Warming Up With Rain Returning & Saturday Morning's Lows.

- October 18, 2026

October 17, 2026.

South Of Cloudcroft, NM.

Reported Low Temperatures Saturday Morning.

Eagle Nest NWS Climate Coop Station 0º

Angel Fire Airport ASOS 8º

Bell Canyon PWS NW of Mayhill 18º

Scenic Canyon PWS - NW of Wimsatt 19º

Myers Cabin PWS - Sacramento 20º

Mountain Park NWS Climate Coop Station 20º

Mayhill 3.4 NW NMCC 20º

Alto PWS NBOX-13 21º

Ruidoso WS_29 22º

Elk NWS Climate Coop Station 25º

Timberon PWS 25º

Cloudcroft NWS Climate Coop Station 26º

Portales NWS Climate Coop Station 26º

Smokey Bear Raws Ruidoso 26º

Runyan Ranches NMCC 28º

Hondo NMCC 29º

Dunken Raws 30º

Hagerman NMCC 30º

High Rolls PWS 31º

Dexter NMCC 31º

Roswell XL AWS 5.2 N 31º

Artesia Ag Science Center NMCC 31º

Lovington NMCC 31º

Queen Raws 31º

Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport ASOS...Missing

Hobbs XL AWS 6.75 NW 32º

Hope 4.9 W NMCC 33º

Lakewood/Seven Rivers NMCC 33º

Hobbs Lea County Regional Airport AWOS 34º

Alamogordo Municipal Airport AWOS 34º

Caprock Raws 35º

Eunice XL AWS 1.25 SE 35º

Artesia Municipal Airport AWOS 36º

Loving High School NMCC 37º

Malaga NMCC 37º

Paduca Raws Near WIPP 38º

2.1 NNW Downtown Carlsbad PWS 38º

Carlsbad Cavern City Air Terminal Airport ASOS 38º

Jal Country Club NMCC 38º

Most locations across New Mexico except for southwestern, southern, and parts of Eddy County experienced their first freeze of the season Saturday morning. Normal freeze dates for southeastern New Mexico generally occur during the last week of October through the first week of November. The Roswell Industrial Air Center Airport ASOS is down again, so I don't have their low temperature for the 17th.

Technically, since most of the state has just experienced an early-season first freeze, Indian summer will occur this upcoming week, with temperatures running above normal.

A warming trend has commenced and will continue today into the end of the week. Forecast high temperatures across the southeastern plains will climb up to near 70 today, the low-mid 70s on Monday, and the 80s starting Tuesday. Carlsbad will reach the mid-80s Thursday and Friday.

The Ruidoso area will see the 60s today into Monday, and the 70s Tuesday into Thursday. You have a 20% to 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms Monday into Thursday. This increases up to around 50% to 60% Thursday into Friday.

The Cloudcroft area will see highs today into Monday in the 50s, the 60s Tuesday into Thursday. You have a 20% to 40% chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms Monday into Tuesday. This increases to 30% to 70% Thursday into Saturday.

Another mid-upper-level low will deepen/strengthen west of Oregon today, then move south to west of Los Angeles by mid-week. This morning's run of the GFS model swings it inland to San Diego by around Friday, then splits the low with a piece of it dropping south to the Spur of Baja Mexico by next Saturday.

This morning's run of the ECMWF opens the closed low up and swings it inland and across the state late next week into next weekend.

Subtropical moisture will be drawn northeast into New Mexico beginning Tuesday and spread eastward over the state as the week progresses. This moisture plume will begin to affect the Sacramento Mountains and southeastern plains Thursday into next weekend.

Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will once again overspread the state Tuesday into next weekend. Some of these will produce heavy rainfall and the threat of flash flooding. Current model forecasts favor the western half of the state to receive the most widespread rainfall and thunderstorms, along with the potential for flash flooding.

The GFS forecast produces heavy rainfall over nearly all of the state by next weekend, with many areas forecast to pick up storm totals in the 1" to 3" range. A few areas over northern New Mexico may pick up over 4". These totals are likely to change later this upcoming week as forecast models adjust to the upper air pattern and forecast changes in the model runs.

It's early yet, but it should be noted that the GFS also forecasts the potential for heavy snow at the higher elevations of some of the state's northern mountains next weekend. While the ECMWF only calls for very light amounts. Given the subtropical nature of the air mass over the state into next weekend, snow levels will be high no matter what does manage to fall. Snow is not anticipated over the Sac's at this time.

We faced a similar weather scenario this past week, and southeastern New Mexico ended up left out. Hopefully that won't happen again this coming week.

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 1125 AM MDT Sun Oct 18 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1103 AM MDT Sun Oct 18 2026 - Pleasant Fall weather remains today with some showers over western and central New Mexico. - Precipitation chances steadily increase this week, peaking Thursday. - Fast moving storms will threaten strong gusty winds and repeated rounds of rainfall which have an increasing chance for localized flooding for western and central NM mainly Thursday. && .UPDATE... Issued at 512 AM MDT Sun Oct 18 2026 Added PoPs to western and central New Mexico based on current radar trends and recent hi-res model guidance. Rain chances may still be underdone and need increasing for the evening/overnight period depending on trends today. &

NWS Midland Forecasts & Outlooks.