“New Mexico Faces Dangerous Winter Storm: Up to 44 Inches of Snow Expected”
A major winter storm is heading into New Mexico on Wednesday, expected to bring significant and potentially extreme impacts through Friday. This early-season storm will result in feet of snow across the state, with certain areas experiencing hazardous conditions.
The storm is intensifying as it moves into New Mexico, and snow will begin to accumulate heavily across the region by Wednesday night. The East Mountains, Santa Rosa, northern mountains including Los Alamos, and the I-25 corridor from Santa Fe to Colorado will bear the brunt of the snowfall initially. As a strong cold front moves south and west, these areas will see the heaviest snowfall, with the possibility of near-zero visibility and strong winds that could lead to near-blizzard conditions. Western New Mexico, particularly along I-40, will also face travel disruptions due to snow overnight.
In Albuquerque, the weather will be less severe initially, but a strong east canyon wind could cause gusts of up to 50 mph, leading to the well-known “Albuquerque Snow Hole,” where much of the city may remain snow-free until Thursday night. However, areas like the Foothills, West Mesa, and Rio Rancho could receive between 2-6 inches of snow, with a trace to 4 inches expected in the Albuquerque metro area through Friday night.
By Thursday, the storm’s impacts will become more widespread, with heavy snow continuing to fall across northern, northeastern, and east-central New Mexico. Major to extreme snowfall is expected along I-25 from Santa Fe to Colorado, the East Mountains, and the I-40 corridor from Tijeras to Santa Rosa. These areas will likely see road closures and hazardous travel conditions, along with the potential for power outages due to the wet, heavy snow. Roof collapses are even a concern due to the weight of the snow.
The storm will linger in New Mexico through Friday, with snow intensity easing, but snow will continue to fall, resulting in ongoing impacts across the state. The storm is expected to slowly move out of the state by Friday night.
Once the storm has passed, significant snow accumulation is expected. Las Vegas, New Mexico, could receive as much as 44 inches of snow, and parts of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains may accumulate over 4 feet. Snow totals of up to 2 feet are possible in the Sandias, Manzanos, Jemez, and San Juan Mountains, while areas like Clines Corners, Raton, and northeastern New Mexico could see more than 2 feet of snow. Santa Fe and the Upper Rio Grande Valley will also likely see several inches to over a foot of snow, and some regions could break snowfall records.
This is a serious storm that will have life-threatening impacts for some areas. As conditions improve, quieter weather will return by the weekend, with drier conditions expected to persist into next week. Temperatures will also begin to warm slowly as the storm moves out.
