Fire Weather Watch | New Mexico Weather

Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly. And welcome to the New Mexico Weather Podcast — it's Monday, February 23rd. Step outside right now and you'll feel 28 degrees biting at your face. But here's the plot twist.. By Wednesday, we're flirting with 81 degrees in the south. That's not a typo. That's February in New Mexico. Let's start up north. You're waking up to 28 degrees around 5 A.M., but that north wind makes it feel like 20. Dress warmly for the morning commute. By 3 P.M., you'll hit 58 degrees — pleasant, but keep the jacket handy. Tonight drops to 33 degrees under mostly clear skies. Central New Mexico, you're starting at 30 degrees around 6 A.M. Then sunshine takes over and pushes you to 65 degrees this afternoon. Winds stay light until they shift south around 5 P.M. Tonight, you'll settle at 33 degrees. Southern New Mexico? You're the star today. A low of 33 degrees at 6 A.M. — feeling like 28 — then you rocket to 66 degrees by 4 P.M. Winds flip from north to south around 11 A.M. Tonight, you only drop to 38 degrees. Practically balmy. Now here's what demands your attention. Fire Weather Watches go up tomorrow for the northeast plains, central highlands. And east-central regions. We're talking gusts to 50 miles an hour, humidity in the single digits. And bone-dry fuels. Any spark could explode. Don't burn anything outdoors. This is one of the most dangerous fire weather setups we've seen in months. The week ahead? Southern New Mexico hits 78 degrees Tuesday, then 81 degrees Wednesday — near record territory. Central climbs to 75. Northern regions warm to 66. The heat sticks through the weekend, with 70s and 80s statewide. Yes, 80s in February. Today's chill is just a tease. The real story is midweek warmth that'll have you reaching for sunscreen, not snow boots. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.