590  
FXUS65 KABQ 182149  
AFDABQ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM  
249 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
   
..NEW SYNOPSIS, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, FIRE WEATHER  
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
UPDATED AT 246 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
- A DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST  
THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY AROUND  
10-15F ABOVE AVERAGE.  
 
 
 
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
ISSUED AT 246 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
CALM, DRY, AND WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE.  
LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEAST NM ON FRIDAY  
AND EAST CENTRAL NM ON SUNDAY, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, LIGHT WINDS WILL  
PREVAIL. SOME FOLKS IN NORTHERN NM MAY WAKE UP CHRISTMAS MORNING TO  
SOME SNOW FLURRIES, AS LIGHT SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS WILL MAKE THEIR  
WAY ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE  
WEEK. BREEZIER CONDITIONS ARE ALSO LIKELY ACROSS THE STATE FOR  
CHRISTMAS.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM  
 
(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 246 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE SPINE OF THE ROCKIES IS INDUCING THE  
DEVELOPMENT OF A LEE-SIDE LOW IN THE HIGH PLAINS. IN COMBINATION  
WITH THE SFC HIGH OVER KS/OK, THIS HAS CREATED A SOUTH TO  
SOUTHWESTERLY BREEZE THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN  
CHAIN. WINDS WILL TURN AROUND TO THE NORTH AND EVENTUALLY THE  
NORTHEAST TONIGHT AS A WEAK, DRY BACKDOOR FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A  
TROUGH EXITING ONTO THE PLAINS WILL INTRUDE FROM THE NORTHEAST  
TONIGHT. GUSTS SHOULDN'T BE QUITE AS STRONG AS THE ONE THAT PASSED  
THROUGH LAST NIGHT, BUT WOULDN'T RULE OUT A FEW GUSTS WITH ITS  
PASSAGE.  
 
RIDGING WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST ON THURSDAY,  
KEEPING THE DRY AND SEASONABLY WARM WEATHER AROUND. THURSDAY'S MAX  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE PUSHING 20F ABOVE AVERAGE. THESE TEMPS WON'T BE  
QUITE RECORD BREAKING, BUT WILL GET WITHIN 5F IN A FEW AREAS. HIGH  
CLOUDS WILL LIKELY STICK AROUND IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST  
AREA WHILE THE SOUTHERN HALF REMAINS MOSTLY CLEAR.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM  
 
(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 246 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
OUTSIDE OF SOME LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS FRIDAY IN NORTHEAST NM AND  
SUNDAY IN EAST CENTRAL NM (BOTH OWING TO SURFACE LOWS FORMING IN THE  
LEE OF THE ROCKIES), DRY AND TRANQUIL WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH  
MUCH OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD  
OVERHEAD OF NM BEGINNING ON FRIDAY AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH LATE  
SATURDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO BE WELL ABOVE AVERAGE. AN  
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SURGING ACROSS THE NORTHERN US LATE IN THE  
WEEKEND WILL WORK TO FLATTEN OUR RIDGE, BRINGING MORE ZONAL FLOW  
BACK TO THE STATE. THIS WILL ALSO AID TO THE BREEZY CONDITIONS ON  
SUNDAY. INTO MONDAY, A BRIEF AND DRY TROUGH WILL CLIP THE EASTERN  
HALF OF NM. THIS WILL WORK TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER BRIEFLY AND DROP  
TEMPERATURES JUST A FEW DEGREES MONDAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE A RIDGE  
REBUILDS OVER THE STATE. LOOKING INTO CHRISTMAS, ENSEMBLES ARE  
HINTING AT A DEEPER, MORE MOIST TROUGH HITTING NORTHERN NM WHICH  
COULD BRING RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE  
STATE. WHILE ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY BE LITTLE TO NONE, SOME FOLKS  
MAY WAKE UP TO SEE A FEW SNOW FLURRIES CHRISTMAS MORNING. ALONG WITH  
THE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS, THE AXIS OF THE TROUGH PASSING OVER NM ON  
CHRISTMAS WILL ALLOW FOR BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS  
MUCH OF THE STATE.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
(18Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 1002 AM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.  
HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE STREAMING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST  
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND CLOUD COVERAGE WAS BUMPED UP IN LINE WITH  
SATELLITE TRENDS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS WILL PREVAIL ALONG AND  
WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN, ALTHOUGH SOME BREEZY SOUTH TO  
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING. ANOTHER WEAK BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL ENTER FROM THE  
NORTHEAST BETWEEN 06Z AND 09Z TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
 
ISSUED AT 246 PM MST WED DEC 18 2024  
 
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED THE NEXT 7 DAYS.  
RIDGING WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST LATE WEEK, KEEPING  
TEMPS WELL-ABOVE AVERAGE AND VENTILATION RELATIVELY POOR IN MOST  
AREAS. A WINTER STORM WITH WIND AND LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOW MAY IMPACT  
THE AREA AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WHICH SHOULD IMPROVE  
VENTILATION FOR AT LEAST A DAY. CURRENTLY, WETTING PRECIPITATION  
APPEARS UNLIKELY IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS, BUT THE MOUNTAINS MAY  
RECEIVE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW.  
 
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS  
 
FARMINGTON...................... 20 50 20 54 / 0 0 0 0  
DULCE........................... 16 56 16 58 / 0 0 0 0  
CUBA............................ 22 55 21 54 / 0 0 0 0  
GALLUP.......................... 13 57 14 60 / 0 0 0 0  
EL MORRO........................ 26 60 27 59 / 0 0 0 0  
GRANTS.......................... 17 59 18 59 / 0 0 0 0  
QUEMADO......................... 23 61 24 62 / 0 0 0 0  
MAGDALENA....................... 30 57 30 57 / 0 0 0 0  
DATIL........................... 28 59 28 58 / 0 0 0 0  
RESERVE......................... 19 69 19 65 / 0 0 0 0  
GLENWOOD........................ 31 69 32 67 / 0 0 0 0  
CHAMA........................... 20 54 20 53 / 0 0 0 0  
LOS ALAMOS...................... 30 54 30 50 / 0 0 0 0  
PECOS........................... 29 59 26 55 / 0 0 0 0  
CERRO/QUESTA.................... 23 52 23 51 / 0 0 0 0  
RED RIVER....................... 23 48 21 46 / 0 0 0 0  
ANGEL FIRE...................... 12 54 12 49 / 0 0 0 0  
TAOS............................ 15 54 16 52 / 0 0 0 0  
MORA............................ 29 61 23 58 / 0 0 0 0  
ESPANOLA........................ 20 59 19 56 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA FE........................ 30 55 29 52 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 24 55 23 54 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 33 56 33 55 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 29 57 27 56 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 25 59 25 58 / 0 0 0 0  
ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 27 57 27 56 / 0 0 0 0  
BELEN........................... 21 58 20 57 / 0 0 0 0  
BERNALILLO...................... 27 59 26 58 / 0 0 0 0  
BOSQUE FARMS.................... 21 58 20 57 / 0 0 0 0  
CORRALES........................ 26 59 25 58 / 0 0 0 0  
LOS LUNAS....................... 21 58 20 57 / 0 0 0 0  
PLACITAS........................ 30 55 30 55 / 0 0 0 0  
RIO RANCHO...................... 28 58 27 57 / 0 0 0 0  
SOCORRO......................... 28 61 28 60 / 0 0 0 0  
SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 29 54 28 53 / 0 0 0 0  
TIJERAS......................... 30 55 29 54 / 0 0 0 0  
EDGEWOOD........................ 27 56 26 54 / 0 0 0 0  
MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 16 59 17 57 / 0 0 0 0  
CLINES CORNERS.................. 27 56 24 52 / 0 0 0 0  
MOUNTAINAIR..................... 27 57 26 56 / 0 0 0 0  
GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 26 59 24 56 / 0 0 0 0  
CARRIZOZO....................... 31 61 33 59 / 0 0 0 0  
RUIDOSO......................... 33 61 29 57 / 0 0 0 0  
CAPULIN......................... 28 53 24 51 / 0 0 0 0  
RATON........................... 23 59 20 54 / 0 0 0 0  
SPRINGER........................ 23 57 18 55 / 0 0 0 0  
LAS VEGAS....................... 29 60 24 56 / 0 0 0 0  
CLAYTON......................... 34 56 28 56 / 0 0 0 0  
ROY............................. 28 55 25 52 / 0 0 0 0  
CONCHAS......................... 29 61 27 59 / 0 0 0 0  
SANTA ROSA...................... 32 61 27 58 / 0 0 0 0  
TUCUMCARI....................... 29 59 25 57 / 0 0 0 0  
CLOVIS.......................... 33 64 30 58 / 0 0 0 0  
PORTALES........................ 30 64 26 59 / 0 0 0 0  
FORT SUMNER..................... 27 64 25 57 / 0 0 0 0  
ROSWELL......................... 29 65 32 58 / 0 0 0 0  
PICACHO......................... 33 72 32 58 / 0 0 0 0  
ELK............................. 32 72 31 61 / 0 0 0 0  
 
 
   
ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
NONE.  
 
 
 
 
SHORT TERM...16  
LONG TERM....77  
AVIATION...16  
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