Showers in ABQ won’t last long

Warm, dry system means freeze will come later than average

If it’s raining as you read the Journal this morning, savor it, because it’s likely the last moisture you’ll see for a while.

A weak system moving into the state from the southwest Monday night was expected to bring showers and isolated thunderstorms over the northwestern third of the state and the chance of rain to the Albuquerque area in the hours just after sunrise today.

“We could get a 10th of an inch, maybe a little more, at (morning) rush hour,” said Andy Church, a meteorologist with the Albuquerque office of

the National Weather Service. “And it looks like that’s going to be all the weather, as far as rainfall, for the next seven days. We will be drying out, and temperatures will be well above normal.”

A dry westerly system moving in later today will keep things arid through the weekend and turn up temperatures across the state to 10 to 20 degrees above average for this time of year.

Some clouds may work their way into New Mexico on Saturday and Sunday, but Church said a high-pressure system will keep moisture north of the state and the clouds will not cool things down.

“Sunday could be the warmest day of the next seven,” he said.

Normal high temperatures for the metro area this time of year are in the mid-60s, but highs this week are forecast to be in the mid- to upper 70s.

Church said temperatures on the eastern plains and southeastern parts of the state may get up to 20 degrees above average this week. High temperatures Friday are expected to reach 87 degrees in both Tucumcari and Roswell.

Oct. 30 is the average date for the first official freeze of the season, as recorded at the Albuquerque International Sunport, but, as you might guess, Church said he believes we are still quite a long way off from this season’s first freeze. Lows in the Albuquerque area this week will be in the high 40s and low 50s.

Looking ahead to Halloween night on Monday, you can count on it being dark but not stormy.

“It should be a mild night for trick-or-treaters,” Church said.