October snow day: It's the earliest snow has fallen in Las Cruces
Readers: This story will be updated throughout the day.
LAS CRUCES - Residents of the Mesilla Valley woke up to about an inch of snow and freezing temperatures Tuesday.
It's the earliest in the season snow has fallen in Las Cruces, according to the National Weather Service.
By 3 p.m., about 3 to 4 inches of snow were being reported.
Light to moderate snow is expected to continue falling throughout the afternoon with a possible break this evening, but flurries might continue overnight.
"As far as what's falling from the sky it should be done by tomorrow, (Wednesday), morning," said NWS Meteorologist Anthony Brown.
Temperatures dipped below freezing overnight Monday, didn't rise above 40 degrees Tuesday, and are forecast for 26 degrees Tuesday night.
Wednesday's expected high is 53 degrees and daytime temperatures will continue to climb through the week.
The forecast for Halloween is partly cloudy with a high of 72 degrees and a low of 38 degrees.
El Paso Electric reported several weather-related power outages early Tuesday morning in Doña Ana County. The largest outage affected about 2,500 residents in the University Park area. Power was restored before 8 a.m.
Closures, delays and accommodations
The inclement weather is affecting a few things around town.
New Mexico State University was not affected Tuesday, but is planning to delay opening the Las Cruces campus and the Doña Ana Community College campuses until 10 a.m. Wednesday. Classes scheduled prior to 10 a.m. will be cancelled.
The state department of health has canceled all COVID-19 tests scheduled for Tuesday at the New Mexico Department of Health Office, 1170 N. Solano Drive, in Las Cruces. The tests will be rescheduled.
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Las Cruces Public Schools has announced it'll cancel some campus activities, including:
- All grab-and-go meal sites, including bus deliveries.
- Athletic practices.
- In-person special education classes at Vista Middle School.
- Scheduled SAT testing.
The district reports remote learning will not be affected, and students are expected to be on scheduled Zoom calls.
On Wednesday, the school district will delay the serving of grab-and-go meals and bus deliveries. LCPS will serve breakfast and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All other district operations will resume as normal, the district reported.
All City of Las Cruces facilities will open on a two-hour delay. Also, the city's Senior Programs is changing the serving time of the grab-and-go/drive thru meals.
The serving time is scheduled between 10:30 a.m. to noon., affecting the following centers:
- Munson Senior Center, 975 S. Mesquite Street
- Eastside Community Center, 310 N. Tornillo Street
- Henry Benavidez Community Center, 1045 McClure Road
- Frank O’Brien Papen Community Center, 304 W. Bell Avenue
- Sage Café, 1045 Reynolds Drive
Branigan Library is cancelling curbside pick-up Tuesday. The service will resume Wednesday, but due to the weather, patrons will need to pick up their materials in the front lobby.
Regular curbside pick-up will resume Saturday.
The library's computer lab and limited lobby hours will operate as usual.
The city has made some adjustment Tuesday:
- City Hall is closed at 2:30 p.m.
- Transit services (bus service and Dial-a-Ride) will continue operate as normal until 6 p.m.
- Branigan Memorial Library closes at 3 p.m.
- Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley closed at 2:30 p.m.
Depending on road conditions Wednesday, solid waste routes may be delayed, but customers are asked to place containers out for service by 6 a.m.
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Outdoors absentee ballot drop boxes will be pulled indoors at early voting locations in Doña Ana County. All eight early voting centers are open:
- The County Clerk’s Office at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd. (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Alternate voting locations (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.):
- Anthony City Hall - 820 Highway 478 Anthony NM 88021
- Delores C Wright Educational Center - 400 E Lisa Dr, Chaparral, NM 88081
- Hatch High School - 170 E Herrera Rd, Hatch, NM 87937
- Doña Ana Community College: Sunland Park Center - 3365 McNutt Rd., Sunland Park, NM 88063
- Sonoma Elementary School - 4201 Northrise St., Las Cruces, NM 88011
- Las Cruces City Hall - 700 N Main St, Las Cruces, NM 88001
- NMSU Corbett Center - 1600 International Mall, Las Cruces, NM 88003
More:With a week to go, 2020 early voting in Doña Ana County surpasses 2016 total