Storm to bring snow, rain
One-two punch of precipitation is forecast; icy road conditions possible today
The weather system expected to scuff Northern New Mexico with snow late Monday and early Tuesday is part of a double-whammy. Jennifer Shoemake, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the second punch of the storm is likely to bring rain rather than snow near the end of the week due to warmer temperatures.
“It’s definitely a complicated system,” Shoemake said. “It does look like there could be more precipitation Thursday and Friday. We’re just uncertain as to who will have the best chances to see some of it.”
Shoemake said she expected about 6 to 12 inches of snow for areas above 7,500 feet in Northern New Mexico late Monday and Tuesday, while elevations below that mark should see between 2 and 6 inches. Winter storm warning advisories were issued from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains north to the Colorado border, as well as for the Jemez Mountains.
Forecasters said Santa Fe may see an inch of snow and perhaps 2 inches in the first storm, which could cause icy road conditions Tuesday morning. Winds from east winds are forecast for 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Santa Fe’s forecasted high Tuesday is 31.
“Winds won’t be as strong across the northern mountains, so there is less of a chance for blowing snow,” Shoemake said.
Windy conditions could, however, lead to blowing snow in the East Mountain region near Albuquerque, as the National Weather Service already issued a high-wind watch for the middle Rio Grande Valley region. The area is forecast see 30- to 40-mph winds with gusts as high as 60.
Temperatures in Santa Fe are forecast to warm into the 40s by Thursday, when Shoemake said the next round of precipitation should arrive.
Forecasts project a 20 to 30 percent chance of rain or snow showers starting Thursday night through Saturday.