Temperatures surge today and challenge records for the date
Still hot tomorrow, but also a slight chance of thundershowers
GOOD MORNING, NEW MEXICO. HERE’S THE VIEW FROM THE CREST AS WE LOOK DOWN IN ALBUQUERQUE. SKIES ALREADY STARTING TO BRIGHTEN UP WHILE WE CHALLENGE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES. YOU KNOW, STARTING TOMORROW, LINGERING INTO THURSDAY WILL BE IN VIRGO. WATCH WITH THE DRY LIGHTNING POTENTIAL LIKELY DRIES OUT AGAIN AND STAYS QUITE WARM FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WELL, THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW HERE WITH THIS KIND OF FROWNED OUT SHAPE. THERE’S A HEAT DOME BUILDING OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, AND THAT’S GOING TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO SURGE. THERE’S A LITTLE MOISTURE THAT’S GOING TO TRY TO CREEP IN STARTING TOMORROW. JUST A LITTLE BIT THOUGH TODAY, SUNSHINE SHOULD BE THE STORY UNTIL MAYBE ABOUT DINNERTIME OR SO. A LITTLE LATE DAY CLOUD COVER COULD BE IN THE MIX. TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 80S IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. LOOK AT TAOS, VEGAS AND RATON JUST SHY OF 90. WE’RE IN THE 90S IN ALBUQUERQUE, AROUND ROSWELL AND CARLSBAD. WE’RE JUST SHY OF 100 DEGREES NEAR RECORD HIGHS STATEWIDE AS WE DEAL WITH THE HEAT THIS AFTERNOON. HERE’S ONE POSITIVE ASPECT ABOUT THE DAY AT LEAST THE FORECAST WIND GUSTS ARE COMING IN AWFULLY LIGHT. PROBABLY THE LIGHTEST WIND DAY OF THE NEXT SEVERAL. NOW OVERNIGHT TONIGHT IT’S LOWS HOLDING IN THE 50S TO AROUND 60 FOR MOST. A LITTLE POCKET OF 40S ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH. SKIES. MOSTLY CLEAR. WILL START WEDNESDAY WITH A MOSTLY SUNNY SKY. BUT LOOK AT THE CLOUD FIELD BUILD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THROUGH WELL WESTERN AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. THERE’S JUST A COUPLE GREEN SPLOTCHES POPPING UP, HIGHS STILL IN THE 80S AND 90S. WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN. HOWEVER, MORE OF IT WILL PROBABLY TEND TO EVAPORATE. THAT COULD LEAD TO THOSE ENHANCED WIND GUSTS. AND FROM SILVER CITY UP THROUGH ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE, AND THEN TO THE FOUR CORNERS AREA, THIS BROWN SHADED SPOT ON THE MAP IS WHERE WE SEE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR DRY LIGHTNING STRIKE, AND THAT COULD LEAD TO A WILDFIRE START. WE’LL HOPE THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN, BUT IT IS A POSSIBILITY TOMORROW, JUST OVERALL SET TO BE A LITTLE BREEZIER LATER IN THE DAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT VIRGA AND THAT EVAPORATING RAIN HANGING AROUND IN FOR NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO. THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. LOOK AT HIGHS TODAY IN THE UPPER 80S, EVEN LOWER 90S FOR CHILI. AND FARMINGTON WILL BACK OFF THE TEMPERATURES BY A FEW TOMORROW. AND THAT’S THE DAY WHERE WE’RE ON VIRGO WATCH. AND WE’VE GOT THE DRY LIGHTNING POTENTIAL. THURSDAY DOES LOOK DRY. WE’RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT HERE IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA ON THURSDAY. NOTE WEEKEND HIGH TEMPERATURES HOLD IN THE 80S. TEMPERATURES MAYBE DROP A LITTLE BIT INTO NEXT WEEK AND MAYBE WE HAVE SOME BETTER RAIN CHANCES AFTER MONDAY. HERE’S SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO CITY’S AT 89. WE ARE WELL INTO THE 90S OFF THE MOUNTAINS. TOMORROW IS THE DAY WHERE WE HAVE THAT SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER OR SOME SPOTS OF A DRY LIGHTNING STRIKE. THEN WE’RE BACK TO DRY SKIES. THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY. IT WILL BE LOWER 80S INTO AND THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. HERE’S SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND LOOK AT THE BIG NUMBERS. ALAMOGORDO AT 91, THE HEAT REALLY SWITCHES ON, THOUGH. FROM ROSWELL TO CARLSBAD. ROSWELL, YOUR RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE IS 100. GOT YOU TWO SHY OF THAT. LOOK AT YOUR TEMPERATURES GOING FORWARD. THURSDAY IS THE DAY IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO THAT WILL BE ON THE WATCH AND WATCHING FOR THAT DRY LIGHTNING STRIKE. BUT IT’S HIGH TEMPERATURES REAL CLOSE TO 100 DEGREES, RIGHT ON INTO AND THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND, WITH MAYBE A MORE SIGNIFICANT DROP BY MONDAY. HERE’S NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO WOULDN’T EXPECT MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN TODAY. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CLOUD COVER. HIGHS UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90 DEGREES AROUND MORIARTY. SANTA ROSA UP AT 94 TOMORROW. WE’VE GOT THAT SLIGHT CHANCE AT AN ISOLATED GUSTY THUNDERSHOWER. IT’S NOT REALLY IN PLAY FOR THURSDAY HERE IN THE NORTHEAST. WEEKEND HIGHS LOWER 80S. LOOK AT THAT 75 ON MONDAY WITH THE STORM CHANCE. NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. IT’S 80 DEGREE HIGH. TEMPERATURES COULD EVEN GET ABOVE 90 IN THE ESPANOLA VALLEY. WE’RE AT 85 TOMORROW. SO NOT MUCH OF A TEMPERATURE BACKING DOWN WILL BE ON THUNDERSHOWER. WATCH DRY THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND HANGING OUT IN THE LOWER 80S THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND FOR THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO. LOOK AT THE HIGHS ON THE PLUS SIDE OF 90 DEGREES IN THE RIVER VALLEY AND FOR AREAS AROUND LOS LUNAS AND BERLIN, IT’S GOING TO BE MID 90S TODAY. THE RECORDS 93. IT’S GOING TO BE A CLOSE CALL AT 91 TOMORROW. THE RAIN CHANCE IN THE 10% RANGE. THEN WE DRY OUT THURSDAY AND STAY DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WE’LL
Temperatures surge today and challenge records for the date
Still hot tomorrow, but also a slight chance of thundershowers
It is a definite step warmer this morning around the state with many spots holding in the 50s and 60s, we’ll hardly even need a jacket or sweater early today, and we start with sunny skies. As the sunshine holds strong for most of the day, temperatures are expected to soar to near-record levels – temperatures well into the 80s and 90s are expected – with the southeast even approaching the triple digits! As we deal with the heat this afternoon, one good thing is we expect wind speeds to come in pretty light with gusts only getting into the 10-15 mph range.We don’t expect the heat to ease much tomorrow, but there will be some more clouds around and we will be watching for a chance of isolated thundershowers during the afternoon and evening. As is typically the case during our springtime season, more of the rain will tend to evaporate than reach the ground- we call this virga – and that can lead to strong and erratic wind gusts near the rain shafts, and we could also see some lightning strikes with little to no associated rain and that can cause wildfire starts. This is mainly a Wednesday threat, however in southeast New Mexico these conditions could linger into Thursday as well.Another dry stretch is expected to set up for Friday and the weekend, and temperatures will still be running quite warm with highs well into the 80s paired with breezy or windy conditions. Then by Monday, a slight chance of storms could come back into play. Further ahead into next week, the longer range computer models are suggesting better chances of rain eventually kicking in, but that may not happen until the second half of next week. Even with the higher rain chances next week, temperatures will still likely be running above mid-May averages.
It is a definite step warmer this morning around the state with many spots holding in the 50s and 60s, we’ll hardly even need a jacket or sweater early today, and we start with sunny skies. As the sunshine holds strong for most of the day, temperatures are expected to soar to near-record levels – temperatures well into the 80s and 90s are expected – with the southeast even approaching the triple digits! As we deal with the heat this afternoon, one good thing is we expect wind speeds to come in pretty light with gusts only getting into the 10-15 mph range.
We don’t expect the heat to ease much tomorrow, but there will be some more clouds around and we will be watching for a chance of isolated thundershowers during the afternoon and evening. As is typically the case during our springtime season, more of the rain will tend to evaporate than reach the ground- we call this virga – and that can lead to strong and erratic wind gusts near the rain shafts, and we could also see some lightning strikes with little to no associated rain and that can cause wildfire starts. This is mainly a Wednesday threat, however in southeast New Mexico these conditions could linger into Thursday as well.
Another dry stretch is expected to set up for Friday and the weekend, and temperatures will still be running quite warm with highs well into the 80s paired with breezy or windy conditions. Then by Monday, a slight chance of storms could come back into play. Further ahead into next week, the longer range computer models are suggesting better chances of rain eventually kicking in, but that may not happen until the second half of next week. Even with the higher rain chances next week, temperatures will still likely be running above mid-May averages.
