New Mexico, 1997Winter Storm in New Mexico, March 24 to 25, 1997
March 24 to 25, 1997 · NWS ABQ · 10 events in 10 counties and zones
A winter storm brought an abrupt end to unusually warm spring weather across New Mexico producing heavy snows in the mountains and central valleys and setting the stage for a damaging freeze. Snow amounts averaged about 6 inches in the mountains and 2-3 inches in the valleys, but Lake Maloya near Raton reported 12 inches of snow.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
A winter storm brought an abrupt end to unusually warm spring weather across New Mexico producing heavy snows in the mountains and central valleys and setting the stage for a damaging freeze. Snow amounts averaged about 6 inches in the mountains and 2-3 inches in the valleys, but Lake Maloya near Raton reported 12 inches of snow. Blowing snow closed the road between Raton and Clayton while Interstate 25 was closed between Raton and Las Vegas after snow was turned into an ice pack. Over 2000 homes were without power during the morning of the 25th in Albuquerque when heavy, wet snow weighed down tree branches onto power lines. Freeze damage followed the snow causing losses of 65 to 100 percent of some stone fruit crops in Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties. Other trees and ornamental plants which had responded to unusually warm spring weather also suffered under the weight of snow and cold temperatures.
Winter Storm, 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
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM 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
Winter Storm, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Winter Storm, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Winter Storm, Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax forecast zone
Winter Storm, Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw forecast zone
Winter Storm, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM 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
Winter Storm, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM 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
Winter Storm, Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM 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
Winter Storm, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Winter Storm, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval
- When
- March 24, 5:00 PM MST to March 25, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
- 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.
- Hail in Kansas, March 24, 1997$1.0 million · 1.75 in hail · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 24 to 25, 1997$86,000 · 1.75 in hail · 46 events
- Flooding in Iowa, March 24 to 31, 1997$50,000 · 5 events
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 24, 1997$50,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 24, 1997$36,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 24, 1997$25,000 · 52 kt wind · 1 event
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 24 to 25, 199710 events
- Lightning Strike in Kansas, March 24, 1997$13,000 · 1 event
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 24 to 25, 19976 events
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 24 to 25, 19975 events
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, March 24, 19975 events
- High Wind in South Dakota, March 24, 199757 kt wind · 4 events
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: 5604122, 5604123, 5604124, 5604125, 5604216, 5604217, 5604218, 5604219, 5604220, 5604221.