NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Rain-free conditions with relatively chilly air is the big weather story this morning, and while some mountains thunderstorms will fire off this afternoon, most across the region will be very sunny with even higher afternoon temperatures than yesterday. Some storms in northwestern areas lingered around very early this morning, but they have since dissipated, leaving only behind some trails of clouds around The Four Corners with a high pressure system aloft which will only drift slowly to the southeast ahead as a tropical disturbance in The Gulf of Mexico drifts northeastward while strengthening. So, stubbornly stagnant weather this morning in New Mexico with dry air, allow as light winds, have allowed for temperatures to drop around the freezing mark in the high elevations, while most other areas are starting off in the 40’s, 50’s, and lower 60’s.
As temperatures across the region rise from the morning school commute into the high 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and near 90 degrees for a few areas by the afternoon, moisture from the northwest, along with daytime heating, will lead to only a few areas across the viewing areas receiving doses of rainfall. Storms will most likely form in The San Juan Mountains, The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and The Zuni Mountains, while a few showers are possible in The Southern Mountains. Burn-scar flash flooding will be unlikely despite the slow-moving storms because they will be relatively sporadic in coverage. Within the areas that may rain, small hail, gusty winds, and some lightning strikes are possible.
Relatively light upper-level winds, generally from the northwest, will push the storms slowly to the southeast this evening, but then as a high pressure system builds from The The Four Corners, moisture beneath it will slowly drift southeast for some later this week. However, where areas will remain mostly sunny, the sinking air-mass will allow temperatures to rise a bit above normal.
