Blasts of rain, snow in forecast

New Mexicans should brace for a “one-two punch” of rain and snowstorms this week.

The snow will likely stick to the higher mountain elevations, but residents elsewhere should see only a dusting of snow, said Jennifer Shoemake, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

“Both storms will impact the majority of the state,” she said Tuesday. “The entire duration impact of the two storms will be on the order of 48 to 60 hours. The first storm will move by quickly, but the second may linger a bit.”

The first storm was expected to move in early Wednesday morning from the Pacific Coast, bringing up to a quarter-inch of rain to some areas, including possibly Santa Fe.

The second system, working its way down from the Pacific Northwest, will move in late Wednesday night.

Precipitation from that storm will mostly be rain, Shoemake said, but “some areas of the northern mountains could see anywhere from a couple of inches to well over a foot.”

She said Santa Fe “could see a few flakes” from the second storm.

Temperatures through the week should be in the low 40s to about 50 during the day, Shoemake said, but drop to below freezing overnight.

The weekend “looks quiet and dry,” she said, with temperatures slowly rebounding but still probably not topping 50 degrees either day.

Shoemake said there’s a third storm system “looking at us” for a possible hit Monday or Tuesday, which could bring more rain or snow.

“It’s looking unsettled through the early part of next week, so for those traveling, that’s something to keep an eye on,” she said.