Trick or treat: cold weather to haunt New Mexico this week

Expect the weather to play a nasty trick on us for Halloween.

Enjoy the sunny fall weather while it lasts this weekend, because temperatures are expected to plummet beginning late Sunday, bringing what is likely to be the first freeze to Albuquerque and much of New Mexico.

The front will also bring a 40% chance of rain or light snow after 7 p.m. Sunday and into early Monday in the metro area and beyond.

Low temperatures are expected to haunt trick-or-treaters on Tuesday night. But precipitation and overcast skies are likely to clear out by Monday.

“Right now we’re forecasting freezing temperatures all throughout the city Sunday night,” said David Craft, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

“And if we don’t freeze Sunday night, we almost definitely will Monday night,” Craft said. “This system is bringing in enough cold air; it looks like probably the whole city will freeze Monday night if it hasn’t already done so Sunday night.”

Temperatures in Albuquerque are expected to plunge from a high of 53 on Sunday to a low of 26 on Sunday night.

Few parts of New Mexico will be spared from the cold air on Sunday night, with lows ranging from the upper teens to the mid-20s across most of the state.

Travel could become hazardous with a mix of rain and snow showers expected along the Interstate 25 corridor and across the eastern plains beginning Sunday night, with the heaviest snowfall expected at higher elevations.

A 20% chance of snow flurries is predicted early Monday in Albuquerque. Skies are expected to clear later in the day, but the cold will persist, with a low of 25 predicted for Monday night.

Trick-or-treaters are encouraged to bundle up under their costumes on Halloween night. Another big swing in temperatures is expected Tuesday, with a high of 57 dropping to a low of 25 that night.

Temperatures are expected to remain well below normal through Wednesday.

“The first half of the week is going to feel more fall-like, for sure — in fact, downright winter-like,” Craft said.