Associated Press New Mexico – The Durango Herald

New Mexico fines film company over Alec Baldwin shooting

SANTA FE – New Mexico workplace safety regulators on Wednesday issued the maximum possible fine of nearly $137,000 against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set o...

DATE: Apr 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Vice President Harris to officiate New Mexico governor’s May wedding

SANTA FE – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is getting married, and Vice President Kamala Harris has been picked to officiate. The first-term Democratic governor made the announcement ...

DATE: Apr 19, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Santa Fe’s transparency regulations withstand final appeal

SANTA FE – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to Santa Fe campaign disclosure requirements stemming from a failed city ballot initiative in 2017 to tax sugary beve...

DATE: Apr 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

5,000 under evacuation orders as New Mexico wildfire rages

Douglas Siddens’ mother was among those who made it out with just the clothes on her back when a deadly, wind-fueled wildfire ripped through a mountain community in southern New Mexico. The ...

DATE: Apr 16, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico village seeks prayers as deadly wildfire rages

With towering pine trees and cool mountain breezes, a pocket of southern New Mexico draws thousands of tourists and horse racing fans every summer. It’s also a community that knows how devas...

DATE: Apr 15, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico GOP tells schools to reject social studies change

SANTA FE – A Republican lawmaker is telling New Mexico school districts to defy state education rules and ignore newly overhauled K-12 social studies standards enacted by the state’s educati...

DATE: Apr 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Wind whips destructive wildfires in New Mexico

Firefighters scouted the drought-stricken mountainsides around a New Mexico village on Wednesday as they looked for opportunities to slow a wind-driven wildfire that a day earlier had burned...

DATE: Apr 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico boosts its free college program, at least for now

SANTA FE – Even after failing a test that set her back a semester, Maribel Rodriguez will head back to nursing school next spring with a generous new state scholarship that abandons eligibil...

DATE: Apr 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico fires gain ground amid dry, windy conditions

ALBUQUERQUE – It’s a simple recipe that requires only a couple ingredients, and New Mexico has them all. Strong winds, low humidity and dry conditions that stem from two decades of persisten...

DATE: Apr 12, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico governor’s mother, Sonja Lujan, dies at age 82

SANTA FE – Sonja Lujan, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s mother and an advocate for children with disabilities, has died of natural causes. Sonja Lujan was 82. The governor’s office...

DATE: Apr 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Ted Turner land in New Mexico conserved in U.S. military deal

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) – Habitat for about a million bats will be protected from human impacts through a deal between a nonprofit and the federal government. About 315,000 acres of southern New...

DATE: Apr 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Defendants protest trial delays in New Mexico compound raid

SANTA FE – A second defendant is invoking the right to a speedy trial in the 2018 raid on a squalid family compound in northern New Mexico that uncovered the remains of a 3-year-old boy and ...

DATE: Apr 9, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Skyhawks score 41 points off turnovers Monday at Whalen Gymnasium

Snowstorm moves through the areaThe season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

The season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

Photos: Singing with SantaSanta Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Santa Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Snow descends on DurangoForecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

A fall storm that moved into Southwest Colorado Friday morning was expected to dump 6 inches of snow in the Durango area – more than weather forecasters had initially predicted.Snow started falling about 9:15 a.m. Friday and intensified shortly before 11:30 a.m., blanketing parks, vehicles and the hilltops overlooking the city. Roads became slick about 2:30 p.m. As of 4 p.m., the Durango Police Department had responded to six crashes, in addition to a few stranded motorists.U.S. Highway 160 at County Road 44 near Mancos Hill was closed from around 4 p.m. to just after 6 p.m. because a vehicle carrying an “oversized load” had spun out and blocked both the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.“Right now our officers are able to keep up with the crashes that are coming in,” said Cmdr. Nick Stasi, with the Durango Police Department. “As always with winter weather, we remind drivers to slow down and give extra space for the cars in front.”Snow started accumulating very fast as the day went on, making it “challenging for plow operators to keep up,” according to CDOT.

Southwest Colorado’s five major mountain passes were icy and snowpacked Friday afternoon. But all five remained open as of 4:15 p.m.The Pacific storm favored the southern and central Colorado mountains, said Dave Byers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.“Durango looks like a 70% chance of getting 6 inches or more of snow by the end of tonight (Friday),” Byers said.He expected a half inch to three-quarters of an inch of moisture from the storm, which is up from the one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch that was predicted earlier this week. Meanwhile, the mountains could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow from the storm, he said.“In the last few days, it has really picked up,” Byers said. “The southern mountains are catching the brunt of it.”The snowy weather didn’t stop Liz Ferrill and her family from stopping by Cream Bean Berry for a Unicorn Sundae. “We thought it might be a festive way to celebrate,” said Ferrill, who was visiting from Snowmass, where the first snow occurred in September.For others, the snow provided the impetus they needed to swap out tires or purchase new snow tires. Andre Payne, a sales person at J/P Tire in Durango, said the phone began ringing shortly after 9 a.m. with people wanting to switch to snow tires.“We’ve been pretty busy,” he said.

It is not unusual for drivers to wait until they see the first snow and then want to swap out tires. The tire shop began advising customers to switch to snow tires about three weeks ago. Some people take the advice, other choose to wait.“We can always tell people what to do, but if you're not ready for it then you have to suffer the consequences of waiting two hours or maybe getting in an accident,” Payne said.Byers said Friday’s storm was the result of a southwest flow pulling moisture from Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf of California.As the moisture-laden atmosphere hits the San Juan Mountains, it wrings out the moisture, he said.Temperatures are expected to cool off as the storm makes its way out of the region this weekend. The highs this weekend will be in the upper 30s, and the lows could dip into the single digits, he said.“There’s still a northerly flow that is pulling cold air down out of Canada,” he said.Byers characterized Friday’s storm as a “shoulder storm” between summer and winter, but he said it is a sure sign that a regular track is settling in for Southwest Colorado.“We’re expecting regular storms … from now on, more into that winter pattern,” Byers said.Residents can expect mostly clear conditions through Wednesday, with clouds moving in the following day ahead of another storm that looks “very similar” to Friday’s storm, Byers said.shane@durangoherald.com; mhollinshead@durangoherald.com

Forecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

PHOTOS: Turkey Trot returns to DurangoNearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

Nearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

PHOTOS: Durango faces Lutheran in 3A state football quarterfinalsDemons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

Demons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

PHOTOS: Fort Lewis basketball teams host doubleheaderThe men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

The men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

Photos: Durango High School football faces Mead in 3A state playoffsThe Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

The Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

Photos: Veterans Day Parade

Honoring Veterans on Veterans Day

Photo gallery: Fort Lewis men’s soccerFort Lewis Men’s Soccer falls to Colorado State University Pueblo

Fort Lewis Men’s Soccer falls to Colorado State University Pueblo

New Mexico fines film company over Alec Baldwin shooting

Vice President Harris to officiate New Mexico governor’s May wedding

Santa Fe’s transparency regulations withstand final appeal

5,000 under evacuation orders as New Mexico wildfire rages

New Mexico village seeks prayers as deadly wildfire rages

New Mexico GOP tells schools to reject social studies change

Wind whips destructive wildfires in New Mexico

New Mexico boosts its free college program, at least for now

New Mexico fires gain ground amid dry, windy conditions

New Mexico governor’s mother, Sonja Lujan, dies at age 82

Ted Turner land in New Mexico conserved in U.S. military deal

Defendants protest trial delays in New Mexico compound raid

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