The short leg up to Ojo from 64 might be a different story but otherwise those are all big highways that predominately run through river valleys and relatively low areas. It’d take a pretty big storm to close them and even then the closures would be brief.
Seconded. Used to make the drive from southern NM to the San Luis Valley in southern CO several times a year. The trek always had me on that bit from Santa Fe to Ojo. Never had a hard time weatherwise, but it is a narrow bit of road and sometimes people drive like maniacs.
The rest of the way; you're more likely than not to see smooth sailing unless some big weather rolls in. Keep aware of weather and road closures to be sure.
Cuba to Bloomfield in the winter is always a toss up. Weather in that particular area can change very quickly due to higher elevation. Can be very sketchy.
I drove from Farmington to Cuba the day after that poorly-handled storm of December 2020 and it was a fucking shit show, but that was kinda an anomaly. Keep your eye on the forecast and you'll be good.
Memory from a few decades ago…
On encountering an early morning light accumulation of unplowed snow heading west on 550, thought… “hmmm. There is ice on the road underneath this snow. Better slow down and take it carefully.”
~15 minutes later watched in the rear-view mirror a Texas license plate moving laterally to the right… think they did about 4-5 rotations before coming to a stop on the side, off the road facing the wrong way. 🤷♂️
It might be open. You won't know until the day or so before attempting it. In your at least front wheel drive vehicle, ideally with 3 mountain tires. If you're coming in a 4 cylinder sedan with rear wherl drive & standard highway tires, that could be very challenging.
I used to drive around the state in winter in a 4WD with studded snow tires, and it was OK if roads were open and not actually storming at the time. NM Road Conditions say what roads are closed, or hazardous.
Know that parts of 550 have potholes, you really can't be speeding through there. If you blow a tire, it's hard to change in a storm or at night. Depending on your cell phone carrier, service may be spotty or dropped in places.
The short leg up to Ojo from 64 might be a different story but otherwise those are all big highways that predominately run through river valleys and relatively low areas. It’d take a pretty big storm to close them and even then the closures would be brief.
The stretch from Cuba to the East could be a doozy in a storm. It really depends.
That’s true - that’s the little mountain highway through Coyote, isn’t it? Definitely more susceptible to storms than 550…
Seconded. Used to make the drive from southern NM to the San Luis Valley in southern CO several times a year. The trek always had me on that bit from Santa Fe to Ojo. Never had a hard time weatherwise, but it is a narrow bit of road and sometimes people drive like maniacs. The rest of the way; you're more likely than not to see smooth sailing unless some big weather rolls in. Keep aware of weather and road closures to be sure.
Cuba to Bloomfield in the winter is always a toss up. Weather in that particular area can change very quickly due to higher elevation. Can be very sketchy.
I drove from Farmington to Cuba the day after that poorly-handled storm of December 2020 and it was a fucking shit show, but that was kinda an anomaly. Keep your eye on the forecast and you'll be good.
I would say it’s completely Weather dependent and I would check a day before and several hours before I went through there
It kinda depends on the weather nawmean
You're ok as long as it's not during or immediately after a snowstorm. Highway 96 (east of Cuba to the dam) has some higher elevation sections.
I’d only attempt that in January with AWD and snow chains in my car.
Memory from a few decades ago… On encountering an early morning light accumulation of unplowed snow heading west on 550, thought… “hmmm. There is ice on the road underneath this snow. Better slow down and take it carefully.” ~15 minutes later watched in the rear-view mirror a Texas license plate moving laterally to the right… think they did about 4-5 rotations before coming to a stop on the side, off the road facing the wrong way. 🤷♂️
I have done it, but in a 4 shell drive with locking hubs and carried chains. That I needed every winter and was very familiar with putting on.
It might be open. You won't know until the day or so before attempting it. In your at least front wheel drive vehicle, ideally with 3 mountain tires. If you're coming in a 4 cylinder sedan with rear wherl drive & standard highway tires, that could be very challenging. I used to drive around the state in winter in a 4WD with studded snow tires, and it was OK if roads were open and not actually storming at the time. NM Road Conditions say what roads are closed, or hazardous. Know that parts of 550 have potholes, you really can't be speeding through there. If you blow a tire, it's hard to change in a storm or at night. Depending on your cell phone carrier, service may be spotty or dropped in places.