Winter officially began at 2:20 AM this morning, but temperatures will continue to feel more like the middle of November in Albuquerque with highs getting close to 60°. Temperatures will also be warmer than normal for this time of year with sunny and dry weather across the rest of the state. Winds will pick up slightly in eastern New Mexico Sunday afternoon, bringing even warmer weather to eastern parts of the state. This seasonably warm weather will continue into Monday and Christmas Eve.
A storm will scrape New Mexico on Christmas Day. This storm will not bring much in terms of moisture though. At best, a couple inches of snow will be possible across the northern mountains, with a light mix of rain and snow down to some lower elevations in northern New Mexico and southwest Colorado, but little to no accumulation is expected. Winds will be the biggest story with this storm, with westerly winds gusting as high as 45 mph in parts of the state. Temperatures will remain mild as well, similar to what we’ve been experiencing lately.