Snow Squall Warning Issued for Rio Arriba, Sandoval, and San Juan Counties in New Mexico
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Snow Squall Warning for north central and northwestern New Mexico, warning of whiteout conditions and dangerous travel on Highway 550.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Snow Squall Warning
- Affected area
- North Central and Northwestern New Mexico
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Albuquerque
Winter notices differ by expected impact and timing. The original notice carries the forecast window and any travel guidance for the named area.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in North Central and Northwestern New Mexico.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Snow Squall Warning (SQW) for portions of north central and northwestern New Mexico. This alert is effective immediately as a dangerous snow squall moves through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Southwestern Rio Arriba County
- Northwestern Sandoval County
- Southeastern San Juan County
Impacted locations include Cuba, Counselor, Lindrith, Regina, Nageezi, and La Jara. This specifically includes Highway 550 between Mile Markers 46 and 117.
What You Should Do
Motorists are advised to slow down immediately. Rapid changes in visibility and road conditions are expected with this dangerous snow squall. Drivers should be alert for sudden whiteout conditions and consider delaying travel until the squall passes. The NWS response recommendation is to avoid the area if possible.
Expected Conditions
At 8:46 AM MST, radar indicated a snow squall located 7 miles west of Counselor (or 38 miles west of Cuba), moving east at 40 mph. Hazards include:
- Intense bursts of heavy snow
- Gusty winds exceeding 35 mph
- Blowing snow causing visibility to drop rapidly to less than one-quarter mile
- Potentially dangerous travel conditions developing within minutes
Timeline
The Snow Squall Warning is effective from 8:46 AM MST until 9:45 AM MST on February 20, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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