


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
Issued by NWS Albuquerque, NM
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304 FXUS65 KABQ 232351 AAA AFDABQ Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 551 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 542 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 - The potential for catastrophic flash flooding exists early this week, especially on Tuesday, across recent burn scars. This includes the Ruidoso area burn scars and Hermits Peak Calf Canyon burn scar. - Urban and arroyo flash flooding, including the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Metros is likely across central and eastern NM on Tuesday and Tuesday night. - Shower and storm coverage gradually lowers late in the week, but slow storm motion will keep the risk for flash flooding, especially on recent burn scars and saturated soils, in play. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Tuesday night) Issued at 300 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 The flash flood threat will continue this afternoon in south-central NM as storms move off the Sacramento mountains into the southeast plains. A stark moisture gradient is in place across the state, with PWATs as high as 1.6" in far southeastern NM and as low as 0.3" in north-central NM. That gradient will decrease with time as both sfc and elevated moisture surges north and westward. Sfc winds are currently out of the southeast across eastern NM, which is concerning because it is bringing in even more sfc moisture from the Gulf and moisture flux oriented roughly 30 degrees to the storm motion will support training storms. Hi-res guidance has been consistently showing the heaviest rainfall over the Roswell area, which is of particular concern given the heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred their Sunday afternoon. Recent guidance has kept storms going longer into the night across southeastern NM given the aformentioned moisture flux and ample instability. While flooding will continue to be the main threat, wet microbursts and large hail are on the table given how high the instability is. These storms will send a boundary west and northward that will push through the gaps of the central mountain chain this evening and potentially create gusty southeast winds. The surge in moisture may spark a few showers and even storms on the eastern edge of the Cont. Divide that could create some gusty winds and light to moderate rainfall in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Additional rounds of showers may move over the burn scars late night, but rainfall rates should be low enough to mitigate impacts there. Tuesday is shaping up to be a very impactful day with the potential for widespread flash flooding both on and off of recent burn scars. GEFS mean PWATs are greater than 200% of normal across the entire CWA and Albuquerque could threaten a daily record PWAT. This means that rainfall will be very efficient, with the potential to produce rainfall rates of 1-2" per hour. Storms in the early afternoon will focus over the Continental Divide, with activity increasing in intensity as it moves eastward. QPF remains largely unchanged, with the NBM showing a large area of 0.5"+ across central and eastern New Mexico through Wednesday morning. The 90th percentile show 1.5-2.5" in Albuquerque and Roswell and around 2" over the Ruidoso are burn scars, which would almost certainty be enough to create significant impacts. The flash flood threat will continue well into the overnight areas over the burn scars as well, with hi-res models showing rounds of showers with embedded storms over the already saturated burn areas. This will come on the heels of flash flooding that already occurred Monday afternoon, further amplifying the risk of life-threatening impacts in the Ruidoso area. Another round of active weather is expected on Wednesday. A Flash Flood Watch is already in effect for the Ruidoso area and another broad brush Flash Flood Watch will likely be needed for much of central and northern New Mexico again. Moisture content trends down Wednesday, but will remain around 150-200% of normal so the flash flood risk remains elevated, even though QPF is significantly lower than Tuesday/Tuesday night. The thinking is that stabilization from showers Tuesday night and Wednesday morning could inhibit rainfall rates, however areas that clear will be able to tap into the higher instability and generate heavier rainfall rates. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Sunday) Issued at 300 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 Storms will once again continue into the overnight hours Wednesday night as outflow boundaries collide and set off new storm development. Rainfall rates should trend down as instability decreases during the overnight. A trough passage to the north will scour out some mid-level moisture for Thursday. This along with a weakening of the trough over the desert southwest will result in a downtick of storm coverage Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, storms will be confined to the most sensitive area (south-central mountains) and storm motions will be slower than earlier in the week. Friday and Saturday will be similar, especially as weak flow aloft begins to trap moisture over the area. The central and western portions of the state will clear out during this period, with temperatures gradually rising to right around seasonal averages by the weekend. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 542 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 Aviation forecast challenges centered around thunderstorm activity within the season`s first monsoonal moisture plume. Thunder has already occurred at KROW within the past two hours, and HRRR/LAV guidance suggest this will continue for a few more hours. Lower confidence at KTCC for the near-term. More favorable conditions expected to prevail at KFMN and KGUP, with moderate-high confidence there (60-70%). VFR should predominate for next 24 hours, though thunder chances enter the picture Tuesday afternoon as the edge of the moist plume approaches western NM. KABQ and KSAF likely (70-80% confidence) to see gap winds due to outflow from storms to the east. Better chances for thunder in the RGV for Tuesday, but KABQ/KAEG could still be clipped by a shower early this evening, per radar/HRRR trends. KLVS, in addition to thunder concerns, likely to have MVFR ceilings develop overnight, especially if the flow can maintain a SE component. Signal in guidance for MVFR in the eastern plains is pretty strong now, so have included for KTCC and KROW. Lower confidence there for redevelopment Tuesday mid-day onward, as the plume shifts west, so going with PROB30 groups. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 300 PM MDT Mon Jun 23 2025 Widespread showers and storms are expected the next several days, with a very high chance of wetting rainfall for areas along and east of the Continental Divide. As a result, humidity recoveries will be excellent across most of the area, except fair to good in far western NM the next few mornings. Moisture will surge west and northward this evening to the Continental Divide, which will result in a period of gusty southeast winds along the Rio Grande Valley this evening and overnight. Gusty outflow winds will be a concern with any storm the next few days, with the highest chance of a wet microburst in southeastern NM. This heavy rainfall will increase the risk of flash flooding, particularly over recent burn scars today through Thursday. Drier air enters from the west late week, expanding eastward over the weekend. Temperatures will also trend upwards, with afternoon humidities again dropping into the single digits in western NM by the weekend. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 61 86 58 86 / 5 20 20 10 Dulce........................... 48 79 47 78 / 20 40 40 20 Cuba............................ 56 77 53 76 / 20 60 50 40 Gallup.......................... 49 83 48 83 / 0 20 10 10 El Morro........................ 54 77 52 77 / 5 50 30 40 Grants.......................... 53 79 53 79 / 10 60 40 50 Quemado......................... 56 80 55 79 / 10 50 40 40 Magdalena....................... 62 75 59 72 / 40 90 80 80 Datil........................... 56 76 55 74 / 20 80 60 70 Reserve......................... 50 84 50 85 / 10 50 30 40 Glenwood........................ 55 88 55 88 / 10 50 40 40 Chama........................... 46 74 45 72 / 20 50 40 40 Los Alamos...................... 59 74 57 72 / 40 80 70 60 Pecos........................... 56 70 55 69 / 50 90 80 80 Cerro/Questa.................... 53 75 53 71 / 20 70 60 60 Red River....................... 45 66 44 63 / 20 80 60 60 Angel Fire...................... 43 67 43 66 / 30 80 60 70 Taos............................ 53 76 50 74 / 20 70 60 50 Mora............................ 48 69 48 68 / 50 90 80 80 Espanola........................ 59 81 57 78 / 40 80 70 60 Santa Fe........................ 60 73 58 72 / 50 90 80 70 Santa Fe Airport................ 60 76 57 74 / 50 80 80 60 Albuquerque Foothills........... 67 79 63 77 / 40 80 80 70 Albuquerque Heights............. 66 81 63 78 / 40 80 80 60 Albuquerque Valley.............. 66 83 62 80 / 40 80 80 60 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 67 81 63 79 / 40 70 80 60 Belen........................... 64 84 61 80 / 40 80 80 60 Bernalillo...................... 65 82 62 80 / 40 80 80 60 Bosque Farms.................... 63 83 60 80 / 40 80 80 60 Corrales........................ 66 82 63 80 / 40 80 80 60 Los Lunas....................... 65 83 61 80 / 40 80 80 60 Placitas........................ 63 77 61 76 / 40 80 80 60 Rio Rancho...................... 66 81 62 80 / 40 70 80 60 Socorro......................... 68 82 64 80 / 40 80 80 80 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 57 73 55 71 / 40 80 80 70 Tijeras......................... 60 75 58 73 / 40 80 90 70 Edgewood........................ 56 74 54 72 / 50 90 90 70 Moriarty/Estancia............... 55 75 53 73 / 50 90 90 80 Clines Corners.................. 56 69 54 68 / 50 90 90 80 Mountainair..................... 58 74 55 72 / 50 90 90 80 Gran Quivira.................... 58 73 55 71 / 50 90 90 80 Carrizozo....................... 63 73 61 74 / 60 90 90 90 Ruidoso......................... 57 66 56 67 / 60 100 80 90 Capulin......................... 54 71 53 71 / 60 80 60 60 Raton........................... 53 75 53 74 / 50 80 60 60 Springer........................ 56 75 55 75 / 50 90 60 70 Las Vegas....................... 55 69 54 69 / 60 90 80 80 Clayton......................... 61 79 61 79 / 70 60 40 30 Roy............................. 58 71 58 72 / 70 80 70 60 Conchas......................... 63 79 63 78 / 80 90 70 60 Santa Rosa...................... 62 74 61 74 / 70 90 80 70 Tucumcari....................... 63 82 63 81 / 70 60 50 40 Clovis.......................... 66 84 65 84 / 70 40 30 30 Portales........................ 65 85 65 85 / 70 40 30 30 Fort Sumner..................... 63 79 63 79 / 80 80 60 60 Roswell......................... 70 84 68 85 / 70 60 50 50 Picacho......................... 63 74 61 75 / 80 90 70 80 Elk............................. 58 73 58 74 / 80 90 80 80 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch from Tuesday afternoon through late Tuesday night for NMZ207-211>225-227>229-232-233. Flood Watch through late Tuesday night for NMZ235>240. Flood Watch through Wednesday evening for NMZ226. && $$ SHORT TERM...16 LONG TERM....16 AVIATION...53-Schroeder