Snow and Wind Storm Hits Los Alamos

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on April 27, 2014
- 3:01 am

A row of street cones in front of the new Smith’s Marketplace on Trinity Drive is blown over late today by the wind and snow storm that rocked Los Alamos. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Cloudy skies and blowing snow impact visibility at 6:30 p.m. today on Trinity Drive. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

NOAA News:

Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE, 8:11 PM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 … LATE SEASON SNOW FOR NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TONIGHT. A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM CROSSING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TONIGHT WILL BRING SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER TEMPERATURES AND LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE HIGH TERRAIN THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES…AND CREATE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. SNOW WILL END SUNDAY MORNING…BUT STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY CREATING AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.

SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9,500 FEET/RED RIVER-SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9,500 FEET – EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-8:11 PM MDT SAT APR 26 2014…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MDT SUNDAY…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MDT SUNDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE SAN JUAN…JEMEZ AND SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS…WHILE 1 TO 3 INCHES IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY. GREATEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ON WEST FACING SLOPES ABOVE 8,000 FEET.

* TIMING…SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF SUNDAY MORNING.

* WINDS…WEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN WHERE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW ARE EXPECTED WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY.

* SNOW LEVELS…TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW AT ALL LOCATIONS.

* LOCAL IMPACTS…SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITIES. ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW PACKED AND ICY WITH WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE RESTRICTED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW.

Wind Advisory

URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 8:51 PM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 …LONG DURATION STRONG TO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS FOR MUCH OF NEW MEXICO…

A POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE SWEEPING ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO THROUGH TONIGHT. WHILE STRONG WINDS ARE FORECAST AREA WIDE…THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS SUNDAY.

STRONG WINDS MAY EVEN PERSIST INTO MONDAY. THE STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WITH THE LIKELIHOOD FOR SIGNIFICANT VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN DUST PRONE AREAS. NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY- SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY

8:51 PM MDT SAT APR 26 2014 … WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT SUNDAY… WIND ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT SUNDAY. * LOCATION…LARGE PORTION OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO… INCLUDING THE ALBUQUERQUE AND SANTA FE METRO AREAS.

* WINDS…WEST NORTHWEST 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUST UP TO 55 MPH.

* TIMING…THOUGH WINDS WILL DECREASE SOME TONIGHT…WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN QUICKLY AGAIN LATE SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE TAPERING OFF SUNDAY EVENING.

* VISIBILITY…AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE LIKELY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED VISIBILITY LIMITATIONS BELOW 3 MILES.

LOCAL IMPACTS…DRIVERS OF VANS…CAMPERS…TRAILERS…AND OTHER HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG WINDS…ESPECIALLY ON NORTH TO SOUTH ORIENTED ROADS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY…MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING. SUDDEN GUSTS OF WIND MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE. EXTRA ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO CROSS WINDS.

The scene on Trinity Drive near Oppenheimer Drive. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com