NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A powerful storm system will bring widespread, damaging winds to New Mexico Wednesday. Rain and snow will also spread across parts of the state.

Stronger winds and more moisture will be moving into New Mexico through Wednesday. Scattered showers and mountain snow will fall in areas along and south of I-40 Tuesday. Winds will continue to be a little stronger Tuesday afternoon as well.

Forecast Continues Below

The biggest weather impact day will be on Wednesday as a powerful storm system crosses the state. Widespread wind gusts over 50 mph will be likely, with a swath of the state from the Bootheel to northeast New Mexico experiencing wind gusts anywhere from 60-80 mph by Wednesday afternoon. Some of the strongest winds will be across the Sacramento Mountains where 90 mph gusts will be possible. Widespread wind damage will be possible Wednesday, with areas of blowing dust and blowing snow.

Wednesday’s storm system will sweep a cold front across New Mexico beginning in the morning. Scattered rain and snow showers will develop along and behind this cold front as it moves into the Rio Grande Valley in the early afternoon. Snow is likely for much of western and northern New Mexico where near-blizzard conditions will be possible for some areas. We are likely to see a chance for rain in Albuquerque as the cold front blows through, with snow in the East Mountains.

Winds will die down Wednesday night, but we will still hang onto breezy conditions until the end of the week. A mix of rain and snow will continue mainly across the higher elevations of western and northern New Mexico through the end of the week as well. While temperatures take a dip with Wednesday’s storm. Warmer weather will return into the weekend before another storm brings back chances for rain, snow, and wind on Sunday.