( CNN ) -- Residents of the Southwest are bracing for a blizzard to kick off the holiday week with heavy snows , strong winds and icy roads that could make driving across the region dangerous . The snow is forecast to start battering northeast New Mexico in the wee hours of Monday morning . State emergency personnel and transportation crews there are on call , officials say , ready to act if and when the storm hits hard . Residents , meanwhile , have made their own preparations -- even on an otherwise picturesque day on Sunday , with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s in some locales . `` I went to the grocery store , and it was packed , '' said Kevin Mueller of Tucumcari , where he and his wife run the historic Blue Swallow Inn . `` People are out there , stocking up . '' The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for much of Monday and Tuesday in large swaths of northeast New Mexico , southeast Colorado , southwest Kansas , northern Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle . Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect for other parts of all those states as well . That means places like Santa Rosa , New Mexico , and Springfield , Colorado , could see up to 2 feet of snow , though 8 inches to 16 inches will more likely be the norm and lesser amounts may fall in other locales . That snow will combine with potent winds , which are expected to be between 25 and 45 mph in spots . The storm is the product of a `` sharp blast of cold air '' from the north that will turn rain into snow and possibly lead to `` white-out conditions , '' the weather service said . `` Travel will become dangerous , if not impossible across the region , '' the weather agency 's New Mexico division predicts . Are you there ? Share photos , video . About 700 New Mexico highway personnel are set to clear the roads , with plenty of road salt also on hand to deal with ice , said Manon Arnett , a spokeswoman for the state transportation department . Those crews will be out focusing first on interstates , then on other roads , she added . If visibility diminishes or the roadway gets too slick , it will be up to state police as to whether a given thoroughfare is temporarily shut down , according to Arnett . While the traffic management center opened at 7 p.m. MST ( 9 p.m. EST ) Sunday , New Mexico had not activated its 24-hour emergency center as of then . State emergency management spokesman Nick Piatek said personnel are on call , with food and fuel sources ready to transport to those who need them . Private companies are trying to get ahead of the storm as well . Drivers have been prepped , trucks have been filled with fuel , and tire chains are available for those at All-Rite Towing and Repair in Tucumcari , according to a long-time employee there who asked only to be identified as Linda . `` It 's going to be a big one for us , '' she said , warning that hard-to-see `` black ice '' may slip up drivers and electricity outages could close gas stations . Southeast Colorado is also expected to experience blizzard conditions , with the National Weather Service warning people to `` avoid traveling in the area . '' `` Life-threatening winter weather conditions are expected , '' the agency said . No flights had been canceled as of Sunday night at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in north Texas , said aviation director Patrick Rhodes . But the officials there have talked about what to do next at a planning meeting Sunday , including getting the airport 's six snow plows ready . `` We 're on the dividing line between 3 inches and 9 inches ( of snow ) , '' he said . Amarillo residents were told to expect rain overnight that will switch to snow Monday afternoon . In Tucumcari , Mueller said his inn has emptied , like many store shelves , ahead of the storm . He 's hoping the wintry weather wo n't prevent his son , who is set to fly in from Kentucky on Tuesday , from reuniting with the family in time for Christmas . As for unexpected guests at the inn , Mueller said that he has a plow ready to clear the driveway and rooms are ready for snow-weary travelers . `` We plan to leave our lights on , '' he said . `` If we get calls , we 're ready to help . '' CNN 's Greg Botelho , Jessica Jordan and Dave Alsup contributed to this report .
Transportation and emergency crews are on call in New Mexico , officials say . A market in Tucumcari , New Mexico , was `` packed '' Sunday , a resident says . `` It 's going to be a big one for us , '' another resident says . A blizzard warning is out for parts of New Mexico , Colorado , Texas , Oklahoma and Kansas .