NMHealth, formerly the department of health, announced a cold weather health advisory Wednesday for the majority of the state. The warning comes with the entrance of a historic winter storm system into the Land of Enchantment.
There have already been almost 100 people in New Mexico who’ve gone to the emergency room for cold weather related reasons since the beginning of October , which includes issues like frostbite, hypothermia, and more, according to the state.
Carter Greulich, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said the storm will likely move out of the state on Friday, but not before dropping heavy amounts of snow
“We're looking at snow totals specifically in the Santa Fe area, we're looking at potentially up to a foot of snow. About eight to 12 inches is a good range for forecasting for pretty much around that area,” he said. “The Albuquerque area gets a little bit more dramatic when it comes to the snow differences down in the valleys and kind of the heights and whatnot.”
In Albuquerque’s valleys there may only be an inch or two of snow, Greulich said, but the foothills and west mesa might see six to eight inches, and the Sangre De Christo mountains could see up to four feet of snow.
Temperatures will drop to the upper 20s tonight, lower 20s tomorrow night and potentially colder from there.
“Because we're going to have a good amount of snow on the ground, temperatures are not going to be able to rebound,” he said. “So we're actually maybe seeing the coldest low temperatures after the snow has pretty much fallen. Because we'll have that kind of a clear night less room for that snow to melt, so it's going to continue to drive down those low temperatures.”
The City of Santa Fe activated its Code Blue Wednesday afternoon. This directs city departments in operations designed to prevent injury and death from cold exposure among people who are unhoused.
NM Health recommends limiting outdoor exposure, dressing for the cold, stocking up on batteries and flashlights and preparing for potential power outages, and protecting pets and vulnerable loved ones.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
