Heavy Snow, Lea
- When
- December 11, 5:30 AM MST to 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Lea forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 32.792, -103.412 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 11, 1998
A strong upper level storm system interacted with copious amounts of Gulf and Pacific moisture to produce a heavy snow event across portions of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. This storm system moved from west to east across the area with snowfall amounts up to 11 inches in southern Lea County.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 MAF wrote it up.
A strong upper level storm system interacted with copious amounts of Gulf and Pacific moisture to produce a heavy snow event across portions of Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. This storm system moved from west to east across the area with snowfall amounts up to 11 inches in southern Lea County. The closest official recording station at Midland International Airport, Texas set new records for the greatest daily snowfall, the greatest single event snowfall, and the greatest monthly amount with the total of 9.75". Numerous traffic accidents were reported on icy roads with a few injuries. The heavy snowfall also resulted in loss of power for some communities.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- 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.
The same day elsewhere
More
Every storm in New Mexico in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5674524.