Trying to find out how often does I-40 close in new mexico?

Wind will always be a factor on that run.

 

there's more of a wait due to accidents then weather related. that's been what I've seen anyway.

 

It's not really the weather you have to deal with. It's everyone else.

I came through Flag on Wednesday and got hit with a winter storm. Roads were covered , but it wasn't really "greasy". It did warrant some caution but everyone was running 10-20 mph with their 4 ways on... TERRIFIED.

Got out of it and after my break got into lightly slushed roads in NMx on 40 with tons of spray lifting off the tires. AGAIN. .. 20mph and 4 ways , scared to death , impeding traffic. Conditions warranted 55.

Some can't handle the weather , or have never had to drive in it. Instead of getting off the road , they'll hold everyone else up and make a bigger hazard. This is what you'll deal with more than shut down routes.

My rule of thumb is generally that if I can't do 40 SAFELY... I'm done. Creeping along at 10-20 is a waste of hours.

 

I ran New England to cal for 6yrs. Never had to chain up and only got shut down once.

 

That's what usually shuts the roads down in NM if anything. Wind whips the snow across the road, melts in the sun then freezes at night. Sliiiiiip! Slip and slide!

 

I miss the west

 

The OP is not concerned with the more problematic areas of 40 that most of us are familiar with. 40 east of Santo Rosa is rarely "closed" per se. but it will get "bad" 2-4 times a year. Once you get south and west of Santo Rosa, the likelihood of having significant snow/ice delays fall off. But that said, Lordsburg, and Alamogordo and Las Cruces all will have at least one snow spell each season but nothing worth considering as a reason to turn down such a opportunity.

 

US70 can be tricky when the Organ mountains get snow. But the New Mexico DOT does have a snowplow/sand truck for that.

 

Winters, winds, wildfires, and dust storms. Wind gets you out there more than anything. But all of the above are possible. I40 rarely closes unless it's so messed up its impassible.