Weather heading back toward warmth, sun

Much of the snow from last week’s record-breaking storm has melted in central and northern New Mexico. And eastern New Mexico’s record-breaking low temperatures have given way to more seasonal norms.

Now, the state is gearing up for a return to warmth and sunshine.

Clovis, Portales and Tucumcari, which dipped into the teens last week, could have high temperatures in the mid-80s this week.

Albuquerque is expected to hit a high of 73 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday, and 70 degrees on Friday.

Clay Anderson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, said the next cold storm system will move into the state beginning on Friday.

“We’ll get colder, more fall-like weather, and definitely windier as we head into the weekend and early next week,” Anderson said.

The Clovis-Portales area expects daytime-high temperatures in the low 60s by Monday and low 50s on Tuesday. Northern New Mexico has a slight chance of snow early next week.

Anderson said last week’s storm was the biggest snow event in state history for the month of October.

Northwest Albuquerque received about 11 inches of snow. The National Weather Service station near the Sunport received only about 4.2 inches during the two-day storm. But that was enough to break an October 1986 record by an inch.

The meteorologist said the heavy snowstorm could “press the pause button” on New Mexico’s drought.

“Maybe conditions won’t worsen for a week or two,” Anderson said. “But if we don’t follow it up with more precipitation, things are going to get worse going into the winter months.”