Grab the shovel

Albuquerque could experience ‘whiteout conditions’

Winter storm hitting NM today could be a doozy, forecasters warn

A winter storm lumbering into New Mexico could bring enough snow and wind into Albuquerque today to create “whiteout conditions” — perhaps the heaviest snowstorm of the year, according to the National Weather Service.

And it could be even worse east of the city, as blizzardlike conditions are expected throughout eastern New Mexico and West Texas.

Brian Guyer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said drivers in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas should try to get their errands done early today. Snow should be falling by 3 p.m.

If you must travel, he said, make sure your car has an emergency safety kit, with supplies that include blankets, food and water. And travel in eastern New Mexico after sunset is discouraged.

Up to 20 inches of snow and snowdrifts of 6 feet are possible in the eastern part of the state. People should brace for power outages and heavy winds, Guyer said.

In Albuquerque, 5 to 8 inches of snow is expected, the most since February this year, when 8 inches fell. But that storm didn’t have the strong winds and low temperatures expected today, Guyer said.

“We can expect to see some drifting of snow and some whiteout conditions,” he said. “There are going to be waves of snowfall that come across the area.”

The snow is expected to hit Albuquerque this afternoon and continue through Sunday afternoon. The cold may stick around most of the week, leaving snow on the ground for quite some time, Guyer said.

In Albuquerque, he said, the Sandia foothills and the West Mesa may get the most snow, “but it looks like everyone’s going to get it this time.”

Santa Fe will face similar conditions, he said.

“Travel is going to become extremely difficult,” Guyer said.

A winter storm warning for Albuquerque will be in effect starting at noon.

As for eastern New Mexico, the weather service has issued a blizzard warning.

“It could be a historic snowfall event,” he said. “It’s going to be very bad across eastern New Mexico.”

Conditions won’t be so bad farther west, he said.

The storm is moving into New Mexico from Arizona.