Record warm and windy weather will move into New Mexico Tuesday. Then, a backdoor cold front will bring rain, snow, and colder temperatures on Thursday.
Record and near-record warmth has moved into New Mexico on Monday. High temperatures climbed into the 70s and 80s across most of the state. A westerly wind has also picked up today. The wind will die down for most of tonight, but there may be some areas overnight that will still see up to 40 mph wind gusts. Even windier weather is on the way Tuesday, with westerly winds gusting to as high as 45 mph. Temperatures will be even warmer than today, with more areas looking at breaking or getting close to breaking record-high temperatures with more 70s, 80s, and even 90s. The warmth and wind will combine with low relative humidity to create a high fire danger, with a high threat of grassland wildfires. Winds will die down Tuesday night but still remain breezy in some areas.
Forecast Continues Below
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Breezy winds return Wednesday afternoon, but it won’t be as windy, and it won’t be as hot across the state. A strong backdoor cold front will begin pushing into northeast New Mexico by late Wednesday afternoon. The backdoor front will continue to push south and west across the state into Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. It will bring light snowfall to the northern mountains, and even as low as the I-25 corridor down to the East Mountains. A gusty canyon wind will also develop overnight with wind gusts up to 40 mph as the cold front spills into the Rio Grande Valley.
Temperatures will be colder statewide on Thursday as the backdoor cold front moves through. Snow will continue across the northern mountains, with a mix of rain and snow possible as far south as the Sacramento Mountains. Scattered to spotty showers will also be possible Thursday into Friday from northern and central New Mexico to the southern half of the state. The best chances for rain though will be in southern and southeast New Mexico through Friday morning.
Drier weather returns Friday afternoon as temperatures begin a slow warming trend into the weekend.
