New Mexico
Stronger winds develop this weekend
Welcome to the weekend!
If you are heading out the door this morning, chilly temperatures have settled into sections of west and northwest New Mexico. Temperatures are ranging from the 30’s, in the northwest, to the 60’s in the southeast. Today’s high temperature forecast will have near seasonable temperatures throughout the state, with Albuquerque expected to reach the 70s once again. The rest of the Land of Enchantment can anticipate a spread of high temperatures from the 60s to the upper 80s. Similar to most of this week, Saturday will also bring gusty winds. Gusty westerly winds will range from 25-45 mph before stronger winds return on Sunday.
Our upper-level winds will strengthen as the jet stream glides over the state. Those stronger winds above will bring high winds to sections of New Mexico. Wind gusts along the central mountain chain could reach 50-60 mph or more on Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service (NWS) will issue High Wind Watches and Wind Advisories for gusts that could reach 50 and 60 mph. Those warnings will be for several communities along the central mountain chain, Estancia Valley, sections of Guadalupe/Lincoln counties, and southwest New Mexico.
In true New Mexico fashion fire danger will also accompany the strong winds this weekend. The NWS will issue Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches both days for fires that can easily start and spread underneath these weather conditions. Most of these will be for eastern and southern New Mexico. Fire Weather Watches also extend through central and western New Mexico for tomorrow. Precipitation chances are also expected to return this weekend.
Wet and dry storms are possible on Sunday in sections of west, central and northwest New Mexico. Aside from sprinkles to light rain, lighting would be the concern to spark new wildfires. Mountain snow is also forecasted with this push of moisture Saturday night through Sunday. A dusting to a few inches is possible in the peaks of the northern mountains, while the peaks in the San Juans, in southwest Colorado, could pick up 6-12 inches. After Sunday breezy winds are still forecasted on Monday throughout New Mexico before a wetter pattern emerges later next week. Have a great Saturday!
New Mexico
Two men arrested for deadly shooting outside Frontier Restaurant
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police arrested two young men on murder charges after a deadly shooting outside the Frontier Restaurant near the University of New Mexico.
Police said 19-year-old Junior Lewis and 20-year-old Evan Rogers are in custody and both face murder charges.
Police said both men are set to face a judge Saturday.
Investigators said they found both suspects inside Rogers’ dorm room at UNM.
The shooting happened in the early morning hours Thursday just south of Central between Cornell and Stanford.
Police said the man who was shot died at the scene.
New Mexico
Find out how New Mexico hospitals rank for patient safety
Leapfrog released its 2026 spring hospital safety grades.
Grades are assigned based on overall performance, including patient safety.
The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to publicly report patient safety and quality information for the benefit of consumers, purchasers, and referring physicians as they make decisions about where to seek care and where to direct patients,” the company stated on its website.
Here’s how your local hospitals performed.
MountainView Regional Medical Center – A
Leapfrog gave MountainView an “A.”
“Being the only hospital in Doña Ana County to earn an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group speaks to the high standards our team sets – and meets – every day,” said MountainView CEO Patrick Shannon. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees to deliver the safest care possible for our community.”
“An ‘A’ Grade is a strong sign that MountainView is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”
The hospital performed better than average in several areas including low infection rates, addressing safety problems, and ICU care. The hospital received below average performances ratings in surgical site infections post colon surgery, communication about medicine and discharge, communication with doctors and nurses and nursing and bedside care for patients.
Memorial Medical Center – B
Memorial Medical Center received a “B” grade from Leapfrog.
The hospital performed well in effective leadership, reduction and prevention of infections and addressing safety problems.
The hospital received below average ratings for kidney injury after surgery, serious breathing problems, harmful events, communication about medicine and discharge, and communication with doctors and nurses.
Not rated by Leapfrog were Three Crosses Regional Hospital.
Nearby top rated hospitals
Leapfrog gave an A to William Beaumont Army Medical Center and Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso received a B.
How did other New Mexico hospitals perform?
A recipients were:
- CHRISTUS Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo
B recipients were:
- Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque
C recipients were:
- Carlsbad Medical Center in Carlsbad
- CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa FE
- Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell
- Lovelace Medical Center-Downtown in Albuquerque
- Lovelace Regional Hospital in Roswell
- Lovelace Westside Hospital in Albuquerque
- University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque
D recipients were:
- San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington
- UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho
Explore the full survey results at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
Jessica Onsurez is editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News. Reach her by email at jonsurez@usatodayco.com.
New Mexico
The most popular baby names in New Mexico for 2025
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) — The Social Security Office released the most popular baby names for 2025 on Thursday. And here in New Mexico, we saw some familiar names top the charts once again.
Coming in at No. 1 for girls is Mia, and as for the boys, Noah ranks No. 1. That’s no change from 2024 when Mia and Noah also led the pack, both coming in at No 1. For 2025, there were a total of 66 babies named Mia and 115 babies named Noah, while in 2024, there were 81 Mias and 105 Noahs.
What do the names mean? Online sources list a few different interpretations for Mia, but one common association is with the Italian word “mia,” which means “mine.” As for Noah, the name is most commonly associated with the prominent bible figure. It’s thought to mean “rest,” or “comfort.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top baby names in New Mexico for 2025.
- Girls:
- Olivia (65 total)
- Sophia (65 total)
- Sofia (60 total)
- Camila (59 total)
- Eliana (57 total)
- Isabella (56 total)
- Amelia (53 total)
- Aria (45 total)
- Aurora (45 total)
- Boys:
- Liam (109 total)
- Mateo (99 total)
- Elijah (76 total)
- Santiago (70 total)
- Sebastian (69 total)
- Ezra (67 total)
- Elias (66 total)
- Ezekiel (66 total)
- Levi (69 total)
Nationally, Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names, and have been for the past seven years, according to the Social Security Administration. As for the fastest-rising names, Klarity jumped nearly 1,400 spots on the girls’ list, and Kasai jumped 1,108 for boy names.
Other names rising in popularity for boys include Atlas, Adriel, Emiliano, Arthur, and Archer. On the girls’ list, Ailany, Sienna, Amara, and Georgia are becoming more popular.
You can find the full list by state online.
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