Burn scar flash flooding likely in parts of New Mexico Wednesday and Thursday

Grant’s Tuesday Night Forecast

Higher moisture moves into New Mexico Wednesday. This will bring more showers and thunderstorms through Thursday, along with heavier rain and a higher risk of burn scar flash flooding.

Isolated and scattered storms developed again across New Mexico Tuesday afternoon. Major burn scar areas stayed mostly dry today, with the exception of the Cerro Pelado in the Jemez early this afternoon. A few spotty storms are continuing tonight in southern New Mexico. It’s also a very hot day, with many areas climbing into the 90s and 100s. Albuquerque hit 100° for the fourth time this year.

Another big surge of moisture will move into New Mexico Wednesday. This will work as fuel for more showers and storms to develop Wednesday afternoon. With even more moisture in the atmosphere to work with, storms will be capable of even heavier rainfall. Because of this, burn scar flash flooding is likely over the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon and Ruidoso wildfire burn scar areas by the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible across the rest of the state as well.

A few showers will stick around Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Even more moisture moves into the state Thursday morning, along with an upper level wave that will pass across the state, will cause even more showers and storms Thursday afternoon. The threat for the heaviest rain will be in the northern half of the state.

We get a brief break from the rain across almost all of New Mexico on Friday. Another surge of moisture will move in this weekend, bringing more scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms across the state into early next week.