NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A powerful spring storm will likely bring a snow squall to parts of New Mexico tonight. High winds will continue to pick up through Friday morning with possible wind damage, blowing dust, and high fire danger.
Windier weather has started moving into New Mexico Thursday afternoon with southwest winds gusting to as high as 50 mph across parts of the state. These winds will only continue to increase overnight as a strong storm system moves in. A line of rain and snow will start moving into western New Mexico by 8 p.m. This will likely form what’s called a snow squall, or a line of intense and heavy snowfall that could cause brief whiteout conditions and dangerous driving conditions too. This line of rain and snow will move east across the western half of the state and eventually into the Rio Grande Valley around midnight. With warmer temperatures in the valley, snow will switch over to rain below 6,500′. The line of rain and snow will fall apart as it moves into eastern New Mexico.
By Friday morning, only a few light snow showers will continue across northern New Mexico. Winds will be the bigger story. Westerly winds could gust as high as 80 mph between late tonight and early Friday afternoon across eastern New Mexico. Up to 55 mph gusts are likely elsewhere across the state. These winds could bring some of the worst blowing dust storms we’ve seen so far this year, along with potential wind damage, power outages, and a very high fire danger. Areas of blowing snow and near blizzard conditions will also be possible where snow falls tonight. Winds will slowly die down through Friday night…