I-40 · NM
I-40 through Tijeras Canyon: road conditions right now
Albuquerque, NM to Moriarty, NM
I-40 leaves Albuquerque eastward through Tijeras Canyon between the Sandia and Manzano mountains, climbs past Tijeras, Zuzax and Sedillo Hill, and drops to Edgewood and Moriarty in the Estancia Valley. NWS Albuquerque forecasts the city, the Sandia and Manzano Mountains including Edgewood, and the Estancia Valley as three separate zones, and the East Mountains regularly get snow the city does not.
Plan this drive for your departure timeConditions at Wed, 1:52 AM MST
Highest risk along I-40: 1 of 5 (low), departing at that time.
- No active NWS alerts on this route.
The road authority linked below has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Clear driving for the whole 39 min.
Conditions: Partly cloudy
Checkpoints along I-40
| Where | You pass | Weather | Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | Wed 2:00 AM | 40°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Moriarty, NM | Wed 2:30 AM – 2:39 AM | 35°F | low | Nothing flagged |
Why this stretch is hard in winter
- In the April 12 to 13, 2020 storm, NWS Albuquerque recorded 10 inches at Tijeras and 7 to 8 inches at Sandia Park and Edgewood while the metro area got 3 to 6 inches; it reported difficult driving conditions along the Interstate 40 corridor.
- In the February 10 to 12, 2020 storm, Edgewood measured 14 inches of snow and gap winds up to 50 mph were reported across the Albuquerque metro area, with the heaviest snow from the Sandia and Manzano Mountains eastward.
- In the October 26 to 28, 2020 storm, Sedillo measured 12 inches and Sandia Park 10.4 inches, and NMDOT's road closure map showed travel impacts statewide.
- The Sandia/Manzano Mountains zone (including Edgewood) is forecast separately from the Albuquerque metro; a Winter Storm Warning for the East Mountains often comes with only an advisory, or nothing, for the city.
What this page checks
- Hourly forecast at every checkpoint for the time you would be there: temperature, precipitation type and rate, gusts, visibility.
- Active National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories on the route.
- Snow on the ground (NOAA SNODAS) and the Weather Prediction Center winter impact outlook.
- Pavement temperature and surface state from state DOT road sensors, when you are leaving within a few hours.
- Chain controls, closures, and winter road condition reports from state DOT feeds where they are published openly.
- Seasonal closures of mountain roads the router might otherwise use.
Official sources for this corridor
Questions drivers ask about I-40
- Where does I-40 get snow east of Albuquerque?
- From Tijeras Canyon up through Zuzax and Sedillo Hill to Edgewood, the stretch NWS Albuquerque forecasts as the Sandia/Manzano Mountains zone. In the storms of 2020 that zone recorded 10 to 14 inches at Tijeras, Sedillo and Edgewood while the city saw less. Check the forecast for the hour you will cross the hill.
- Where do I check I-40 closures east of Albuquerque?
- NMRoads (nmroads.com), run by NMDOT, shows closures, crashes and cameras on I-40. This page adds the hourly forecast at each stretch and active NWS Albuquerque alerts.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authority linked above has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Nearby corridors: I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff · I-25 over Raton Pass · I-70 through the Colorado mountains · I-25 over Monument Hill · AZ-87 (Beeline Highway) from Mesa to Payson · I-17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff · all corridors