A heat wave begins this week across New Mexico. A brief, monsoon-like weather pattern develops into the weekend.
The heat continues this week, with high temperatures climbing up to around 90° and 100° across New Mexico Monday afternoon. Roswell tied a record high temperature today of 104°. Unfortunately, it is only going to get hotter Tuesday afternoon. High temperatures on Tuesday will be 1° to 5° warmer, despite an increase in high level clouds across the state and breezier westerly winds. A weak backdoor front will move into the eastern half of the state Wednesday, cooling high temperatures off by only a couple degrees. While areas along and west of I-25 will continue the warming trend.
Thursday will be the hottest day this week, when Albuquerque will even get close to 100° for the first time this year. A strong area of high pressure will move overhead Thursday afternoon and will b responsible for this heat. The high pressure drifts to the east by late this week. That will allow high temperatures to starting cooling down very slightly.
The high pressure will set up a brief, weak, monsoon-like pattern for the weekend. Isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms will be possible for parts of New Mexico beginning as early as Thursday afternoon. The highest chances for afternoon storms will be Friday through Sunday. It will be a mix of wet and dry thunderstorms though. Drier air returns statewide next Monday.
