Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 1998

Name: Drought in New Mexico, December 1 to 31, 1998
Start: 1998-12-01T00:00
End: 1998-12-31T23:59
Location: New Mexico

December 1 to 31, 1998 · NWS ABQ · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

Some of the driest early winter conditions in many years persisted across New Mexico during December. Ski operators either delayed openings or else were forced into extended snow making.

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.

Some of the driest early winter conditions in many years persisted across New Mexico during December. Ski operators either delayed openings or else were forced into extended snow making. Forest managers sighted the lack of snow cover which set the stage for high fire danger in the following spring. Several wildland fires flared and required control efforts. Ranchers bemoaned poor rangeland conditions and drying stock water supplies, while fall wheat crops struggled to survive or to germinate.

Event by event

22 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County / Se Santa Fe / W San Miguel / Torrance Except X W / E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Curry

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Curry forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, De Baca

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: De Baca forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Guadalupe Mountains of Chaves County / X Sw Chaves forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Harding

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Harding forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Lower Rio Grande Valley / Part of C and E Socorro forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Middle Rio Grande Valley / X Sc Sanduval / Valencia Except X E / X E Cibola / Bernalillo Except E and X Nw

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northeast Highlands / All But X W and X Se Colfax / All But X W Mora / C San Miguel / X Nw Union

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, 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: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Northwest Plateau / San Juan Except X Sw and Se / Nc McKinley forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Quay

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Quay forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Roosevelt

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sandia/Manzano Mountains / Most of W Santa Fe / E Bernalillo / X Se Sanduval / X W Torrance / E Valencia / Part of E Socorro

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Sangre de Cristo Mountains / Taos / X W Mora / X Se Rio Arriba / Ne Santa Fe / X W Colfax / X Nw San Miguel

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Southwest Mountains/Upper Gila Region / Catron Except N / Part of W Socorro forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Upper Rio Grande Valley / Nw Santa Fe / Part of Se Rio Arriba / Part of Se Sanduval forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Drought, Westcentral Mountains / McKinley Except Nc and Ne / Cibola Except X E / N Catron / X Sw Sanduval / X Nw Bernalillo / X Nw Socorro

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:59 PM 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
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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

Every storm in New Mexico in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, December 1998

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: 5676588, 5676589, 5676590, 5676591, 5676592, 5676593, 5676594, 5676595, 5676596, 5676597, 5676598, 5676599, 5676600, 5676601, 5676702, 5676703, 5676704, 5676705, 5676706, 5676707, 5676708, 5676709.