New Mexico, 1996

Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 1996

March 1 to 31, 1996 · NWS ABQ · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Light snow pack, combined with warm temperatures throughout the winter season had a negative impact on New Mexico ski business and set the stage for below normal river runoff and an early and unusually high fire danger season. Snow pack at the end of March averaged 50 to 60 percent of normal across the northern mountains and 20 to 40 percent of normal in the west and south.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
22

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

Light snow pack, combined with warm temperatures throughout the winter season had a negative impact on New Mexico ski business and set the stage for below normal river runoff and an early and unusually high fire danger season. Snow pack at the end of March averaged 50 to 60 percent of normal across the northern mountains and 20 to 40 percent of normal in the west and south. Forecasts of spring river flows ranged from 17 to 50 percent of normal water discharges. Ski areas reported business down about 40 percent with some resorts closing a month earlier than usual. Forest areas were especially dry with fuel moisture readings of 5 to 8 percent or near their lowest levels in 25 years. For the month, Albuquerque measured only 0.02 inch of precipitation or one-half inch below normal. Precipitation since January 1 is only 36 percent of normal for the city.

Event by event

22 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Northwest Plateau

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Plateau forecast zone

Drought, Northwest Mountains Including Jemez

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northwest Mountains Including Jemez forecast zone

Drought, Upper Rio Grande Valley

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Upper Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Northeast Highlands

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northeast Highlands forecast zone

Drought, Harding

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Harding forecast zone

Drought, Far Northeast Plains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Far Northeast Plains forecast zone

Drought, Westcentral Mountains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Westcentral Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Middle Rio Grande Valley

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Middle Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Sandia/Manzano Mountains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Sandia/Manzano Mountains forecast zone

Drought, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County forecast zone

Drought, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Conchas Lake/Guadalupe forecast zone

Drought, Quay

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Quay forecast zone

Drought, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region forecast zone

Drought, Lower Rio Grande Valley

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lower Rio Grande Valley forecast zone

Drought, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley forecast zone

Drought, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains forecast zone

Drought, De Baca

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
De Baca forecast zone

Drought, Chaves County Plains

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Chaves County Plains forecast zone

Drought, Roosevelt

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Roosevelt forecast zone

Drought, Curry

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Curry forecast zone

Drought, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County

When
March 1, 12:01 AM MST to March 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County forecast zone

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5547076, 5547077, 5547078, 5547079, 5547080, 5547081, 5547082, 5547083, 5547084, 5547085, 5547086, 5547251, 5547459, 5547460, 5547461, 5547462, 5547463, 5547464, 5547465, 5547466, 5547467, 5547468.