Winter Storm Anya hammers Colorado, New Mexico

A severe winter storm is hitting parts of Colorado and New Mexico with heavy snow and strong winds, causing tree damage, power outages and traffic delays along portions of the Interstate 25 and 40 corridors.

This system was named Winter Storm Anya by The Weather Channel due to the severity of its impact on this region.

Current status, reports

Snow will fall through the mountains and lower elevations in northern and central New Mexico and southeast and east central Colorado.

Nearly 10 inches of snow has accumulated in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the weight of the snow has snapped some tree branches. As of 5 a.m. MST, more than 65,000 customers in northern New Mexico were without power, according to poweroutage.us.

Sections of Interstates 40 and 25 were closed in New Mexico because of the snow early Thursday, the New Mexico Department of Transportation reported.

Snow forecast totals, impacts

The highest amounts of snow will be in northeastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado, where 1 to 3 feet (locally up to 4 feet) could occur in some locations. Drifts of up to 6 feet are possible in these areas.

According to NOAA's Winter Storm Severity Index, this area is expected to experience the heaviest snowfall, with severe to extreme impacts due to the combination of snow and strong winds. These impacts include power outages, tree damage, and possible roof collapses due to snow load.

Denver will see additional snowfall from this storm after adding several inches on Wednesday. The greatest opportunity for more effective accumulations exists in the southern portions of the metropolitan area into the Palmer Divide.

Timing the storm

-​Until Thursday evening: Northern and central New Mexico and eastern parts of Colorado will be severely affected.

-​Friday-Friday evening: Snowfall should ease in central New Mexico, but will continue in northeastern New Mexico and eastern Colorado.

-​Saturday: The worst of the storm will be over, but northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming could see some snow showers.

Totals could approach records

According to the National Weather Service, the amount of snow falling in a few locations could reach three-day records for New Mexico.

-L​as Vegas: The current record snowstorm is 27 inches and was set in 1958. The records date from 1940.

-R​aton: The current record snowstorm is 26.5 inches and was set in 1990. The records date from 1953.

Chris Dolce has been a senior meteorologist at Weather.com for over 10 years, having started his career at The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.