Rain and thunderstorm chances increase across New Mexico Friday

Grant’s Thursday Evening Forecast

Showers and storms will become more widespread across New Mexico Friday afternoon and continue into Saturday. Windy weather will then return Sunday and early next week.

Upper-level moisture is increasing across New Mexico Thursday, leading to a few isolated showers and thunderstorms. Unfortunately, the air near the ground is still very dry, so much of that rain is evaporating before it reaches the surface. That is also creating some locally gusty winds. Thursday has been even hotter statewide, with more of New Mexico climbing into the upper 70s and 80s.

The isolated showers showing up on radar will fade overnight, but cloud cover will continue to increase. Better low-level moisture will move into New Mexico tonight and Friday, helping produce more showers and thunderstorms by Friday afternoon. With that increase in moisture, more rain will make it to the ground Friday afternoon and evening. A couple of storms could become strong in far eastern New Mexico. Rain chances in the Albuquerque Metro will increase after 3 p.m. High temperatures will stay very warm to hot across the state.

Rain will continue overnight into early Saturday morning in parts of New Mexico. That broader area of rain will weaken through Saturday morning, with a few isolated showers and thunderstorms lingering into midday. Areas that miss out on overnight rain will have a better chance of seeing storms Saturday afternoon. A few storms could become strong to severe in eastern New Mexico, with gusty winds and small hail as the main threats. Temperatures will be cooler Saturday afternoon.

Drier air moves in Sunday, leaving just a couple of showers possible in northwest and northern New Mexico. Winds will start to increase Sunday afternoon, with the strongest winds expected Monday. Southwest wind gusts Monday afternoon could reach 45 to 55 mph. Rain chances will return to western, central, and northern New Mexico Monday into Tuesday as a strong Pacific cold front sweeps across the state. Cooler temperatures will follow Tuesday afternoon. Warmer, drier, and calmer weather returns later next week.