albuquerque public schools

Icy conditions slow Albuquerque, force school closures
Blowing snow and freezing rain combined to turn a large swath of New Mexico — including Albuquerque — into an ice rink early today.

Albuquerque Public Schools closed for the day. "It's just too icy out there," district spokeswoman Monica Armenta said.

The University of New Mexico delayed classes for two hours to give sanding trucks time to work, spokeswoman Karen Wentworth said.

While roads around Albuquerque were treacherous, a big chunk of I-40 was closed for much of the night. State Police shut down the interstate from Albuquerque's 98th Street to the Arizona state line because of blowing snow and ice on the road.

The interstate reopened about 6 a.m., but several roads in northern New Mexico remained closed, including N.M. 285 from Tres Piedras to the Colorado state line, and U.S. 64 from Tres Piedras to Tierra Amarilla.

Albuquerque drivers appeared to be taking it easy this morning. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department reported only a few car crashes Monday night and early today because of the ice.

But that was before the morning commute. Said one dispatcher: "We're expecting it to be a little crazy."
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