More near to record breaking high temperatures are expected across the state today, especially across the south and up to through middle Rio Grande Valley. Plenty of sunshine and dry conditions will persist, with gustier winds today across the state as the jet stream dips overhead. There is even a Wind Advisory in effect across the east central plains with gusts up to 50 mph. With the warm, windy, and dry conditions, Red Flag Warnings are in effect across the western and eastern plains. Grass fires spreading quickly is the main concern today.
Tomorrow will be a transition day as a storm system approaches the state. More seasonable temperatures are expected along with continued breezy to windy weather and dry air. By late Wednesday evening, a backdoor cold front will arrive and push across eastern New Mexico. Gusty east canyon winds will arrive to the middle Rio Grande Valley overnight and into early Thursday morning with gusts 30-50 mph. A light dusting of snow up to an inch is possible across the Northern Mountains.
There are still a lot of uncertainties with this week’s storm system. The one thing we know for sure is much cooler temperatures will arrive Thursday afternoon, with highs 10° to nearly 40° cooler than today. There is the potential for a bit of rain/snow mix to push farther down the Central Mountain Chain, but that is still very uncertain.
The best chance for rain lies across far southern New Mexico. One model is bringing a few sprinkles to the metro while another keeps the middle Rio Grande Valley completely dry. Keep up to date on the forecast to know how much, if any, precipitation you can expect this week. Drier and more seasonable weather will return into the weekend.
