Unrelenting Heatwave To Continue - Severe T-Storms Friday & Saturday.

- July 30, 2026

July 26, 2026.

Drought Stricken Countyside Around Artesia.

Blog Updated At 10:58 AM MDT.

Our ongoing summer heatwave refuses to give up, but there will be a temporary break from the heat, sort of, on Saturday. A cold front will backdoor its way southward and westward down the eastern plains Friday and should slide into southeastern New Mexico Friday night into early Saturday morning.

Ahead of this front, more hot weather will dominate our forecasts today and Friday, with our afternoon highs in southeastern New Mexico forecast to range from 102 to 104 today, and 104 to 106 on Friday. A Heat Advisory has been issued for Friday for Eddy and Culberson Counties.

A Heat Advisory is in effect today for the Middle Rio Grande Valley, including the Albuquerque Metro area, where high temps today are forecast to reach 97 to 101, and in Eastern San Miquel and Quay Counties where highs are forecast to reach 105.

A Heat Advisory is in effect today through Friday for El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley, Donna and Luna Counties, and western Otero County. Forecast high temps of 103 to 107 today, and 105 to 109 Friday.

A Heat Advisory is now in effect for De Baca County and the Chaves County Plains today for high temps of 105.

Scattered thunderstorms will break out along and behind the cold front Friday afternoon and evening as it heads southward down the eastern plains. Some of these storms will become severe and produce large hail, damaging thunderstorm wind gusts, and frequent lightning. A few transient supercell thunderstorms will be possible. Locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding will also be a concern. Some of these storms may persist well into the overnight hours.

How far south these thunderstorms make it into the southeastern plains late Friday afternoon and evening is somewhat questionable, with the best chances of getting wet lying roughly north of an Artesia to Hobbs line. A few of these could be severe and produce large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Frequent lightning will accompany any thunderstorm, and locally heavy rainfall may pose an isolated and localized flash flood threat.

A better chance for more widespread showers and thunderstorms will exist on Saturday as low-level upslope moisture increases behind the front and an upper-level disturbance approaches from the north.

Severe thunderstorms will be possible across the eastern half of New Mexico on Saturday from the central mountain chain eastward into West Texas. Large hail, damaging thunderstorm wind gusts, frequent lightning, locally heavy rainfall, and flash flooding will all be possible Saturday into Saturday night. Clusters of thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall may form along with the possibility of training thunderstorms (one storm after another over the same area), increasing the threat for flash flooding.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected today across the Sacramento Mountains. These will become more numerous and widespread Friday into Saturday night. Locally heavy rains and flash flooding will be a concern especially Friday into Saturday night. The recent burn scars around the Ruidoso area will be most susceptible to rapid and life-threatening flash flooding.

Rainfall totals by Sunday night across the central mountain chain eastward out onto the northeastern, eastern, and southeastern plains should generally be in the .50" to 1" range for most locations, with 1" to 3" possible with the heaviest storms.

Saturday's high temperatures across the eastern half of the state will be cooler, with highs ranging from the mid 80s to the mid 90s.

Highs in the Sacramento Mountains today will range from the upper 70s in the Cloudcroft area to near 90 in the Ruidoso area. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will range from near 70 to the mid 70s in the Cloudcroft area and the low to mid 80s in the Ruidoso area.

After a brief break from the unrelenting heat, Saturday and Sunday we go right back into the oven Monday and the rest of next week, with forecast highs generally in the 100 to 105 range. Looking at the 6-10-Day and 8-14-Day long range forecasts, guess what? More of the same with above-normal temps to continue. Our chances for rainfall will decrease to almost nothing across the southeastern plains. Hit-and-miss popcorn-type thunderstorms will dot the Sacramento Mountains next week.

So far our summer monsoon has been a tale of the haves and have-nots, which isn't that unusual in New Mexico. There have been some surprises too, including the Zuni Pueblo CoCoRaHS 0.5 miles south station, which has recorded a whopping 6.47" of rain so far this month! And the Gallup CoCoRaHS station 0.7 miles east-northeast, which has recorded 5.48" of rain so far this July.

These totals beat the Cloudcroft NWS Climate COOP Station, which has recorded 5.19" so far this July, and is normally one of the wettest spots in the state.

So far, the Ruidoso NWS Climate COOP Station is reporting 3.35" of rainfall so far this July. The Sierra Blanca Snotel is reporting 5.50" so far this July, the Cedar Creek South Fork HADS 5,72", and the Smokey Bear Raws in Ruidoso 5.00".

Not to be outdone, the Personal Weather Station (PWS) at the Cool Pines RV Park west-northwest of Mayhill is reporting a whopping 11.65" of rainfall so far this month. The Mogollon Raws is reporting 10.17" so far this July.

The Carlsbad CoCoRaHS Station 3.6 miles north leads southeastern New Mexico with 3.06" so far this July.

See the attached New Mexico 2026 Summer Monsoon Rainfall Maps below for more.