Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 1, 2008

Name: Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 1, 2008
Start: 2008-12-01T00:00
End: 2008-12-01T04:00
Location: New Mexico

December 1, 2008 · NWS ABQ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A short wave trough embedded in a broad cyclonic flow over New Mexico swept across far northeast portion of the state. While snow was isolated, it was quite impressive, with snow amounts between 10 and 15 inches around Capulin, Des Moines and Folsom, while 4 inches fell around Grenville.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 10:11 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:11 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 5:21 PM MST, 6 hours 39 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 30, 8:13 PM MST, 3 hours 47 minutes before

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Local storm report, Nov 30, 8:16 PM MST, 3 hours 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Nov 30, 9:29 PM MST, 2 hours 31 minutes before

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Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northeast Highlands

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to 4:00 AM MST
Where: Northeast Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Far Northeast Plains

When: December 1, 12:00 AM MST to 4:00 AM MST
Where: Far Northeast Plains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

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

Every storm in New Mexico in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, December 2008

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: 138079, 138080.