NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Gusty thunderstorms yesterday have mostly dissipated across the viewing area with a pocket of showers weakening as it moves southward to Las Cruces and a band of stronger southward-moving storms just to the east of Tucumcari in The Panhandle of Texas. The Monsoon high pressure to the west will trap tropical moisture still funneling in from the south as afternoon temperatures will climb slightly more than yesterday before a moist backdoor cold front overnight approaches from the east.
Rain-cooled air is once again left behind from yesterday’s widespread thunderstorm activity as temperatures have dropped a little bit more this morning in the upper 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s for most with lower 70-degree temperatures being confined closer to The Mexico border. Dew-point temperatures are still relatively high this morning, indicative of the high relative humidity at the surface, with widespread dew-point readings in the high 40’s, 50’s, and lower 60’s. This moisture, combining with the slight uptick in above-normal high temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s for most, will lead to more rain activity as flood watches are in effect through tomorrow morning for portions of The Central Mountains. Storms will initially be slow-moving as they form late this morning around the burn scars of Santa Fe and Ruidoso, but then, a swath of faster-moving storms this afternoon will roar on through from the north into most parts of The Rio Grande Valley as the leftover rain activity will eventually make its way into The Pecos River Valley, as well as The Gila National Forest, later this evening. Severe thunderstorms capable of producing not only flooding rainfall are likely for some ahead as rain activity start to re-ramp up late this morning, but also, some hail, erratic winds, and frequent lightning are likely with some of the storms this weekend. Before then, east-facing mountains slopes will start to experience strong easterly winds tonight that will even pick up in the lower elevations as more Gulf of Mexico moisture will be funneling in across New Mexico.
Flooding rainfall will be a little bit more likely today and even more likely this weekend in Albuquerque as the more unsettled weather, combining with the increase in cloud coverage, will lead to lower high temperatures after today through early next week as another backdoor gusty cold front will eventually move through.