New Mexico’s governor declared an emergency on Thursday after a powerful winter storm left tens of thousands of residents without power as heavy snow, fierce winds, and freezing temperatures swept across the northern two-thirds of the state and into Colorado. Dozens of crews with the Public Service Company of New Mexico were mobilized to address widespread outages reported overnight and early in the morning, stretching from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and beyond, as snow brought tree branches crashing down onto power lines.
The utility acknowledged the frustrations of the affected residents and urged patience, noting that approximately 19,000 people were still experiencing outages by Thursday evening—down from 50,000 earlier in the day. “This is really an unprecedented storm in the fact that it came so early and so heavily while leaves were still on the trees. That has caused limbs to be much heavier than they would normally be,” stated PNM spokesman Jeff Buell, adding that crews were dealing with hundreds of separate repair jobs in Albuquerque alone.
With more snow in the forecast, Buell warned that additional outages could occur into Friday. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s declaration unlocks state funding for emergency response efforts, which will also be directed to the New Mexico National Guard, helping to clear the roads.
Schools in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and other areas across northern New Mexico canceled classes, while authorities warned residents to stay off the roads. Plows worked tirelessly to keep major highways clear, but state police announced midday 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 that more than 100 vehicles were stranded on highways in the state’s northeast corner. Forecasters warned of “very dangerous driving conditions” exacerbated by low visibility due to blowing snow.
Interstate 70 across Colorado’s Eastern Plains was also closed, as residents prepared for what some predicted could be the biggest snowstorm to hit the Denver area in November in years. By Thursday, some areas already recorded more than 14 inches of snow on the ground.
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center indicated that extensive and widespread disruptions were expected as the storm moved through New Mexico and Colorado, dropping between 1 and 2 inches of snow per hour in some locations.
Tonja Goode Ross decided to stay home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate instead of braving what she called the “first real snow” of the season in Corona. The rural part of central New Mexico transformed into a winter wonderland, with pastures covered by a thick blanket of snow and tree branches bowing under the weight of fresh powder. Nearly a foot of snow had fallen by early morning, with another 2.5 inches accumulating within a two-hour period. “Moisture is always a blessing here—no matter the form it comes in,” she remarked.
The weather service cautioned that the storm could bring historic amounts of snow through Friday, with more than 4 feet expected in some areas. Snowdrifts could exceed 6 feet, making travel impossible for potentially several days, forecasters warned.
In Albuquerque, city officials reported frigid temperatures and snowfall resulting in around 120 traffic crashes, while the fire department responded to over 100 calls related to downed power lines and fallen trees.
