November 4 – Let it rain and snow, New Mexico.
Early November brought a dramatic change from the unusual heat that October had to offer. Storm systems in New Mexico could bring small snow showers in some parts of the state to several inches of snow in other places, such as the East Mountains.
Sandia Crest Road was closed in both directions late Monday afternoon due to snowy and slick roads, according to a social media post from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
“Avoid this area as no through traffic is allowed,” the post said. “Drive slowly and pay attention to road conditions.”
BCSO spokesperson Jayme Gonzales told the Journal she wasn’t sure how far the closure on Sandia Crest Road would go, “but we are blocking both lanes at the base” and that the road’s reopening would be “weather dependent.”
According to the Albuquerque National Weather Service, the area was forecast to receive 1 to 2 inches of snow.
Meanwhile, more bad weather is forecast to hit the metropolitan area.
“As we move into Wednesday, we will see another storm moving in from the northwest and developing over New Mexico, bringing potentially extended periods of snow and wind to our area,” said Brian Guyer, National Weather Service. from the Albuquerque meteorologist. “Thursday and Thursday evening it looks like it could potentially be a major winter storm, especially for the mountains, and we could be looking at snowfall (up to our feet) in the mountains.”
Places around the state like Magdalena, Bloomfield and Las Vegas are already starting to feel the effects of the snow, with schools and county courts experiencing delays or closures Monday. Interstate 25 near Raton also had a road closure. Northbound lanes near the Colorado border were closed due to poor visibility. US Highway 64 from Raton to Clayton was also closed.
A winter weather advisory has been issued for areas around Gallup, Grants, Las Vegas, Clayton and Ruidoso.
In the Albuquerque metro area, people can expect more rain than snow, with a 70% chance of precipitation over the weekend.
First, Election Day will provide a break from bad weather, allowing voters to participate in the vote without worrying about harsh weather-related travel conditions. In Albuquerque, the high will reach 56 degrees on Tuesday, but is unlikely to exceed 40 degrees for the rest of the week.
“We had high pressure above us for most of October, and now we have the entire West under low pressure,” Guyer said. “Everything turned 180 degrees and that’s not unusual.”
Areas such as the Jemez Mountains, the Sandia Mountains, the Sangre De Cristo Mountains and I-40 east of Albuquerque can expect the worst snow conditions, leading to “road closures and things like that,” Guyer said.
Saturday will bring slightly warmer weather, with temperatures just high enough to melt the snow that fell earlier in the week.
“In the mountains it would probably take some time,” Guyer said.
Temperatures are expected to remain low for the rest of November, with another potential storm next week.
“It looks like our active weather pattern will continue,” Guyer said. “I don’t think we’ll see another warming like we did in October. This is a shock after a long summer and now we have snow.”
Gregory RC Hasman contributed to the story.
