Any idea as to how I40 should be by Thursday night/Friday morning from Amarillo to Santa Rosa? We're going to my wife's family in Las Cruces for Christmas, and was planning on getting off 40 at Santa Rosa and taking route 54. Or do you think by Friday morning it would be safer staying on I40 to ABQ and then down I25, although it is a bit further?
There's an interactive map here: http://www.nmroads.com/
Tomorrow will probably be bad due to refreezing, but if gets sunny and continues through Friday it should be better.
Take care and Merry Christmas... have some posole for me.
Your route will probably be o.k. weather wise by then. But narrow two-lane US 54 is undergoing major reconstruction with miles of slow zones (45 mph) and rough road, especially south of Vaughn. I'd suggest heading south from Amarillo to Canyon on I-27, US 60 to Clovis and US 70 to Las Cruces. It's mostly all four lane in NM (65-70 mph) and the drive past Ruidoso and Sierra Blanca peak is beautiful.
As Slim suggests, check out the state road advisories before you leave.