Record-breaking heat wave sweeps across New Mexico

Spring sprang like summer on Friday as heat records were shattered in many parts of New Mexico.

But while some people found ways to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, state officials are on high alert for heat-related illness among vulnerable populations, elevated wildfire risk in tinder-dry forests and a lack of spring runoff amid record-low snowpack.

Clay Anderson, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the state’s largest city already broke its heat record for the month of March on Thursday with a high of 88 degrees, eclipsing a previous record of 85 degrees, recorded in both 1907 and 1971.

That bar rose again on Friday, to 89 degrees, and is expected to hit 90 Saturday in Albuquerque — which would make it the earliest 90 degree-day recorded in the city. The last such record was set in 1947, when Albuquerque hit 90 on May 3.

Anderson said temperatures in several other areas of the state will also reach record highs in coming days.

Clayton is expected to hit 92 degrees Saturday in the northeast corner of the state, while Roswell was expected to hit a scorching 97.

“Our records date back to the late 1800s, and this is already the hottest March temperatures on record, and has been for a couple days now,” Anderson said. “You got records being set somewhere in the state every single day for the next seven days.”

These exceptionally high temperatures prompted the New Mexico Department of Health to issue a warning about heat-related illness earlier this week, including heat rashes and heat stroke, which become more likely during rapid temperature swings.

“The absolute temperatures we're seeing are not uncommon for summertime here, but it is uncommon for this time of year,” said Chelsea Eastman Langer, an epidemiologist and chief of the agency’s Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau. “We're particularly concerned right now because people's bodies haven't had the time to adjust to the heat. And also, we're going to assume most people haven't had a chance to get their swamp coolers ready and actually be prepared for these kinds of temperatures.”

Dizziness, a rapid pulse, nausea, muscle spasms, heavy sweating and a dotted red rash can all be warning signs of heat-related illness, Eastman Langer said, adding that homeless populations, the elderly and the very young are most at risk.

Emergency department visits related to extreme heat have risen across New Mexico since 2020, according to DOH data, which shows a significant rise from 18.2 visits per 100,000 residents in 2022 to 28.7 visits in 2023.

While winds have been calm in most areas of the state during this week’s heat wave, Anderson said the current low-relative humidity combined with wind gusts forecast for Sunday could generate a red flag warning for parts of New Mexico. On the eastern plains, for example, wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph.

The New Mexico Forestry Division also issued a press release ahead of the weekend warning residents to protect their homes as the state enters into “an exceptionally dry fire season.”

"Wildfire doesn't care if it burns in an urban or rural community," State Forester Laura McCarthy said in a statement. "Our firefighters will continue to respond to wildfires as they ignite, and we need landowners to play their part. Home hardening and defensible space are some of the most impactful — and easiest — steps people can take to stop the spread of catastrophic wildfire."

The Forest Service on Friday activated Stage 1 fire restrictions for the Gila National Forest, prohibiting campfires and stove fires.

Anderson said it would take time to understand the unprecedented spike in temperatures, but noted that the general climate warming pattern he and other forecasters have observed across the U.S. and the globe in recent years was clearly a factor.

Looking ahead to the summer months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a preliminary forecast predicting above-normal precipitation for the state’s monsoon season from June through August.

While Anderson is optimistic the Southwest will likely benefit from a shift from a La Niña to an El Niño climate pattern, predicting greater rainfall later this year, he said it was premature to confirm the national agency’s outlook.

“We do have some local expertise here and will be putting out a seasonal climate outlook in concert with the Climate Prediction Center,” he said. “They’re still modeling and putting that together, but everything I’m hearing does sound positive so far.”

Meanwhile in Taos, which reached a high of about 77 degrees on Friday, the Rio Grande near John Dunn Bridge saw a healthy turnout of rivergoers for the first day of spring.

Scott Crowl, a 50-year resident of the area, was experiencing a complex mix of emotions as he donned a life jacket and prepared to put his kayak into the river near the bridge, where families waded in the water, fly-fishermen cast lines and a plein air painter sitting on the riverbank interpreted the scene.

“It’s great getting out here and getting back on the river,” he said. “But this is the driest I’ve ever seen it, much drier than last year, so it’s a concern.”

John Miller is the Albuquerque Journal’s northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.