDALENA....................... 61 28 51 28 / 0 0 0 0  
DATIL........................... 59 26 53 24 / 0 0 0 0  
RESERVE......................... 67 21 64 18 / 0 0 0 0  
GLENWOOD........................ 69 35 66 29 / 0 0 0 0  
CHAMA........................... 49 16 47 16 / 0 0 0 0  
LOS ALAMOS...................... 50 29 45 30 / 0 0 0 0  
PECOS........................... 54 24 48 28 / 0 0 0 0  
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 50 21 46 22 / 0 0 0 0  
RED RIVER....................... 43 18 41 13 / 0 0 0 0  
ANGEL FIRE...................... 48 7 45 6 / 0 0 0 0  
TAOS............................ 52 11 47 14 / 0 0 0 0  
MORA............................ 57 20 52 27 / 0 0 0 0  
ESPANOLA........................ 57 20 51 21 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA FE........................ 51 26 47 27 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 53 21 49 24 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 56 31 52 30 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 57 28 52 28 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 58 25 54 26 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 57 29 52 27 / 0 0 0 0  
BELEN........................... 58 20 54 21 / 0 0 0 0  
BERNALILLO...................... 58 27 54 27 / 0 0 0 0  
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 58 20 54 22 / 0 0 0 0  
CORRALES........................ 58 27 54 26 / 0 0 0 0  
LOS LUNAS....................... 58 23 54 22 / 0 0 0 0  
PLACITAS........................ 54 29 50 29 / 0 0 0 0  
RIO RANCHO...................... 57 28 52 28 / 0 0 0 0  
SOCORRO......................... 62 28 58 27 / 0 0 0 0  
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 53 25 48 28 / 0 0 0 0  
TIJERAS......................... 54 28 49 29 / 0 0 0 0  
EDGEWOOD........................ 56 22 50 26 / 0 0 0 0  
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 57 15 52 18 / 0 0 0 0  
CLINES CORNERS.................. 53 23 47 26 / 0 0 0 0  
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 57 23 52 26 / 0 0 0 0  
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 57 24 53 26 / 0 0 0 0  
CARRIZOZO....................... 62 33 57 31 / 0 0 0 0  
RUIDOSO......................... 59 28 52 32 / 0 0 0 0  
CAPULIN......................... 53 21 43 27 / 0 0 0 0  
RATON........................... 56 19 48 22 / 0 0 0 0  
SPRINGER........................ 56 17 49 21 / 0 0 0 0  
LAS VEGAS....................... 59 21 50 27 / 0 0 0 0  
CLAYTON......................... 63 24 49 31 / 0 0 0 0  
ROY............................. 57 23 46 26 / 0 0 0 0  
CONCHAS......................... 65 26 54 28 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA ROSA...................... 64 27 52 32 / 0 0 0 0  
TUCUMCARI....................... 66 26 52 30 / 0 0 0 0  
CLOVIS.......................... 65 31 54 30 / 0 0 0 0  
PORTALES........................ 66 29 55 29 / 0 0 0 0  
FORT SUMNER..................... 66 28 54 28 / 0 0 0 0  
ROSWELL......................... 66 34 57 28 / 0 0 0 0  
PICACHO......................... 71 32 54 31 / 0 0 0 0  
ELK............................. 71 29 54 30 / 0 0 0 0  
 
 
   
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...71  
LONG TERM....34  
AVIATION...52  
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