Northern New Mexican may expect near record heat this week
Jul. 15—Northern New Mexico is expected to continue feeling the heat into late July, and Santa Fe could hit record temperatures this week.
High pressure in the atmosphere has kept the traditional monsoon season limited so far, Annette Mokry, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said in an interview Saturday. While the high-pressure "dome" moved over Nevada and California recently, it is going to move back over New Mexico in the next couple of days.
"That's going to keep the ... showers and storms kind of down below what we would be expecting this time of year, and the temperatures warmer than normal," Mokry said.
She said areas throughout Northern New Mexico could experience temperatures about 5 to 15 degrees warmer than normal when compared to typical mid-July temperatures.
"It peaks on Tuesday, and then it drifts slightly downward to where it's maybe 5 to 10 degrees warmer than normal toward the end of next week," Mokry said.
Next week's overnight lows for Northern New Mexico are also set to be "a good 5 to 15 degrees" warmer than normal for this time of year, she said.
The high pressure air mass over the state is turning drier, which means lower humidity, "so it should kind of cool off in the evenings and the overnight enough to get some relief from the heat," Mokry said.
Temperatures are expected to be at least close to the record set in July 2020 of 101 degrees as measured at the Santa Fe Regional Airport. As of Saturday, forecast highs for the airport are 99 degrees on Monday and 100 on Tuesday, Mokry said.
"If it's going to hit a record, it looks like it could potentially be on Tuesday," Mokry said.
The high-pressure dome is likely to remain above Northern New Mexico through about July 25, Mokry said, which would result in sustained high temperatures.
"They may not be quite record breaking, but they're definitely going to be warmer than normal highs — and [warmer-than-normal] lows as well," Mokry said.
The meteorologist pointed to the heat safety tips and resources tab on the weather service's website, and mentioned a few ways Northern New Mexicans can stay safe as temperatures continue to rise.
"Don't leave people and pets in a car because it can get really hot very quickly. Drink lots of water. Try to stay in the shade. Wear light clothing. ... Take it easy if you have to work outside at all," Mokry said.
