New Mexico, 2004

Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 21 to 23, 2004

December 21 to 23, 2004 · NWS ABQ · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A one-two punch of cold temperatures and heavy snow developed along the eastern slopes of the central mountains and across the eastern plains as the season's first surge of arctic air swept down the eastern side of the state and then was overridden by several passing upper level storms. Heavy snows of 5 to 10 inches were reported along and just east of the central mountains stretching from Raton…

The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

A one-two punch of cold temperatures and heavy snow developed along the eastern slopes of the central mountains and across the eastern plains as the season's first surge of arctic air swept down the eastern side of the state and then was overridden by several passing upper level storms. Heavy snows of 5 to 10 inches were reported along and just east of the central mountains stretching from Raton and Capulin south past Las Vegas, Clines Corners, Corona, Capitan and Ruidoso. Most of the easterly plains received amounts 3 to 4 inches with heaviest amounts of 6 to 7 inches concentrated from Roswell to Tatum.

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Far Northeast Plains / Union Except X Nw / X Se Colfax forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Capitan/Northern Sacramento Mountains / Sc Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM 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.

Heavy Snow, Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Chaves County Plains / Chaves Except X Sw forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Conchas Lake/Guadalupe / E San Miguel / Guadalupe forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, De Baca

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
De Baca forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley / Lincoln Except Sc forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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

When
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 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
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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
December 21, 9:00 PM MST to December 23, 6:00 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
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2004

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: 5432312, 5432313, 5432314, 5432315, 5432316, 5432317, 5432318, 5432425, 5432426.