Winter Storm Warning

...MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT MUCH OF NEW MEXICO WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... .A VIGOROUS PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM AND A STRONG HIGH PLAINS COLD FRONT WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE A MIX OF WINTRY WEATHER ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RESULT ACROSS MANY AREAS WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE FAR WEST. THE FAVORED AREAS WILL BE FOUND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS FROM ANGEL FIRE TO RUIDOSO AS WELL AS ALONG INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN TIJERAS AND TUCUMCARI. THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS AND LOS ALAMOS AREA WILL ALSO RECEIVE HEAVY SNOWFALL. A MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION SUCH AS RAIN/SLEET AND SNOW WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PLAINS LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING BUT QUICKLY TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW BY THE AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP QUICKLY THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM GRADUALLY EXITS TO THE EAST. THUS LOOK FOR ENHANCED FREEZING OF THE WET AND SLUSHIER SNOW ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS FRIDAY MORNING. BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE AT TIMES DURING THE EVENT PERIOD WITH STRONG EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THE GAPS FOUND WITHIN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AS WELL AS ACCOMPANYING THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...LOOK FOR 4 TO 8 INCH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BELOW 7500 FEET AND 8 TO 13 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET. * TIMING...SNOWFALL WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND REMAIN HEAVY AT TIMES ON THURSDAY. DIMINISHING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT. * WINDS...STRONGER EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY GAP WINDS WILL BE FOUND ALONG HIGHWAY 550 SOUTH OF CUBA LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. ELSEWHERE SIGNIFICANT WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED. * SNOW LEVELS...RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW WILL OCCUR BELOW 6500 FEET THIS EVENING BUT LOOK FOR SNOW LEVELS TO DROP TO THE VALLEY FLOOR LATE TONIGHT AND REMAIN THAT WAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENT PERIOD. * LOCAL IMPACTS...SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE IMPACTS TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. THIS INCLUDES THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND LAGUNA PUEBLO AS WELL AS HIGHWAYS 550 AND 60.