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CONEJOS, Colo. — Rescue crews hoped to resume searching this morning for two groups of New Mexicans missing in the mountains of southern Colorado.

Heavy snow and high winds on Sunday hampered the search for the first group: six snowmobilers from New Mexico last seen on Friday near Cumbres Pass.

Poor weather and avalanche conditions also limited a search for two snowboarders from Albuquerque missing since Saturday at the mearby Wolf Creek Ski Area. Friends identified the pair as Michael George and Kyle Kerschen, both 27, KRQE-News 13 in Albuquerque reported.

The men's car was found in the resort parking lot Saturday night, Mineral County sheriff's deputies said. Wolf Creek reported nearly 4 feet of snow from Saturday night through Sunday.

About 40 miles southeast, near 10,222-foot Cumbres Pass just north of the New Mexico border, 14 search and rescue workers looked for the six missing snowmobilers Sunday, said Donna Oney, a spokeswoman with the Colorado State Patrol.

A search from the New Mexico side was suspended because of snowy conditions and bad roads. Whether searchers could go into the mountains today depended on the weather, New Mexico State Police spokesman Peter Olson said this morning.

The search from the Colorado side was expected to resume this morning, Conejos County sheriff's officials said Sunday.

As much as 4 feet of snow fell in the area since the families went missing Friday morning, the National Weather Service said. At least 2 more feet of snow, strong winds and lightning were expected before the weather improves tonight, forecasters said.

The snowmobilers are members of two Farmington families. They are Jason Groen, 36; his wife, Shannon, 31; and their daughter, Aspen, 14, said Betty Groen, Jason's stepmother. Betty Groen said they were snowmobiling with Mike Martin, one of Groen's employees, his wife, Missy, and their son, Jessie, 13.

Betty Groen said the families had visited Shannon Groen's parents in Chama, before heading off to snowmobile Friday morning. They had been expected back Friday evening, she said.

Colorado authorities found the family's pickup and trailer at a snowmobile parking lot in the area, Olson said.

The snowmobilers are believed to be in an area called Brazos Meadows near Apache Canyon, Olson said. The area is dotted with cabins, and rescuers hoped the families made it to one, he said.

Two helicopters were standing by in Taos, and about 20 snowmobiles and Snowcats owned by search and rescue volunteers were ready to go in Chama should the weather improve, Olson said.

Olson said state Route 17, which runs through the pass from Chama, is unplowed, and that a gate at the Colorado border was closed. On Sunday, there were whiteout conditions with visibility of three feet in the mountains, he said.

"Our biggest concern is for the safety of the searchers and the road to that point is pretty dangerous because of avalanches and other snow conditions," he said.

Larry Groen, Jason's father, said in a phone interview from Chama that authorities would not allow family members and friends up into the mountains to search for those missing because of the bad roads and weather.

"It was too stormy up there," Larry Groen said. "Now they're saying they're going to arrest anyone who goes up there. So I don't know what's going to happen."

Jason Groen has been snowmobiling for 15 years and always carried avalanche beacons and a backpack with a shovel and other safety equipment, Larry Groen said.

Betty Groen said her stepson would have had snacks and water to last for a few days.

The Groens have three other young daughters, who are with their grandmother in Farmington, Larry Groen said.