URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
508 AM MST THU JAN 29 2015
...HEAVY SNOW EVENT COMING TO NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TONIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND....
.A SLOW MOVING PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM HEADING FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN ARIZONA WILL BRING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE TO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. ADDITIONALLY...A SURFACE COLD FRONT ARRIVING TODAY WILL COOL TEMPERATURES CONSIDERABLY. THE GREATEST IMPACTS FROM THIS LONG DURATION WINTER WEATHER EVENT WILL BE FELT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WHERE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WHETHER PRECIPITATION WILL BE MAINLY SNOW OR MAINLY RAIN AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. PRECIPITATION WILL COME TO AN END BY LATE SATURDAY AS THE STORM SHIFTS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO AND DRY AIR MOVES ACROSS THE STATE FROM THE NORTHWEST.
NMZ507-510>518-522>525-527-292300- /O.CON.KABQ.WS.A.0004.150130T1500Z-150201T0000Z/WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET-EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ESTANCIA VALLEY-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-508 AM MST THU JAN 29 2015
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...
A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 INCHES OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. SOME HIGHER PEAKS ABOVE 10000 FEET MAY SEE UPWARDS OF ONE FOOT OF FRESH SNOW ACCUMULATION. AMOUNTS OF 4 INCHES OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE AT LOWER ELEVATIONS...ESPECIALLY THE ESTANCIA VALLEY AND CENTRAL HIGHLANDS.
* TIMING...SNOW WILL START EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ON SATURDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF SATURDAY NIGHT.
* WINDS...EAST TO SOUTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH FRIDAY INTO THE SANTA FE METRO AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE JEMEZ OTHERWISE LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED.
* SNOW LEVELS...SNOW LEVELS WILL FLUCTUATE...RISING TO NEAR 6500 FEET DURING THE AFTERNOONS...AND FALLING BACK TO NEAR 5000 FEET DURING THE LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS.
* LOCAL IMPACTS...HEAVY WET SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE ON ROADWAYS... ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS...MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE OVER SOME MOUNTAIN PASSES AND OTHER HIGH ELEVATION ROADS. THE HEAVY WET SNOW COULD COMPROMISE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF SOME ROOF TOPS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
REMEMBER...A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR A HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER EVENT IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ...LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET.