Urgent Winter Storm Warning: Timeline, Impact Map, and 7 Essentials to Stay Safe

Key Points at a Glance • National Weather Service winter storm warnings and watches stretch from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico to the central Rockies. • Totals of 8–14 inches are possible above 9,500 ft in northern New Mexico, with localized 20-inch amounts in Colorado’s high peaks. • Travel on I-25 over Raton Pass and US-285 near the Collegiate Peaks could become “very difficult” late Thursday into Friday. • Arctic air following the storm will drop highs 20–30 °F below normal across parts of the South. Late-Season Snow Surge Targets the Southwest and Rockies Winter refuses to quit as a potent Pacific system dives into the Four Corners on Thursday. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Johnson & Bartlett Mesas, effective 6 a.m. Thursday through 6 p.m. Friday. Forecasters expect 8–14 inches above 9,500 ft, with 3–8 inches down to 7,500 ft, and white-out conditions at times. Colorado’s central and southern ranges—including the Sawatch and San Juans—are next in line. Models show upslope flow wringing out up to 20 inches on west-facing slopes, especially Thursday night. Farther north, Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains could see 6–10 inches, adding to an already above-average snowpack. Storm Timeline • Thursday A.M.: Snow begins above 9,000 ft in northern NM; rain/snow mix elsewhere. • Thursday night–Friday morning: Heaviest snow; travel likely shuts down over Raton Pass and US-160 Wolf Creek Pass. • Friday afternoon: Snow tapers; strong north winds create blowing snow and single-digit wind chills at elevation. • Saturday: Cold high pressure settles in; frost and freeze alerts likely as far south as the Texas Hill Country. Travel and Infrastructure Impacts • Interstate hot spots: I-25 (Raton Pass), I-70 (Eisenhower Tunnel), US-550 (Red Mountain Pass). • Expect chain controls, scattered power outages from heavy, wet snow, and flight delays at Denver International during peak snowfall. • Ski areas still open could pick up well over a foot, extending spring operations. Cold Wave Follows the Snow Behind the storm, a Canadian air mass will plunge southward. Daytime temperatures will struggle to leave the 40s in Dallas and Birmingham—20–30 degrees below late-April averages—and could challenge daily cold-maximum records, according to AccuWeather meteorologists quoted in the latest briefing. How to Prepare 1. Re-stock winter car kits: blankets, traction sand, and phone chargers. 2. Delay high-mountain travel until Saturday afternoon. 3. Protect budding fruit trees and early gardens across the southern Plains; hard freezes are possible Friday night. 4. Monitor NOAA Weather Radio and local NWS offices for updated warning expansions. Stay Informed Forecast confidence is high for significant snow in the high terrain but moderate regarding exact low-elevation impacts. Check the latest advisories and real-time radar before heading out, and enable wireless emergency alerts to receive instant updates when new winter storm warnings are issued.