Yesterday, it was almost pleasant. I didn’t spend nearly enough time outside, yet I didn’t get much done on my to do list inside, either.
Today, it is sunny and cold in Rio Rancho. My weather station in Rio Rancho says:
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, forecasts (for Rio Rancho, NM) a sunny day, with a high temperature of 52 F. The winds will be from the south at 5-15 mph. This evening will be mostly clear, with a low temperature of 26 F. The winds will be from the north at 5-10 mph.
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, forecasts (for Socorro, NM) a sunny day, with a high temperature of 60 F. The winds will be from the south at 5-15 mph. This evening will be mostly clear, with a low temperature of 26 F. The winds will be from the southwest at 5-10 mph, becoming southerly after midnight.
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, forecasts (for Magdalena, NM) a sunny day, with a high temperature of 51 F. The winds will be from the southwest at 10-15 mph, increasing to 15-20 mph and gusting to 30 mph in the afternoon. This evening will be mostly clear, with a low temperature of 26 F. The winds will be from the south at 5-10 mph.
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, forecasts (for Mountainair, NM) a sunny day, with a high temperature of 49 F. The winds will be from the southwest at 10-15 mph, increasing to 20-25 mph and gusting to 35 mph in the afternoon. This evening will be partly cloudy, with a low temperature of 23 F. The winds will be from the southwest at 5-15 mph, becoming easterly after midnight.
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, has issued a Freezing Fog Advisory for the parts of the Eastern Plains of New Mexico. The NWS Watches and Warnings graphic is shown below:
The NWS in Albuquerque, NM, forecaster’s discussion says an arctic high pressure system pushed a little farther west overnight, resulting in the potential for freezing fog this morning. Otherwise, conditions are similar to yesterday.
The visible satellite imagery is unavailable at this time. The enhanced infrared imagery shows very few clouds over the state today. This chart has been excluded from today’s post.
The upper-level water vapor imagery shows zonal to southwesterly flow, bringing with it a large stripe of dry air.
The 12Z upper air sounding from Albuquerque, NM, is unavailable at this time.
The SPC Mesoscale Analysis Surface Map shows cold, dry weather. The skies are sunny, except along the eastern edge of the state (according to the sensors). The winds are light and variable.
The SPC Mesoscale Analysis Pressure Map shows we are under no strong pressure systems, though there is a moderate gradient over the northeastern corner of the state from northeast to southwest due to the high pressure over the Great Plains. The RAP shows this trend is expected to continue for at least the next six hours.
The NAM 250 mb chart show strong, southwesterly flow today.
The NAM 700 mb and 850 mb charts show a thermal mess. There is some Cold Air Advection (CAA) at 700 mb ahead of a low off the coast of California pushing in from the southwest. At 850 mb, you can see the repeated attempt at a back door cold front from the northeast, though it will only impact the northeastern and eastern parts of the state.
The Nested NAM simulated reflectivity chart shows precipitation is unlikely today. This, the precipitation chart and the snow charts have been excluded from today’s post.
The Nested NAM temperature chart predicts that the high temperatures for the middle Rio Grande River Valley will reach the lower 50s F.
The Nested NAM also predicts shows the low temperatures are expected to drop into the mid 20s F.
The Nested NAM dewpoint chart shows that the dewpoints will remain in the upper 10s F.
The Nested NAM wind prediction chart shows strong winds are possible this afternoon, particularly near the central mountain chain and over the southwestern part of the state.
The Nested NAM simulated infrared chart shows sunny skies today and clear skies tonight. This chart has been excluded from today’s post.
Today, the weather will be a few degrees warmer than yesterday. It will be sunny and clear, and the strongest winds will not impact the middle Rio Grande River Valley. Overall, it should be a pleasant winter day.
I will drive to Socorro and take the buses and trains back. I won’t spend a lot of time outside today.
The forecasts from the National Weather Service are from The NWS Homepage. The upper air soundings and mesoscale analysis plots are from the Storm Prediction Center website. The satellite data, model data, and forecasted soundings are from College of DuPage – SATRAD.
High Plains Chasing 