Widespread rain & cooler temperatures ahead for New Mexico 

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Wetter weather will expand across the region ahead and with that, lower temperatures, except for far Southeast New Mexico in the short term, as a Heat Advisory is in effect for Chaves County. Showers are present near Roswell to the west this morning as despite the record heat yesterday, rain may fall like yesterday are more isolated batches of showers, moving to the northeast as well, are entering Hidalgo County, to the east of the metro, near Wagon Mound, and to the northwest of the Four Corners. Along with a mixture of clouds and clear skies elsewhere, moisture is still drifting east, as while conditions have been mostly dry in Eastern New Mexico, the atmosphere will become more humid, courtesy of a high pressure system drifting well to the east of the region.

Morning temperatures are still slightly above normal, with the northern mountain communities mostly starting off near the high 30’s in the highest elevations, 40’s and 50’s farther down in elevation, while valley locations are mostly ranging from the 50’s to the 70’s. As temperatures across the region rise from the morning school commute into the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and above 100 degrees for a few areas by the afternoon, more moisture in the air that is mostly confined to the west, along with daytime heating, will lead to slightly more areas receiving rainfall across the viewing area. The western three-fourths of the region has the best chance of rain for today with the flash flooding risk still mostly low, but more possible in the early-to-mid afternoon hours. Hit-and-miss stronger thunderstorms will pick up speed to the northeast from the Gila National Forest, to the Northern Mountains, then eventually to not only parts of the Northeastern Highlands, but also, a large part of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as parts of the Pecos River Valley. Today’s storms have the slightly higher possibility for localized heavy doses of rain, some pockets of hail, stronger winds, and more-frequent lightning strikes.

While moisture coming in from the southwest continues to drift east across most of New Mexico, the strengthening high pressure in North Texas will continue to drift east by the weekend, allowing for the stormier pattern to become more widespread eventually, as well as the potential for below-normal temperatures.