A strong storm will move into New Mexico Thursday. High winds will cause blowing dust and a high fire danger Thursday with rain and snow moving through the state Friday and Saturday.
It is the calm before the storm Wednesday across New Mexico. Temperatures are warmer today with light winds for most. That will change on Thursday as high winds will return. Southwest winds will pick up through the afternoon with wind gusts anywhere from 30 to 65 mph. This could be a repeat of what we saw on Monday with areas of blowing dust and a very high fire danger. Isolated rain and mountain snow showers will move into western and northern New Mexico though, along with southern Colorado. Winds will die down Thursday night as the rain and snow ends.
The second wave of the storm system moves into the state Friday morning. Winds will be breezy to windy in southern New Mexico as rain and snow moves into the western half of the state. Rain and snow will continue to move east across New Mexico through Friday afternoon and evening, bringing rain chances to the Albuquerque Metro. Snow will fall as low as 7,000′ Friday evening in western and northern New Mexico. Much colder air will move in with this storm Friday night, dropping snow levels down to the lower elevations. This will bring a chance for light snow to the Albuquerque Metro by Saturday morning. Heavier snow will fall in the northern mountains and in east-central and northeast New Mexico. Spotty rain showers and likely in southern New Mexico by Saturday afternoon as the storm clears out of the state by Saturday night…