Traveling to Ruidoso this weekend? Snow results in icy roads

Winter weather conditions in New Mexico resulted in a few road closures and travel warnings in Ruidoso where 12 inches of snow reportedly fell Jan. 5.

As commuters travel in Otero and Lincoln counties this weekend, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque advised caution if traveling through the Tularosa Valley and Sacramento Mountains as roads may be packed with snow and become icy.

The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement on its website for Ruidoso and Cloudcroft.

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“Road conditions can deteriorate very quickly, and slippery conditions on mountain roads can become dangerous. Checking NMRoads.com is a good way to determine if you are able to travel that day as well,” Lincoln National Forest Public Affairs Officer Amanda Fry said.

Anyone traveling between Ruidoso and Alto may also have difficulty driving and should take extra precautions from mile marker 0 to marker 12, according to the New Mexico roads website.

New Mexico Department of Transportation crews plowed and salted roadways on Thursday and Friday. As crew members continue work travelers are urged to reduce speeds.

“Not only can the road conditions be slippery and snowy, but cell reception is also not always the best in those areas. If there are alerts warning against travel, please listen to those, and be sure to check before you head out,” Fry said.

Ruidoso has received a significant amount of snowfall over the last 24 hours as Ski Apache has reported 12 inches of snow.

“The roads are heavily drifted and icy, with several vehicles stuck from the previous night’s challenging weather conditions. Our team will continue monitoring and assessing the situation closely,” according to its website. “Please monitor the Ski Apache Facebook page for the latest updates.”

Fry suggested keeping an emergency kit handy along with snow chains for anyone visiting Ruidoso and Cloudcroft.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter at @Juan36Corr.