New Mexico, 1997Heavy Snow in New Mexico, February 27 to 28, 1997
February 27 to 28, 1997 · NWS ABQ · 9 events in 9 counties and zones
Several periods of winter storm conditions were recorded the 23rd through the 28th as Arctic air invaded the state and an upper low remained nearly stationary over Arizona. A mix of snow and freezing rain across the eastern plains created hazardous driving on the 24th which resulted in numerous accidents including two fatal crashes.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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.
Several periods of winter storm conditions were recorded the 23rd through the 28th as Arctic air invaded the state and an upper low remained nearly stationary over Arizona. A mix of snow and freezing rain across the eastern plains created hazardous driving on the 24th which resulted in numerous accidents including two fatal crashes. With the low over Arizona, cold air rushed through the canyons as gusty winds along the central mountains. The upslope winds fueled bouts of heavy snow along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia Mountains where snowfall averaged 20 inches. Gascon in Mora county reported 30 inches of snow in four days while Lake Maloya near Raton was packed with 47 inches of snow between the 23rd and the 27th.
Heavy Snow, Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northwest Mountains Including Jemez / Rio Arriba Except X Se / Sanduval Except Se and X Sw / Los Alamos / Ne McKinley / Se San Juan / X Nw Santa Fe forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Heavy Snow, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro
- When
- February 27, 6:00 AM MST to February 28, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro forecast zone
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Dense Fog in New York, February 27, 19971 death · 10 injured · 1 event
- High Wind in New York, February 27, 19979 injured · $1.2 million · 70 kt wind · 16 events
- High Wind in Ohio, February 27, 1997$180,000 · 57 kt wind · 30 events
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, February 27, 1997$79,000 · 52 kt wind · 6 events
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, February 27, 1997$75,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Ohio, February 27, 1997$50,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Ohio, February 27, 1997$50,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Ohio, February 27, 1997$50,000 · 1 event
- Flood in Ohio, February 27 to 28, 1997$50,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in Michigan, February 27, 1997$20,000 · 55 kt wind · 17 events
- Flooding in Indiana, February 27 to 28, 199723 events
- Flood in Ohio, February 27 to 28, 1997$25,000 · 1 event
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5600720, 5600721, 5600722, 5600723, 5600724, 5600725, 5600726, 5600727, 5600728.