New Mexico school delays and closings

YOU CAN COUNT ON. KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS AT NINE STARTS RIGHT NOW. AND TONIGHT, A BLAST OF WINTER WEATHER HITTING NEW MEXICO. PARTS OF THE STATE SEEING THUNDERSTORMS, HAIL AND SNOW. THAT’S THE SOUND OF THUNDER AT OUR STATION IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE THIS EVENING. THE RADAR STILL ACTIVE AT THIS HOUR? KOAT 7 WEATHER TEAM WARNS YOU THIS WAS COMING, AND WE’RE ALREADY SEEING DELAYS AND CLOSURES FOR THE MORNING. THOSE ARE SCROLLING AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ALL OVER THE STATE RIGHT NOW. I-40 IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IS SHUT DOWN NEAR THE ROUTE 66 CASINO. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW ON A TRESCO VISTA. NO TRAFFIC IS ALLOWED WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE, HEADED TOWARD LAGUNA. AND WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE ALIYAH CHAVEZ WITH MORE ON THAT CLOSURE AND CONDITIONS HERE. AND JASON MCNABB IS IN GALLUP, CHIEF METEOROLOGIST BYRON MORTON WITH MORE ON TRAVEL CONDITIONS. BUT FIRST, METEOROLOGIST OLGA BREESE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. YEAH, IT’S BEEN QUITE A NIGHT. WE’VE SEEN THESE SNOWFLAKES FLYING. TEMPERATURES DROPPING. WE’RE AT OR NEAR THAT FREEZING POINT HERE IN THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO, AND WE’RE GOING TO KEEP IT CHILLY OVERNIGHT DOWN INTO THE 20S. THAT MEANS MORE PRECIPITATION AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT COULD FALL AS SOME SNOW OR SNOW MIX. AND THAT COULD COMPLICATE THE MORNING COMMUTE. RIGHT NOW, THE RADAR IS QUIETING DOWN IN THE GENERAL ALBUQUERQUE METRO. NOTICE EVERYTHING IS SHIFTING OFF TOWARD THE EAST. WE HAVE SOME SNOW FALLING IN THE EAST MOUNTAINS, EVEN SOME MIXED PRECIPITATION AND RAIN DOWN TOWARD THE SOUTHERN ZONES, WHERE THE TEMPERATURES ARE A LITTLE BIT MILDER. WE’LL CONTINUE TO SEE BANDS OF MOISTURE PULLING THROUGH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT, WHICH MEANS WE ARE NOT OVER WITH THIS JUST YET. WE HAVE SEEN SOME PRETTY NICE SNOW TOTALS MORE THAN AN INCH IN AREAS OFF TOWARD THE WEST EASTERN FLANK. NOW JUST STARTING TO GET IN ON THAT ACTION, AND WE’VE EVEN GOT ABOUT AN INCH JUST NORTH OF SANTA FE. SO THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. WE’LL KEEP THE CLOUDS AROUND. LIGHT RAIN MIXING WITH SNOW HERE IN THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO AND OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. NOW THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO SHIFT OFF TOWARD THE EAST, AND THAT COULD BE PROBLEMATIC TOMORROW MORNING FOR THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN ZONES. RIGHT NOW, MANY OF US HAVE ALREADY HIT THAT FREEZING THRESHOLD. WE’RE STARTING TO SEE THE TEMPERATURES DIP DOWN INTO THE 30S AND 20S. AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT, THIS FRONT IS GOING TO BE VERY SLOW TO PUSH ON OUT. SO THAT MEANS COOL MORNING START. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A LITTLE FLEX TIME TOMORROW IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET UP OUT AND ABOUT EARLY IN THE MORNING. WE’VE SEEN RAIN AND SNOW COMING DOWN ALL EVENING AND THE SLICK ROADS FORCING DEPUTIES TO CLOSE BOTH DIRECTIONS OF I-40 NEAR THE ROUTE 66 CASINO. THIS IS LIVE ON I-40 NEAR 98. THE ASHLEY AND DOUG. THERE’S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW LEFT ON THE GROUND, BUT THE REAL STORY HERE IS YOU ALL JUST MENTIONED IS THE ROADS. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THOSE ROADS ARE WET AND SLICK HERE. THESE CARS HERE ARE HEADED TOWARDS I-40. AND BECAUSE OF THOSE DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE COMMUNICATION CENTER FOR 911 IN BERNALILLO COUNTY SAYS THEY’RE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST MOUNTAINS. OFFICIALS SAY THEY MAY TELL PEOPLE TO CALL BACK LATER BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASED CALL VOLUME. IF WHAT YOU’RE CALLING FOR IS NOT AN EMERGENCY, WE REALLY LIKE TO KEEP OUR RESPONDERS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, SO WE DON’T WANT THEM TO BE GOING OUT TO CALL SLICK AND HOLD FOR LATER, BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE ICY AND DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING OUR RESPONDERS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET TO THE CITIZENS IN A TIMELY MANNER. AND WE’VE POPPED UP THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER THERE ON YOUR SCREEN. IT’S 505798 7000. AND THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS ALSO SAYING THAT IF YOU HAVE AT&T, YOU MAY BE HAVING TROUBLE REACHING 911. THEY SAY THEY’RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE COMPANY TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE. AND IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT 911, YOU SHOULD CALL THE DISPATCH CENTER CORRECTLY. AND AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 505798 7000. REPORTING ON THE WEST SIDE ALIYAH CHAVEZ KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. ALSO TONIGHT, NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE HAVE CLOSED THE GATE AT THE CREST SO NO ONE IS ALLOWED ON CREST ROAD. SKI RESORTS ARE GETTING A LOT OF FRESH POWDER FROM THIS STORM. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TONIGHT AT TAOS SKI VALLEY. RED RIVER AND SKI SANTA FE GALLUP GETTING HIT HARD BY THE STORM. JASON MCNABB SHOWS US HOW THEY’RE PREPARING FOR VERY DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS. I’M HERE AT WE THE PEOPLE PARK JUST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF I-40 HERE IN GALLUP, AND WE SAW A LOT OF SNOW ALL DAY. IN FACT, ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A SNOWBALL OUT OF IT. THAT’S HOW MUCH WE SAW WHEN WE WERE DRIVING IN THIS MORNING. IT WAS ACTUALLY ENOUGH SNOW ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN THAT WE SAW WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN THAT SNOW AND SLEET MIXTURE KIND OF CONTINUED ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE DAY. NOW, WE DID SPEAK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN HERE IN GALLUP, INCLUDING PEOPLE JUST RUNNING ERRANDS AND ALSO SOME TRUCK DRIVERS THAT GOT OFF OF I-40 TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PARK. THEY SAID WHILE THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEREN’T THE MOST FAVORABLE TO THEM, THEY STILL WEREN’T THAT CONCERNED. I HAD TO CHOP WOOD THIS MORNING AND BRING IN SOME MORE. SO WE JUST HAD THE FIRE GOING ALL NIGHT. AND THAT’S BEEN A TOUGH TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE WEATHER AND EVERYTHING GOING EAST TO WEST. I’M GOING EAST, I’M GOING TO PHILADELPHIA TOWARDS ALBUQUERQUE. YEAH. YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE LURKING AHEAD OUT THERE? NO, NO, NOT AT ALL. AND WE’LL CONTINUE COVERAGE OF THE EXTREME WEATHER, INCLUDING HERE IN GALLUP ON KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. MORE IN THE MORNING FOR NOW. REPORTING FROM GALLUP. I’M JASON MCNABB, KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. A LIVE LOOK AT ROAD CONDITIONS ACROSS OUR STATE. THE AREA IS HIGHLIGHTED THERE IN YELLOW. MEAN DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE DIFFICULT. YOU CAN SEE THAT ACROSS THE METRO AND IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. NOW WE GO TO CHIEF METEOROLOGIST BYRON MORTON. HE HAS YOUR WINTER TRAVEL FORECAST. HEY THERE SHELLY, LET’S TALK ABOUT THOSE MAJOR ROADWAYS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED AND DANGEROUS, POSSIBLY FOR THAT MORNING COMMUTE TOMORROW MORNING. OF COURSE, WE ALREADY HEARD THE I-40 CLOSED WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE, BUT THAT GALLUP TO GRAND CORRIDOR OF I-40 ALSO GOING TO BE SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. WE HEARD THAT FROM JASON AND THE EAST MOUNTAINS OUT TOWARDS CLINES CORNERS FOR TOMORROW MORNING. LA BAJADA TO SANTA FE, I-25 NORTH TO LAS VEGAS AND RATON PASS. ALSO GOING TO BE DICEY. AND 285 HIGHWAY 285 FROM SANTA FE ESPANOLA TO PIEDRAS AND HIGHWAY 550 CUBA TO BLOOMFIELD UP TOWARD THE AZTEC AREA AS WELL. SO THIS IS THE ROAD CONDITION FORECAST AT MIDNIGHT, WHERE YOU SEE THE BLUE. THOSE ARE SNOWY ROADS, ICY ROADS, AND OF COURSE, GREEN. THOSE ARE WET ROADS. AND AS WE GO TOWARD TOMORROW MORNING, A LOT MORE BLUE ON THE MAP AND EVEN SOME PINK OUT THERE ACROSS NORTH AND WEST NEW MEXICO, WHERE THOSE ROADS COULD BE ICY AND DICEY IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TREATED ALREADY. AS WE GO TO THE AFTERNOON, NOTICE THAT THE BLUE ROADS SHRINK AND WE’LL SEE MORE OF THE GREEN AS THOSE TEMPERATURES RISE IN THE ROAD, SURFACES BEGIN TO WARM UP. IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT, WE’LL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF SOME AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. COULD BE SOME GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, OR AT LEAST CLOSE TO CLOUD GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AROUND RATON INTO CLAYTON. SO JUST AVOID TRAVEL IN THAT AREA OF THE STATE IF YOU CAN. IT WOULD BE A SAFE THING TO DO. WE’LL BE BACK IN JUST A LITTLE BIT WITH A LOOK AT THE REST OF THE STORM AND THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES SO FAR THIS SEASON. BUT FIRST, BACK TO DOUG AND SHELLY AND STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA. DOWNLOAD THE FREE KOAT APP AND TURN ON ALERTS. PLUS, FIND SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS. WE’RE ALREADY SEEING A FEW OF THOSE. WE’LL UPDATE THAT LIST OVERNIGHT AND THROUGHOUT THE MORNING, AND TUNE I