NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Life-threatening winds chills for many, especially around the northern-mountain community areas from the San Juan Mountains to the east, are occurring with record-low air temperatures below zero degrees for many of those locations to even colder than -30 degrees for a few, while areas to the south are starting off mostly several degrees on either side of zero degrees and the teens. Extremely cold wind-chill values of below zero degrees have or are still occurring for most with it feeling as low as around -40 degrees in the far-northern mountains, but with the drier air-mass ahead, temperatures will slowly rebound with mostly light winds. With very clear skies and dry air on the backside of the winter storm impacting the Gulf Coast, extremely cold air has moved into the Land of Enchantment, as well as the surrounding areas, with lighter winds for most, but with still strong-enough northeasterly winds in the high elevations through eastern to southern New Mexico, wind chills are still a very dangerous threat. Forecast Continues Below Legislature: Push for education and housing bills expected this legislative session Weather: Coldest in years for some before slow warm-up New Mexico: CYFD settles lawsuit over failure to protect abused children Crime: One in custody after shooting at officers during traffic stop Huge temperatures swings from around 25 degrees to more than 50 degrees will occur with modifying temperatures that will slowly start to occur this afternoon in the northern-mountain communities, but it will be a colder afternoon in southern New Mexico. From the morning school commute throughout the afternoon, temperatures will mostly reach into the 20s, 30s, and 40s from north-northwest to south-southeast. Light snow with chilly sprinkle activity will periodically occur in the far-northern mountain communities starting later tomorrow through the weekend with a still sharp pressure gradient between the building high pressure system to the west to the cold air-mass to the east, igniting stronger downsloping westerly winds along the east-sloped highland areas especially. However, most central-to-southern areas will be very dry as despite a slight cooldown on Thursday after a milder day tomorrow, temperatures will mostly be on the rise ahead as clouds will pass on through.