ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Tens of thousands of people in New Mexico were without power Thursday as the first major winter storm of the season moved across the northern two-thirds of the state of Colorado, bringing snow and high winds. forced to close schools and government offices.
Dozens of Public Service Co. crews of New Mexico were mobilized to address widespread outages reported overnight and in the early morning hours from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and beyond. The utility urged residents to be patient and said about 41,000 people were still affected by the outages.
“We know that every moment without power is frustrating,” the company said in messages to customers.
Schools in Santa Fe, Los Alamos and elsewhere in northern New Mexico canceled classes, while authorities warned people to stay off the roads. Crews were busy keeping major highways clear, but state police announced around noon that Interstate 25, just south of the Colorado border, was closed in both directions.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a blizzard warning for parts of the state and reported more than 100 vehicles stranded on highways in the northeastern corner of the state. Forecasters warned of “very dangerous driving conditions” made worse by poor visibility due to blowing snow.
Interstate 70 across Colorado's Eastern Plains was also closed as residents of that state braced for what some said could be the biggest November snowstorm in years to hit the Denver area. Some people reported Thursday that there was already more than 12 inches (35.56 centimeters) of snow on the ground.
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said extensive and widespread disruptions are expected as the storm moves through New Mexico and Colorado, dropping between 1 and 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow in some places within an hour.
Tonja Goode Ross said she would stay home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate instead of trying to brave the Corona-related “first real snow” of the season. This rural part of central New Mexico was transformed into a winter wonderland, the meadows blanketed in a thick layer of snow and the tree branches bent by the weight of fresh powder.
Nearly 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) of snow had fallen by early morning, and another 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters) fell within a two-hour period.
“Moisture is always a blessing here – whatever form it comes in,” she said.
The weather service warned that the storm could bring historic amounts of snow through Friday. More than 1.22 meters was expected in some parts. Snow drifts could reach heights of up to 6 feet (1.83 meters), making travel impossible — possibly for days, forecasters say.
