New Mexico, 1997

Winter Storm in New Mexico, January 6 to 7, 1997

January 6 to 7, 1997 · NWS EPZ · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A major winter storm brought snow to most of New Mexico with 3 to 6 inches of snow common at valley locations in the local area and significantly heavier amounts in the mountains. 1280 motorests were stranded in Truth or Consequences as Interstate 25 was closed for most of the distance between Las Cruces and a point about 30 miles north of Socorro.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 EPZ wrote it up.

A major winter storm brought snow to most of New Mexico with 3 to 6 inches of snow common at valley locations in the local area and significantly heavier amounts in the mountains. 1280 motorests were stranded in Truth or Consequences as Interstate 25 was closed for most of the distance between Las Cruces and a point about 30 miles north of Socorro. Interstate 10 was also closed between El Paso, Texas and the Arizona border. Several other state or U.S. highways were either closed due to the storm or partially blocked due to traffic accidents. As a result of these road closures, an estimated 400 people were forced stay overnight in the Pan American Center on the Campus of New Mexico State University after a concert.

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southern Desert

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Desert forecast zone

Winter Storm, Sierra County Lakes Region

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Sierra County Lakes Region forecast zone

Winter Storm, Southern Sacramento Mountains

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Sacramento Mountains forecast zone

Winter Storm, Southwest Desert Mimbres Basin

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Desert Mimbres Basin forecast zone

Winter Storm, Southwest Desert/Boothill

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Desert/Boothill forecast zone

Winter Storm, Southwest Mountains/Lower Gila Region

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Mountains/Lower Gila Region forecast zone

Winter Storm, Tularosa Basin/Southern Desert

When
January 6, 8:00 AM MST to January 7, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Tularosa Basin/Southern Desert forecast zone

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 1997

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5613452, 5613453, 5613454, 5613455, 5613456, 5613457, 5613458.