Winter storm buries region

A winter storm Friday left hundreds of post-Christmas travelers stranded for hours — many of them overnight — in Tucumcari after authorities closed Interstate 40 west of town.

Police shut down a snow-packed I-40 west of Tucumcari just before noon Friday and kept the highway closed until early evening. By then, westbound travelers with nowhere to go had filled the remainder of Tucumcari’s estimated 1,200 motel rooms.

For those without a motel room, the First Baptist Church of Tucumcari set up about 200 cots, all of which where filled by Friday afternoon.

The Knights of Columbus Hall took in another 40 travelers Friday, according to several members.

The winter storm didn’t affect just people. Tucumcari Animal Hospital sheltered about 75 dogs overnight Friday that were being transported to Las Vegas, Nevada, but stuck by the storm.

National Weather Service spotters reported snow accumulations of 4 to 4.5 inches in Tucumcari on Friday. Logan and House each reported snowfall of 2 inches.

Blustery winds and bone-chilling temperatures made for hazardous driving conditions on highways from Albuquerque to Amarillo.

The Tucumcari Quay Regional Communications Center took 17 calls about motor-vehicle accidents and 10 more calls for motorist assists Friday and early Saturday. The center usually takes only three to four such calls during such a period.

By Saturday afternoon, highway crews had cleared most of the major roads in the region.