Cold weather, winds once again moving into area

You may remember this week beginning in almost springlike fashion with birdsong in the air and morning lows right around 40 degrees.

As you may tell, that is not the case this morning.

As forecasted by The National Weather Service in Albuquerque, a strong cold front has moved across the region dropping lows to the single-digit range.  Daytime highs are forecast to be in the upper-30s to mid-40s.

Xcel Energy spokesman Wes Reeves reports strong winds may cause power outages and wildfires in the company’s New Mexico/Texas service area.

Reeves suggested customers have non-perishable food and bottled water on hand as well as backup phone chargers, flashlights and other items in case of a power outage.

The weather system’s low, subfreezing temperatures may elicit concern for the homeless population in the Clovis/Portales area.

“We don’t have a big homeless population here,” said Richard Gomez, director of Clovis’ Lighthouse Mission.

“Most everybody knows that if it’s cold come to the mission,” Gomez said.

Gomez said if a homeless person needs a place for the night to be at the mission at 407 L. Casillas Blvd. by 4:30 p.m.

“We’ll give them some supper, a place to sleep, a hot shower,” he said. “We do that any day, not just when it’s cold.”

The United Way of Eastern New Mexico also has its “211” service that may be called when area residents need help.  What about finding a warm place to get out of the bitter cold?

Erinn Burch, executive director of the local United Way said The Portales Ministerial Alliance will sometimes put stranded travelers up in motels at the request of law enforcement.

“We have an invisible homeless population in our area,” Burch said. “They aren’t sleeping where we can see them.  They’re sleeping in their cars, wherever they can.”

“The truth is we don’t know how big our homeless population is,” Burch said.

“We do have the ability to (shelter the homeless),” said Dan Heerding, emergency management director for Clovis and Curry County.

“If it became a crisis we’d locate volunteers, get the Red Cross involved, Salvation Army involved,” Heerding said.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a return to seasonal weather by this Sunday.