Weather
New Mexico Severe Thunderstorm Watch Oct 23: 27 Counties Alerted
Albuquerque, NM – A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect across 27 New Mexico counties Friday afternoon and evening, placing communities from Albuquerque and Santa Fe to southern and western portion
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-10-23T19:53:47.525Z
Albuquerque, NM – A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect across 27 New Mexico counties Friday afternoon and evening, placing communities from Albuquerque and Santa Fe to southern and western portions of the state under an increased threat of severe weather.
According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, Severe Thunderstorm Watch 696 was issued at 12:55 p.m. MDT Friday, October 23, and remains in effect until 9 p.m. MDT.
The watch covers a large portion of New Mexico, including Bernalillo County, home to Albuquerque, and Santa Fe County, along with communities across northern, central, eastern, western and southern sections of the state.
Which New Mexico Counties Are Under the Watch? The 27 counties included in the watch are:
Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, De Baca, Doña Ana, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe, San Juan, San Miguel, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance and Valencia.
The broad coverage means residents in multiple regions should monitor weather conditions throughout Friday afternoon and into the evening.
What Residents Should Know Before Tonight A severe thunderstorm watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms to develop within or near the designated area. It does not mean every community will experience severe weather.
Severe thunderstorms can produce damaging winds, large hail and dangerous lightning. Heavy rainfall may also reduce visibility and create hazardous driving conditions.
Drivers traveling through affected counties should remain alert for rapidly changing weather, particularly along major routes including Interstate 25 and Interstate 40.
Residents are encouraged to secure loose outdoor items, keep weather alerts enabled on mobile devices and identify a safe indoor location if thunderstorms approach.
If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued for a specific community, residents should move indoors and stay away from windows.
The current watch is scheduled to expire at 9 p.m. MDT Friday, although the National Weather Service may update or modify the watch as conditions change.