ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Tens of thousands of people were left without power in New Mexico on Thursday as the season’s first major winter storm crossed the northern two-thirds of the state and moved toward Colorado; With it came snow and high winds. forced schools and government offices to close.

Dozens of crews from the Public Service Company of New Mexico were mobilized to address widespread outages reported throughout the night and early morning from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and beyond. The utility said about 41,000 people were still affected by the outages and urged residents to be patient.

“We know that any time without power is frustrating,” the company said in messages to customers.

Schools in Santa Fe, Los Alamos and other places in northern New Mexico canceled classes, while officials warned people to stay off the roads. Plows were busy trying to keep major highways open, but state police announced around noon that Interstate 25, just south of the Colorado border, was closed in both directions.

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a blizzard warning for parts of the state and reported more than 100 vehicles were stranded on highways in the state’s northeast corner. Forecasters warned of “very dangerous driving conditions” made worse by low visibility due to snowfall.

Interstate 70 in Colorado’s Eastern Plains was also closed; Residents of the state were bracing for what some said was the biggest November snowstorm to hit the Denver area in years. Some people reported Thursday that there was already more than 14 inches (35.56 centimeters) of snow on the ground.

The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said extensive and widespread disruptions could be expected as the storm moves across New Mexico and Colorado, dropping 1 to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow in some spots within an hour.

Tonja Goode Ross said she would stay home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate instead of trying to face the “first real snow” of the season for Corona. This rural part of central New Mexico has become a winter wonderland, with pastures blanketed in a thick blanket of snow and tree branches bending from the weight of fresh gunpowder.

Almost 30.48 centimeters of snow fell in the early morning hours, and another 6.35 centimeters (2.5 inches) fell in a 2-hour period.

“Moisture is always a blessing here, no matter what its form,” he said.

The weather service warned that the storm could bring historic amounts of snow by Friday. A height of more than 1.22 meters was expected in some parts. Forecasters said snowdrifts could reach as high as 6 feet, potentially making some travel impossible for days.

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