Snow, nasty winds close N.M. highways

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Sections of three highways are closed as a potent storm system punches through New Mexico bringing some snow and widespread dangerous winds.

Early Friday afternoon the National Weather Service reported snow totals as high as 5 inches in San Juan County.  Peak wind gusts had hit 80 mph near Socorro, 79 mph at Red River and 73 mph in Sandia Park in Albuquerque's East Mountains with numerous reports of 50 mph and higher.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation reported these closures at midafternoon Friday:

• U.S. Highway 64 in Taos and Rio Arriba counties, 48 miles from Tres Piedras to Tierra Amarilla, extreme winds, blowing snow, snowpacked and icy pavement.
• U.S. Highway 285, 27 miles in Taos County from Tres Piedras to the Colorado border, extreme winds, blowing snow, snowpacked and icy pavement. UPDATE: This section of highway reopened about 4:30 p.m.
• State Route 532, nine miles in Otero County from mile marker 3 to Ski Apache, high winds.
• State Route 72 in Colfax and Union counties, 16 miles over Johnson Mesa from east of Raton to west of Folsom now in seasonal closure.

Elsewhere the NMDOT reports difficult driving conditions from wind and snow from the Silver City area north to the Four Corners and across much of northern New Mexico.

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