Severe winds and dust to impact Albuquerque area

Strong winds and dust are expected to impact parts of New Mexico, including the metro area. Wind gusts could reach over 60 mph, with some areas, like Roswell, experiencing up to 75 mph gusts. High temperatures will be in the low to mid-60s in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a high wind warning for Albuquerque from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday. A red flag warning will also be in place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visibility may drop to less than half a mile in some areas due to blowing dust. Meteorologist Clay Anderson warned that the dust will be significant and said conditions will not allow for any rain in Albuquerque. This means recent light rainfall won’t help settle the dust. Businesses creating dust may need to stop operations earlier than usual. Public utility PNM is considering power shutoffs in the East Mountains and Las Vegas to ensure safety. They will inform customers if these shutoffs become necessary. PNM is also activating sensitive system controls to prevent power outages caused by debris. People can report power outages to PNM or sign up for alerts through text messaging. Safety tips for the storm are available on the PNM website.