January 2026 was generally a mild and wet month for most of northern and central New Mexico. There were two active periods during the month, with the first being from January 7th to 9th and the other from January 23rd to 25th.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
January 2026 was generally a mild and wet month for most of northern and central New Mexico. There were two active periods during the month, with the first being from January 7th to 9th and the other from January 23rd to 25th. This resulted in well above average precipitation across southern and central areas and near to slightly above average precipitation across east central and northern areas. Temperatures for the month were well above average across western and central areas and well below normal across the southeast plains. The well below normal temperatures across the southeast plains were due to a potent arctic like airmass impacting eastern NM during the 2nd aforementioned active period with the cold temperatures continuing through the end of the month due to extended periods of low clouds and freezing fog over the lingering snowpack. The wetter than average conditions for the month resulted in the removal of extreme drought across the San Francisco River Valley and removal of severe drought across almost all of southern Chaves County.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 10:42 PM MST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1042 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1033 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 - Slick travel will be present over portions of western and north-central NM late tonight through Thursday night. - West and northwest wind gusts 40 to 50 mph New Year's Day, and up to 55 mph Friday will produce hazardous crosswinds on north- to-south oriented highways. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Thursday night) Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 2025 is closing out on a quiet note as a ridge of high pressure crests over the state today. A widespread opaque layer of high cirrus covers nearly all of the state, but plenty of sunshine is still reaching the ground allowing temperatures to warm up today. Thicker broken to overcast skies currently over AZ will steadily progress eastward over western and central NM tonight into Thursday morning. Eventually, showers associated with abundant moisture being transported northward ahead of a 558dm H5 low off the SoCal coast will enter western NM tonight as well. The warmer source region for this moisture will keep snow levels rather high around ~10,000ft, thus limiting snow potential to only the highest peaks of the Chuska's, Tusas, Jemez, and Sangre de Cristo Mts Thursday through Thursday night. There will be a brief period for some valley locations of western, central, and northern NM to see a few flurries early Thursday morning before surface dewpoints increase rapidly. Stronger winds aloft highlighted by 40-50kt H7 winds over the central mountain chain will be aided by a modest 1002mb MSLP surface low over northeastern NM in producing gusty winds through eastern NM. Clines Corners to Santa Rosa to Clovis will be see a corridor of strong westerly gusts reaching 40-50mph. A Wind Advisory may be necessary for one or more of these forecast zones Thursday afternoon, but will punt any needed issuance to the next forecast package tonight. Nevertheless, gusty westerly winds will be a concern for high profile vehicles on north-to-south oriented highways. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 Conditions steadily clear out thru the day Friday as what's left of the H5 low opens and crosses northern NM. Winds turn northwesterly thru the day as well, staying strong along the central highlands where another Wind Advisory may be necessary for gusts of 50+ mph. The first weekend of 2026 will sport wonderful yet abnormally warm weather as the next ridge of high pressure slides across the state. High temperatures will climb 15F to 20F above normal into the 50s and 60s areawide, with a few low 70s across eastern NM. Thereafter, another storm system will be evolving off the west coast of the CONUS bringing in periods of low PoPs into the Desert Southwest. More appreciable precipitation chances will favor the latter half of next week when the upper level storm system comes ashore. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1033 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 Clouds will continue to spread northeastward with cloud bases lowering in height into Thursday morning along with spotty to scattered rain and snow showers eventually developing over western and central parts of the state. Periodic MVFR conditions (ceilings at or less than 3,000 ft and/or visibility at or less than 5 miles) will be common over western to north central portions of New Mexico, especially in the pre-dawn to late morning hours, with spotty IFR conditions (ceilings less than 1,000 ft and/or visibility less than 3 miles) over northwestern parts of the state during this time. Also, winds will increase in the eastern half of the state Thursday afternoon with gusts of 25 to 40 kt being concentrated over the central mountain chain into the east central plains. Winds will reduce in speed around sunset Thursday while showers reduce in coverage, but persist over northwestern New Mexico through the evening. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1203 PM MST Wed Dec 31 2025 Elevated fire weather conditions will arise Thursday and Friday over portions of east-central NM as strong westerly winds arise. However, humidity only falling to ~30% will be the limiting factor. Otherwise, winds will be light alongside above normal warmth this coming weekend. Winds and precipitation chances begin to pickup again next week. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Farmington...................... 30 44 35 51 / 40 80 60 60 Dulce........................... 25 43 31 47 / 5 70 70 80 Cuba............................ 29 46 33 47 / 30 80 50 60 Gallup.......................... 30 50 35 52 / 70 80 40 30 El Morro........................ 34 48 37 48 / 70 70 40 50 Grants.......................... 30 53 33 53 / 60 70 30 30 Quemado......................... 37 54 35 51 / 60 70 20 30 Magdalena....................... 41 57 39 55 / 40 60 10 5 Datil........................... 38 53 36 51 / 50 60 20 20 Reserve......................... 36 56 30 59 / 60 70 20 30 Glenwood........................ 38 59 33 61 / 70 70 30 30 Chama........................... 26 41 30 40 / 0 60 60 70 Los Alamos...................... 36 47 36 48 / 0 50 40 40 Pecos........................... 33 52 36 50 / 0 30 20 20 Cerro/Questa.................... 29 47 33 47 / 0 30 20 30 Red River....................... 18 44 28 41 / 0 30 20 20 Angel Fire...................... 12 46 29 44 / 0 30 20 30 Taos............................ 24 49 32 49 / 0 30 20 30 Mora............................ 32 53 35 50 / 0 20 20 30 Espanola........................ 29 52 34 55 / 0 40 30 40 Santa Fe........................ 33 49 38 51 / 0 40 30 40 Santa Fe Airport................ 31 51 36 55 / 0 40 20 30 Albuquerque Foothills........... 38 51 43 56 / 10 50 20 10 Albuquerque Heights............. 37 53 42 58 / 10 50 10 10 Albuquerque Valley.............. 32 55 35 61 / 20 50 10 10 Albuquerque West Mesa........... 36 54 38 59 / 20 50 20 20 Belen........................... 32 56 36 63 / 20 60 10 5 Bernalillo...................... 35 54 39 59 / 10 50 20 20 Bosque Farms.................... 30 55 33 62 / 20 50 10 5 Corrales........................ 34 55 38 59 / 20 50 20 20 Los Lunas....................... 30 55 33 62 / 20 50 10 5 Placitas........................ 37 51 43 55 / 10 40 20 20 Rio Rancho...................... 37 53 39 58 / 20 50 20 20 Socorro......................... 39 61 40 64 / 30 50 10 0 Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 36 49 40 51 / 5 40 20 20 Tijeras......................... 37 49 40 52 / 10 40 20 20 Edgewood........................ 35 51 41 53 / 0 30 10 10 Moriarty/Estancia............... 27 54 36 55 / 0 20 10 10 Clines Corners.................. 33 50 36 51 / 0 10 5 10 Mountainair..................... 35 54 39 55 / 5 40 10 5 Gran Quivira.................... 35 54 39 56 / 5 30 10 0 Carrizozo....................... 39 57 40 60 / 5 40 10 0 Ruidoso......................... 38 54 39 54 / 10 30 10 0 Capulin......................... 26 61 29 58 / 0 10 5 5 Raton........................... 25 62 29 60 / 0 20 5 5 Springer........................ 25 62 31 62 / 0 10 0 0 Las Vegas....................... 33 58 36 56 / 0 10 0 10 Clayton......................... 33 67 36 66 / 0 0 5 5 Roy............................. 31 64 37 62 / 0 10 0 0 Conchas......................... 30 69 39 69 / 0 10 0 0 Santa Rosa...................... 36 63 44 63 / 0 5 0 0 Tucumcari....................... 31 71 41 71 / 0 0 0 0 Clovis.......................... 34 68 43 68 / 0 0 0 0 Portales........................ 32 69 43 69 / 0 0 0 0 Fort Sumner..................... 32 67 45 67 / 0 5 0 0 Roswell......................... 35 69 42 72 / 0 10 0 0 Picacho......................... 43 66 42 65 / 10 20 0 0 Elk............................. 42 63 37 64 / 10 20 0 0 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...24 LONG TERM....24 AVIATION...52
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme drought remained persistent over the east-central portion of the zone.
Extreme drought remained persistent over the northwest and north central portion of the zone.
Extreme drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was removed from the zone.
Severe drought was removed from nearly all of the zone.
Extreme drought remained persistent over the far northwestern portion of the zone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1303993, 1304001, 1304002, 1304003, 1304004, 1309568.