Winter slaps New Mexico
More cold, snow in the forecast

A fresh blanket of snow in Gallup left hundreds of truck drivers and travelers stranded Tuesday morning as officials closed I-40 from Gallup to Albuquerque due to icy driving conditions. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

Independent Staff and
The Associated Press

GALLUP — The winter weather that brought traffic on the state's major interstates to a halt was expected to bring more snow and cold temperatures before leaving New Mexico.

A winter storm warning was in effect for northern and central parts of the state early today, and forecasters with the National Weather Service said snow showers would be wrapped around the trailing edge of the storm perhaps through Thursday.

Roads around the state were snowpacked and icy, and authorities warned people to stay indoors if possible. Numerous schools were on a delayed schedule and others were closed.

Areas around Gallup received four to seven inches of snow, while areas around Grants reported as much as 16 inches.

Interstate 40 was closed much of Tuesday morning from Gallup to Albuquerque, forcing travelers to stay in Gallup and Grants. Truckers lined the interstate and Route 66 near Gallup for much of the morning waiting for an opportunity to travel east. However, their journeys was shortlived.

By late Tuesday, authorities decided to close eastbound Interstate 40 to the Texas state line and Texas authorities closed the westbound lanes from Amarillo to the state line.

New Mexico State Police Lt. Rick Anglada said local traffic on I-40 was being allowed onto the frontage road just east of Albuquerque, but interstate travelers had to stay in town until the dicey conditions improved.

Local law enforcement agencies and dispatchers were busy responding to a number of minor accidents. In addition to several jack-knifed trucks that forced the closure of I-40, police also responded to reports of:

A semi stuck beneath an overpass on East Highway 66;

• A sheriff's deputy who hit a barricade on Route 11 near Pinedale (no injuries); and
  
  
• A truck that backed into a light pole on U.S. 491. Depsite an initial report of injuries, no one in the vehicle was transported.
  
  
• At Albuquerque's airport, crews had worked for much of the day Tuesday to keep the snow off the runways. Spokesman Daniel Jiron said Mother Nature offered no help.

"We had about an inch an hour," he said, noting that by the time a plow got to the end of a runway it had to start all over again.

It was several hours before airport officials decided the weather was favorable enough to resume inbound and outbound flights.

Another storm was expected to move through the region late Friday and Saturday, and the National Weather Service said that system has the potential for snow.

The winter storm that dropped about 10 inches of snow in Grants and Milan was followed by a smaller, weaker storm overnight and a third storm is on track to hit the area Friday, said Chuck Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Albuquerque.

Rosie Sais, public information officer for the District Six DOT said 24 blades were in operation on Interstate 40 between Gallup and Mesita, just east of Grants starting early in the morning Tuesday and as of early afternoon had not had a break or left their shifts, continuing to blade the Interstate.

"There were 34 blades in operation in other areas," such as state highways in the Gallup and Grants areas, she said.

Pushing snow
Jimmy Chavez, Cibola County Public works director said his crews were "pushing snow" with their blades to try to get the main roads in the area around Grants and Milan open for drivers.

"We will push snow until it is dark today (Tuesday), and then it becomes less safe so we will stop then," he said.

The crews concentrated on county roads in the San Rafael, Zuni Canyon and Lobo Canyon areas clearing major area subdivisions, he said.

"We will begin moving snow in the eastern part of Cibola County, Cubero, Seama, Seboyeta, on Wednesday (today)," he said.

Salt spreader
The county has only one truck that spreads the volcanic cinder-salt mixture, called a "salt spreader," and it was not planned to be in operation until this afternoon, Chavez said.

The cinder-salt mixture is a 5:1 ratio, the cinders being crushed finely and being added to one part salt for every five parts cinders. The cinders are for traction and come from an area by the Ice Caves and the salt, which comes from a salt mine in Carlsbad, melts snow and ice, Chavez said.

The "salt spreader" carries about seven tons of the mixture and can spread it in one lane for about 15 miles before needing to be refilled, he said.

"Pushing snow, grading roads and getting them open is our first priority," he said.

Chavez said his crews worked on about 18 miles of county roads Tuesday with four blades, a snowplow and a backhoe.

Chavez lives in Seboyeta and he said it took him three hours to get to Grants because of the storm early Tuesday morning.

Interstate 40 was closed for most of overnight and morning, reopening about 1 p.m.

The storm that was to hit the area last night was weaker and should have only added about one to two inches, Jones said.

"The Friday storm is still on track and it will be weaker than the Tuesday storm," he said.