FYI: If planning to travel through New Mexico Friday through this weekend, info from the National Weather Service, Albuquerque, N.M.

 

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
THU MAR 7 2013

ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-
CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY-
EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-
EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY-
JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER-
NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY-
RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-
SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA-
SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY-
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-
UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-
THU MAR 7 2013

…UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR NEW MEXICO FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND…

A POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM CALIFORNIA WILL
TREND OUR WARM AND SUNNY WEATHER TODAY TO AN UNSETTLED PATTERN FRIDAY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS WITH A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP FROM WEST TO EAST FRIDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL
HOVER AROUND 8500 FEET THROUGH FRIDAY. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH
GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL ALSO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF NEW MEXICO
FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL TURN TO ALL SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST FRIDAY
EVENING AS MUCH COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE REGION. THE GREATEST
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ALONG THE
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ MOUNTAINS.

VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE THEN POSSIBLE SATURDAY AS THE MAIN CORE OF
THE WINTER STORM SYSTEM PULLS NORTHEAST INTO THE PLAINS STATES. THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR WESTERLY WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH FOR MANY AREAS
OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO SATURDAY ALONG WITH AREAS OF BLOWING DUST. SNOW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN NEW
MEXICO SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS A SECONDARY UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
SHIFTS SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE.

THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS…OR PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS NEW MEXICO FROM
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND
WEATHER STATEMENTS. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION TUNE IN TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO…GO ONLINE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ…AND STAY INFORMED WITH
YOUR LOCAL BROADCAST AND PRINT MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.

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