Winter weather not here to stay

Staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Neither rain nor snow nor cool temperatures on Tuesday could keep Hillcrest Park zookeeper Brett Gamble from making his rounds to feed the animals. That’s Sheba the camel huddling with Gamble. Today’s temperatures are expected to reach into the 50s after a high in the lower 40s Tuesday.

If you weren’t a fan of Tuesday’s sudden return of winter conditions, don’t be too concerned. They’re not scheduled to stick around.

There were hints of snow during a cold, windy afternoon in Clovis with temperatures in the 30s, but there was no report of snow above trace amounts at the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

NWS Meteorologist Christopher Luckett said most of the snowfall for New Mexico was focused in the north-central mountain areas.

While the chances were between 40 and 60 percent for precipitation Tuesday night, they drop to near zero for the rest of the week.

“The rest of the week should be warming up,” Luckett said. “There’s definitely some sunshine in the forecast. As far as numbers, Wednesday and Thursday we’re looking at highs in the 50s and by the weekend, highs are likely to get into the 60s and 70s.”

The record-low temperature for Feb. 23 in Clovis, according to Weather Underground, was set last year at 10 degrees. The record high was 77, set in 2002.