Morning snow settles on the branches of this tree on Walnut Street in Los Alamos. Photo by Chris Clark/ladailypost.com
NWS News:
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE ISSUED FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE:
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS PASSING OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TODAY AND TONIGHT. EXPECT HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW THROUGH TONIGHT …
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WITH LESSER AMOUNTS OVER THE WESTERN HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION … STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW. FOR THE LATEST NEW MEXICO ROAD CONDITIONS CALL 511 OR VISIT NMROADS.COM.
AREAS INCLUDE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9,500 FEET/RED RIVER-SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9,500 FEET-EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA.
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST TUESDAY.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS … 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS…AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA. 8 TO 16 INCHES ARE LIKELY OVER THE SAN JUAN…SANGRE DE CRISTO AND JEMEZ MOUNTAINS…WHERE LOCALLY GREATER AMOUNTS UP TO TWO FEET ARE POSSIBLE ALONG WEST FACING SLOPES AND OVER THE PEAKS.
TIMING…SNOW COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS MORNING. PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW ARE EXPECTED TODAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL FAVOR THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO TONIGHT.
WINDS…WEST 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTH AT 25 TO 35 MPH OVER THE RATON RIDGE MONDAY NIGHT… WHILE SLOWLY DIMINISHING ELSEWHERE.
SNOW LEVELS…COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW AT ALL ELEVATIONS. * LOCAL IMPACTS…REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.
IN ADDITION…ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW PACKED AND ICY. WIND CHILLS WILL RANGE FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS TO UPPER TEENS 20S THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY.
ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
