New Mexico
Emergency declared in New Mexico after early winter storm leaves thousands in the dark
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor declared an emergency Thursday after a powerful winter storm left tens of thousands of people without power as heavy snow, fierce winds and freezing temperatures marched across the northern two-thirds of the state and into Colorado.
Dozens of crews with Public Service Co. of New Mexico were mobilized to address widespread outages that had been reported overnight and in the early morning hours from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and beyond as the snow brought tree branches crashing down onto power lines.
The utility acknowledged frustrations and urged residents to be patient, saying there were about 19,000 people still affected by the outages Thursday evening. That was down from 50,000 earlier in the day.
“This really is an unprecedented storm in the fact that it came so earlier and so heavily while leaves were still on the trees. That has caused limbs to be much heavier that they would normally be,” PNM spokesman Jeff Buell said, adding that crews were dealing with hundreds of separate repair jobs in Albuquerque alone.
With more snow in the forecast, Buell said there could be additional outages into Friday.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s declaration unlocks state funding for emergency response efforts. Funding also will be funneled to the New Mexico National Guard, which has been helping to clear roads.
Schools in Santa Fe, Los Alamos and elsewhere across northern New Mexico canceled classes, while authorities warned people to stay off the roads. Plows were busy trying to keep major highways clear, but state police announced midday that Interstate 25 just south of the Colorado border was closed in both directions.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a blizzard warning for parts of the state and reported that more than 100 vehicles were stranded on highways in the state’s northeast corner. Forecasters warned of “very dangerous driving conditions” that were made worse by low visibility because of blowing snow.
Interstate 70 across Colorado’s Eastern Plains also was closed, as residents in that state braced for what some said could be the biggest snowstorm to hit the Denver area in November in years. Some people reported Thursday that they already had more than 14 inches (35.56 centimeters) of snow on the ground.
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said extensive and widespread disruptions could be expected as the storm moves through New Mexico and Colorado, dropping between 1 and 2 inches of snow within an hour in some spots.
Tonja Goode Ross said she would be staying home and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate instead of trying to brave what was the “first real snow” of the season for Corona. This rural part of central New Mexico was turned into a winter wonderland, its pastures covered by a thick blanket of snow and its tree branches bowing from the weight of fresh powder.
Almost a foot of snow had fallen by early morning and another 2.5 inches fell within a 2-hour period.
“Moisture is always a blessing here — no matter the form it comes in,” she said.
The weather service warned that the storm could bring historic amounts of snow through Friday. More than 4 feet (1.22 meter) was expected in some parts. Snow drifts could top 6 feet (1.83 meter), making some travel impossible — potentially for days, forecasters said.
In Albuquerque, city officials said the frigid temperatures and snowfall resulted in about 120 traffic crashes while the fire department answered more than 100 calls related to downed power lines and fallen trees.
Snow fell throughout much of the day Wednesday in the Front Range of Colorado. Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches have been seen along the I-25 cooridor from Denver to Colorado Springs. Localized snow amounts near a foot have also been reported.
Farther south, developed during Wednesday afternoon and has continued to fall this morning. Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches have also been reported around Santa Fe, N.M.
Moderate to occasionally heavy snow will continue to fall over portions of northern New Mexico into eastern Colorado today. Snow may briefly ease overnight tonight, but another burst of moderate to heavy snow will return for Friday and last into the day Saturday.
When all is said and done, snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet will be possible over the higher elevations of southern Colorado and far northern New Mexico.
An additional 2 to 5 inches of snow will fall across Denver, bringing storm totals to near or just over a foot. In Colorado Springs, Colo. additional snow amounts of 5 to 10 inches will drive snow accumulations to nearly 10 to 20 inches! Snow totals of 10 to 15 inches will be possible around Santa Fe, N.M.
Difficult travel conditions are expected throughout the region over the next few days due to the early season snow storm. As a result, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are found across large portions of Colorado and New Mexico as well as northwestern Kansas and parts of the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. This includes Colorado Springs, Colo., Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M., and Goodland, Kan.
It’s never too early to have a supply kit packed in case of inclement weather. A simple kit including a weather radio, water, blankets, batteries, and non-perishable food items will go a long way in the event of a power outage. It’s always best to avoid travel in rough weather as the roads will be dangerous.
A significant winter storm is currently making its way into New Mexico and will drop snow over large swaths of the state.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A significant winter storm is currently making its way into New Mexico and will drop snow over large swaths of the state, particularly for areas in and around the central mountain chain.
An east canyon wind will affect the Rio Grande Valley later Tuesday night, with up to 50 mph gusts possible.
On Thursday, large snowfall accumulations and blowing snow will create hazardous driving conditions and possible power outages over the northern part of the state.
Watch the video above for a live look at the winter conditions, or follow Meteorologist Brandon Richards.
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