New Mexico

Advocates want New Mexico to track climate change’s impact on public health • Source New Mexico

Published

12 months ago

January 10, 2025

Advocates want New Mexico to track climate change’s impact on public health • Source New Mexico

Health care advocates and officials will renew efforts to track harm to New Mexicans’ health from climate disasters in the forthcoming legislative session.

Healthy Climate New Mexico, a nonprofit collective of health care professionals concerned about climate change, and nine other groups back two proposals to improve preparedness and adaptation to extreme weather driven by human-caused climate change.

The first would beef up a climate health program at New Mexico Department of Health to track health impacts from heat, wildfire smoke, drought, flooding, dust and severe storms. The second is a proposal to offer grant funds for local and tribal governments to better respond to weather disasters.

“Our bills are focused on adaptation and resilience, preparedness and collecting data, which is essential in really knowing who’s at highest risk and where the solutions need to be applied, said Shelley Mann-Lev, the nonprofit’s executive director, who has decades of public health experience in New Mexico.

Both require state funds. First, there’s $1.1 million for a climate health program to fund additional staff for the Department of Health; implement more warning systems; and increase communication between the department, the public and other state agencies.

The request for the Extreme Weather Resilience Fund would be $12 million. Advocates have said they’ll introduce two bills with sponsors in both the House and Senate, but neither was filed as of Friday, Jan. 10.

This would be the third time similar proposals have been brought before lawmakers, and Mann-Lev said there’s been increased support from both the governor’s office and members of the legislature.

A spokesperson from the New Mexico Department of Health declined to comment, saying it’s policy to not speak about legislation proposed by outside groups. A spokesperson from the governor’s office declined to comment since the bills have not been formally introduced.

Sen. Liz Stefanics (D-Cerillos), who plans to sponsor the Senate legislation, and has introduced it before, said there seems to be more momentum and concern around the issues.

‘Beyond the body counts’

Other groups supporting the bill include Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, New Mexico Voices for children, four public health groups, including the American Lung Association, and two climate organizations.

Advocates note that climate disasters already harm and kill New Mexicans. Deaths and injuries from extreme heat are rising; floods across the state, including Roswell, raise concerns for mold development; smoke from wildfires harms lungs, especially for children and the elderly.

Preventable heat injuries and deaths rising in New Mexico

Stephanie Moraga-McHaley ran the environment health tracking program at the New Mexico Department of Health until her retirement in 2024. She supports the bill because it could expand the current program, which tracks the raw numbers of deaths and injuries.

“There’s just so much that needs to be done besides the body counts,” said Stephanie Moraga-McHaley, who retired from the health agency in March. “We need to get some action in place, some coordination with other departments and communities in need.”

Current numbers of impacted people are an undercount, said Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, a Healthy Climate New Mexico board member and public health researcher.

Matthews-Trigg said New Mexico health officials have made improvements in tracking the number of heat injuries and deaths – which are difficult numbers to pin down – but there needs to be more funding and staff on board.

“We know from emergency department visits that they’re increasing dramatically due to extreme heat,” Matthews-Trigg said. “But, we also know how we’re tracking these is really just giving us a sliver of the actual impact of heat on our communities and on health.”

He said climate disasters pose the “greatest public health threat in our lifetimes,” and warned that impacts will only worsen if heating from fossil fuel emissions doesn’t slow.

“It’s not going to go away,” he said. “And we’re flying blind, without the surveillance.”

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New Mexico

The Roundhouse Report: Bernie Sanders praises New Mexico

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36 minutes ago

January 4, 2026

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The Roundhouse Report: Bernie Sanders praises New Mexico

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New Mexico

Blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings in effect for parts of New Mexico

Published

6 days ago

December 29, 2025

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Blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings in effect for parts of New Mexico

Southeastern New Mexico will see some snow while other places will generally see cooler, more winter-like temperatures. See the latest conditions at KOB.com/Weather.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Some notable cities in New Mexico could see multiple inches of snow, along with possible wind and cooler temperatures Sunday into Monday.

There is going to be snow across the southeast. A winter storm advisory is in effect all throughout areas like Ruidoso and out toward the Texas state line. A winter storm warning for Carlsbad and even a blizzard warning for the Guadalupe Mountains. These advisories and warnings indicate it’s going to continue until Monday at 6 p.m.

How much snow might there be? Ruidoso could see a few inches, along with other higher-elevation areas. Carlsbad might even see as much as two inches and Roswell has a very good chance of snow.

Wind gusts ranged from 23 mph for Hobbs and Clovis, 25 in Santa Rosa and similar readings in other places. Temperatures could hit sub-freezing temperatures in places like Ruidoso, Roswell, Carlsbad and Hobbs. Meanwhile, Gallup and Grants could get into the single-digits. Plus, places like Albuquerque and Santa Fe will be in the 20s but the big “winner” is Alamosa, Colorado, with 2 degrees.

Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.

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New Mexico

New Mexico Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Day results for Dec. 27, 2025

Published

7 days ago

December 28, 2025

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The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 27, 2025, results for each game:

Powerball

05-20-34-39-62, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Day: 4-1-4

Evening: 3-8-4

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Lotto America

08-10-20-47-50, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Evening: 6-9-5-0

Day: 4-9-4-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Roadrunner Cash

03-21-24-33-37

Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball Double Play

13-22-33-61-62, Powerball: 20

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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