NOAA News:The National Weather Service in Albuquerque would like to provide you with the latest information regarding an upcoming storm system.
Overview: A Pacific storm system will move toward the Baja Peninsula today, eventually turning toward New Mexico tonight and into Saturday.
Abundant subtropical moisture and relatively warm temperatures amidst southwesterly breezes will set the stage for fairly widespread swaths of rain and very high elevation snows, especially Saturday and Saturday evening.
A special web briefing has been posted at: http://go.usa.gov/4K9H
A Special Weather Statement has also been issued that outlines the threats with this impending storm system: http://go.usa.gov/4K9h
A Winter Storm Watch has also been issued for the northern mountains of New Mexico where elevations above 10,000 feet will likely receive abundant wet snowfall: http://go.usa.gov/4KX4
For the latest information, visit http://www.weather.gov/abq or http://mobile.weather.gov/
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 343 AM MST FRI JAN 25 2013 …SNOWY WEEKEND START FOR THE NORTHERN NEW MEXICO HIGH COUNTRY… .A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM MOVING RAPIDLY ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING COMBINED WITH COPIOUS MOISTURE WILL PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL OVER THE SUMMITS AND HIGHER SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS.
SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH THE WEEKEND…HEAVIEST SNOWFALLS WILL BE CONFINED TO AREAS ABOVE 10 THOUSAND FEET…WITH LESSER AMOUNTS OVER SLOPES ABOVE 7500 FEET. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF BUT NOT END ON SUNDAY…WITH MORE SNOW HEADED INTO THE AREA FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK.
NMZ510>514-252300- /O.CON.KABQ.WS.A.0001.130126T0700Z-130127T1300Z/ SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- 343 AM MST FRI JAN 25 2013 …WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT… A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. *
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…SIGNIFICANT SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ABOVE 10 THOUSAND FEET…WITH SOMEWHAT LESSER AMOUNTS DOWN TO 7500 FEET THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS ARE FORECAST FOR THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES OF THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. * TIMING…WET SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
MORE INTENSE PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF ON SUNDAY. * WINDS…NO SIGNIFICANT WINDS ARE EXPECTED. * SNOW LEVELS…SNOW LEVELS WILL HOVER BETWEEN 9000 AND 10000 FEET THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING…BEFORE LOWERING TO 7500 TO 8500 FEET BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. * LOCAL IMPACTS…WET SNOW ACCUMULATING ON TREES MAY BREAK BRANCHES OR DAMAGE POWER LINES.
WET SNOW ON STEEP SLOPES MAY SLIDE DOWNHILL AS SNOW ACCUMULATES. HIGH COUNTRY TRAVEL MAY BECOME DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE IN AREAS OF HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATION.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… REMEMBER…A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR A HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER EVENT IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ…LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR MEDIA OUTLETS.
