Introduction
Mexico is gearing up for a weekend of diverse weather conditions, with the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) issuing warnings about a range of weather phenomena affecting the country. Frigid temperatures, heavy rainfall, and strong winds are expected in various regions.
Friday, December 19: Heavy Rainfall and Strong Winds
Today, the southeastern parts of Mexico face the highest risk due to intense rainfall.
- Intense rainfall (75 to 150 mm): Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and Chiapas.
- Very strong rainfall (50 to 75 mm): Oaxaca.
- Strong rainfall (25 to 50 mm): Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
- Chubascos y lluvias aisladas: Guerrero, Puebla, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Estado de México, and Ciudad de México.
The Mexico City Secretariat for Integral Risk Management and Civil Protection reported that today’s weather will be temperate to warm with mostly clear skies but a low probability of rain. Strong winds and high waves are expected in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca and Chiapas), with wind speeds reaching up to 80 km/h, and waves up to 3 meters.
Temperatures will be particularly high along the Pacific coast, with maximum temperatures reaching up to 40 °C in Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. Conversely, the mountainous regions of Chihuahua and Durango will see temperatures drop as low as -10 °C.
Saturday, December 20: Cold Mornings Amid Warm Afternoons
By Saturday, the cold front will have moved out of Mexico, allowing temperatures to rise during the afternoon in most of the northern and western regions.
- Strong rainfall: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Quintana Roo.
- Isolated rainfall: Estado de México, Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, Hidalgo, Puebla, and Tlaxcala.
The Mexico City metropolitan area can expect a very cold morning, with temperatures dropping to -5 to 0 °C in the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, and Puebla.
Minimum temperatures are expected to range from 0 to 5 °C in the mountainous areas of the CDMX, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Oaxaca.
Sunday, December 21: New Storms in the East
New low-pressure systems will reactivate heavy rainfall before a new cold front approaches from the northwest next Tuesday.
- Very strong rainfall: Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Chiapas.
- Strong rainfall: San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
- Isolated rainfall: Nuevo León, Estado de México, Ciudad de México, Tlaxcala, Morelos, and Guerrero.
Strong winds are expected in the north, with gusts reaching up to 50 km/h in Nuevo León and Tamaulipas due to southern winds.
Temperatures will be particularly warm along the coast, with maximum temperatures reaching 35 to 40 °C in Sinaloa. The rest of the country will experience temperate afternoons, ranging from 30 to 35 °C in coastal and northwestern areas.
Yellow and Orange Alerts Issued for CDMX
The Mexico City Secretariat for Integral Risk Management and Civil Protection activated the yellow alert for forecasted low temperatures overnight and on Saturday in the following alcaldías: Álvaro Obregón, Cuajimalpa, Magdalena Contreras, Milpa Alta, and Xochimilco.
Additionally, an orange alert was issued for forecasted low temperatures overnight and on December 20 in the Tlalpan alcaldía.
Key Questions and Answers
- What weather conditions can we expect this weekend in Mexico? A mix of extreme temperatures, heavy rainfall, and strong winds will affect various regions across Mexico.
- Which areas are most at risk for intense rainfall on Friday? The southeastern states of Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo are at risk for intense to very strong rainfall.
- How will temperatures vary throughout the weekend? Warm afternoons are expected in northern and western regions on Saturday following a cold front, while coastal areas along the Pacific will remain hot with maximum temperatures up to 40 °C. Cold mornings are forecasted for central and eastern Mexico, with minimum temperatures dropping as low as -10 °C in mountainous regions.
- What alerts have been issued for the Mexico City metropolitan area? The yellow alert for low temperatures has been issued for Álvaro Obregón, Cuajimalpa, Magdalena Contreras, Milpa Alta, and Xochimilco alcaldías overnight and on Saturday. An orange alert for low temperatures has been issued for the Tlalpan alcaldía overnight and on December 20.
