Two quick hitting storms crossed New Mexico, the first one arrived late on the 9th and the second one early on the 11th. Temperatures were cold enough for mostly snow to fall, with widespread light to moderate amounts across western and northern portions of the state.
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.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
Two quick hitting storms crossed New Mexico, the first one arrived late on the 9th and the second one early on the 11th. Temperatures were cold enough for mostly snow to fall, with widespread light to moderate amounts across western and northern portions of the state.
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 Mar 9, 3:04 PM MST, 5 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 304 PM MST TUE MAR 9 2010 .DISCUSSION... VERY ACTIVE AND COMPLICATED WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. COLD FRONT NOW QUICKLY MOVING THROUGH ARIZONA...AND PASSED THROUGH KFLG AROUND 2 HOURS OR SO AGO. TEMPERATURES QUICKLY PLUMMETTED INTO THE 20S WITH HEAVY SNOW...AND A BIT OF LIGHTNING. THIS FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO EMBARK UPON THE WESTERN BORDER AROUND 00Z. SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO QUICKLY DROP AS THE FRONT PASSES AND PRECIPITATION WILL SPEED UP THE SITUATION AS AMBIENT DEWPOINT TEMPS ARE IN THE LOW 20S. THOUGH PRECIP MAY BEGIN AS RAIN...IT WILL VERY QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES ALONG THE MAIN FRONTAL BAND...AND IN ADDITION...WINDS WILL BE FAIRLY BREEZY BEHIND IT...WHICH MAY CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THOUGH PRECIP WILL ONLY LAST 3 OR SO HOURS ACROSS THE WEST...THE IMPACT WILL BE GREAT AS SNOW RATES WILL BE QUITE HIGH. EARLIER ADDED THE WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU TO THE WINTER WX ADVISORY...AND HAVE ALSO DECIDED TO ADD THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU AS WELL...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT AS HIGH THAT MUCH OF THE AREA WILL RECEIVE ADVISORY AMTS OF SNOW. FRONT WILL QUICKLY MARCH EASTWARD THIS EVENING AND SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT PARTS OF ALBUQUERQUE MAY RECEIVE UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW. WILL UPGRADE THE WATCH TO A WARNING...AS WELL AS INCLUDE A FEW MORE ZONES. BACK DOOR COLD FRONT AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATED UPSLOPE FLOW SHOULD ALLOW FOR THE GREATEST AMOUNTS TO BE IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AS THEY SHOULD GET HIT FROM BOTH THE EAST AND THE WEST. AS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...700 MB TEMPS WILL DROP TO -8 TO -11C ACROSS THE WEST AND AROUND -7 OR -8C IN THE EAST...MORE THAN COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW...AND POTENTIALLY HIGH SNOW RATIOS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. LOOKS INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT THE NORTHEAST WILL GET WARNING AMOUNTS...AND HAVE PUT THEM IN A WARNING AS WELL. THOUGH THIS AREA WONT RECEIVE SNOW UNTIL LATER...THUS WILL START THE WARNING AT 06Z. WILL ALSO SURROUND THE WARNINGS WITH ADVISORIES. THOUGH MOST OF THIS SNOW WILL COME WITH THIS FIRST UPPER LEVEL LOW CROSSING THE STATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...ANOTHER BAGGY UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL QUICKLY SWING OVER THE STATE WEDNESDAY EVENING. RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO SEPARATE THE EVENTS WITH REGARDS TO HIGHLIGHTS...HAVE DECIDED TO EXTEND THE WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR THE NORTH ANOTHER FEW HOURS TO CAPTURE THE ADDITIONAL SNOW. THEREFORE...THESE HIGHLIGHTS WILL RUN THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. ITS POSSIBLE THAT LATER SHIFTS WILL BE ABLE TO CANCEL AT LEAST THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE WARNING BEFORE THIS TIME. SO THATS THE WINTER HIGHLIGHTS...NOW FOR THE WIND. WELCOME TO SPRING. AS SAID PREVIOUSLY...WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG BEHIND THE FRONT...AND WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON HOURS AS THE SURFACE LOW DEEPENS ACROSS NORTHEAST NM/CENTRAL PANHANDLES. THIS COMBINED WITH SOME OF THE 50KT OF MOMENTUM AT 700MB MIXING DOWN...SHOULD PROVIDE FOR A WINDY DAY. WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY TO HIGHLIGHT IT...THOUGH WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE ONE OR TWO SITES BRIEFLY HIT HIGH WIND CRITERIA. A BREAK IN THE ACTION IS EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THEN MODELS CONTINUE TO DIVERGE FOR THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ON SUNDAY. BOTH MODELS...GFS AND EURO..ARE ADVERTISING A CLOSED LOW...BUT...IN VERY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. AS A COMPROMISE...SIDING WITH THE CANADIAN WHICH BRINGS A CLOSED LOW OVER NORTHERN/NORTHEASTERN NM. HAVE INTRODUCED SOME SMALL POPS ACROSS THE NORTH/NE IN THE EXTENDED. 34 && .AVIATION... CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT. QUITE A BIT OF MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS CURRENTLY EXIST ACROSS ARIZONA AND THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM. THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD INTO WESTERN NM THIS EVENING AND AFFECT CENTRAL LOCATIONS BY LATE EVENING AND CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE EAST...ESPECIALLY NORTHEAST HALF INTO WEDNESDAY. THERE WILL BE A QUICK CHANGE OVER FROM RAIN/SNOW MIX TO SNOW ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE TERMINAL FORECASTS INDICATE A 1 TO 2 HOUR DELAY. IN REALISTIC SENSE IT COULD BE A MATTER OF 30 MINUTES SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. STRONG GUSTS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS FRONTAL PUSH WITH STRONG WINDS REMAINING ACROSS THE HIGHER RIDGETOPS THROUGH THE TONIGHT PERIOD. RESIDUAL STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE DAY PERIOD. GUSTS BETWEEN 30 TO 47 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE. AWW WINDS WILL MOST LIKELY AFFECT THE ABQ AIRPORT TONIGHT...ALTHOUGH COULD BE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD AS WELL AS ANOTHER CHANCE LATE MORNING INTO THE MID AFTERNOON. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 10Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE WITH AN ACTIVE PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM TRACK. THE NEXT IN A SERIES WILL IMPACT NEW MEXICO TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY. A WEAKER DISTURBANCE WILL COME DOWN FROM THE NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE STATE THROUGH THURSDAY AND MOST LIKELY THURSDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD WILL TREND DOWN QUITE CONSIDERABLY AND THIS WILL ALSO RAISE HUMIDITY VALUES...AT LEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF. SOUTHERN AREAS SHOULD SEE SOME DRY SLOTTING EFFECTS BUT WILL BE MUTED SOME IN TERMS OF HUMIDITY DUE TO THE COOLER CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE WITH THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE TO REMAIN FAIRLY BRISK MOST AREAS...ESPECIALLY SOUTHERN HALF AND MOST OF THE EAST ON WEDNESDAY. AS A RESULT...VENTILATION WILL BE RATED GOOD OR BETTER DURING THIS PERIOD. WETTING SNOW AND PRECIPITATION RESULTS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATE 40 NORTHWARD AND ALSO INCLUDE THE NORTHEAST THIRD OVER THE NEXT 48 TO 60 HOURS. BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS PAINT A DRY SCENARIO WITH SHORTWAVE RIDGING ON FRIDAY AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETS UP SHOP OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN COOLER ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH READINGS RANGING BETWEEN 5 TO 13 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WEATHER MODELS DO INDICATE SOME MID LEVEL DRY SLOTTING...ESPECIALLY AFFECTING THE MIDSLOPE AND HIGHER RIDGE AREAS ON FRIDAY. AS A RESULT...HUMIDITY VALUES WILL LOWER...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTH WHERE THERE ISNT EXPECTED TO BE A FRESH SNOWPACK. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TREND SOME ON FRIDAY ALTHOUGH SOME BRISK WINDS WILL REMAIN. MIXING HEIGHTS WILL LOWER SO VENTILATION RATINGS WILL BE LOWER. ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL AREAS. IT APPEARS THAT SATURDAY WILL REMAIN DRIER AHEAD OF THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM. WEATHER MODELS...SUCH AS THE GFS AND ECWMF CONTINUE TO BE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER ON THE SYSTEM PASSAGE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY BUT HAVE TO BELIEVE THE MORE BULLISH ECMWF AT THIS POINT. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT NAILED THE CURRENT SYSTEM PASSAGE SEVERAL DAYS OUT. WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A POSSIBILITY WITH THIS SYSTEM PASSAGE. THE WIND FLOW WILL ALSO INCREASE AND AID THE VENTILATION. ONCE THE ABOVE MENTIONED SYSTEM PULLS OUT IT APPEARS THAT THERE COULD BE A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTION. A RETURN TO DRIER CONDITIONS SHOULD OCCUR SOMETIME DURING THE EARLIER HALF OF NEXT WEEK. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 30 42 27 47 / 80 30 40 10 DULCE........................... 24 37 21 40 / 80 40 50 30 CUBA............................ 24 37 22 40 / 90 40 40 40 GALLUP.......................... 25 38 22 41 / 80 20 40 20 EL MORRO........................ 22 37 20 39 / 80 30 40 30 GRANTS.......................... 24 41 22 42 / 70 20 30 20 QUEMADO......................... 22 41 20 40 / 80 20 40 20 GLENWOOD........................ 26 52 28 52 / 70 10 20 10 CHAMA........................... 16 37 16 37 / 80 50 50 40 LOS ALAMOS...................... 24 41 22 41 / 70 30 30 40 PECOS........................... 23 41 21 40 / 60 40 30 40 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 21 39 17 39 / 70 70 50 50 RED RIVER....................... 18 32 13 30 / 80 80 50 50 ANGEL FIRE...................... 17 33 14 33 / 80 80 60 50 TAOS............................ 25 40 22 42 / 70 50 50 50 ESPANOLA........................ 29 46 28 48 / 60 30 30 40 SANTA FE........................ 23 41 22 40 / 60 40 30 40 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 25 44 24 43 / 50 30 30 40 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 30 47 28 47 / 60 20 20 30 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 31 49 29 48 / 50 10 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 30 50 27 50 / 50 10 20 20 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 31 51 28 49 / 50 10 20 20 LOS LUNAS....................... 31 53 29 51 / 40 10 10 20 RIO RANCHO...................... 31 50 29 48 / 50 10 20 20 SOCORRO......................... 32 54 31 53 / 30 5 5 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 25 43 23 41 / 60 20 30 30 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 26 45 24 42 / 50 20 20 40 CLINES CORNERS.................. 24 41 22 38 / 40 20 20 50 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 28 47 26 44 / 30 10 10 20 CARRIZOZO....................... 29 51 28 49 / 20 5 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 28 43 25 42 / 20 10 10 20 CAPULIN......................... 23 39 18 39 / 80 80 50 20 RATON........................... 24 43 21 43 / 70 70 50 20 LAS VEGAS....................... 22 43 20 38 / 50 50 20 40 CLAYTON......................... 27 43 25 45 / 50 70 20 10 ROY............................. 28 46 26 44 / 40 50 20 20 CONCHAS......................... 32 55 28 45 / 30 20 10 30 SANTA ROSA...................... 30 54 29 46 / 20 10 10 40 TUCUMCARI....................... 31 53 27 45 / 10 20 10 40 CLOVIS.......................... 31 53 29 49 / 5 5 5 20 PORTALES........................ 32 55 30 51 / 5 5 5 20 FORT SUMNER..................... 33 57 29 50 / 10 5 10 40 ROSWELL......................... 36 64 33 55 / 5 0 0 20 PICACHO......................... 33 56 30 51 / 10 5 5 20 ELK............................. 30 50 28 47 / 10 5 10 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 4 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ533-535>538. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ529-531. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ527-528-530. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ517-518. WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521>524-526-539-540. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ501-502-505-506. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-504-510>516. && 34/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 532 AM MST TUE MAR 9 2010 NMZ501>540-101300- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 532 AM MST TUE MAR 9 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL EXCEED FOUR INCHES ABOVE 8000 FEET. UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SNOW WILL TRACK ACROSS NEW MEXICO TONIGHT...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWS TO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO STARTING EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SNOWFALL TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WILL PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS MAY EXCEED EIGHT INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET. THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS STILL UNCERTAIN...WHICH COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON ACCUMULATIONS. IN ADDITION...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40. WILL SPEEDS COULD RANGE FROM 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. ADDITIONAL LIGHT TO POSSIBLY MODERATE SNOW IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...WITH THE BEST THREAT FOR ACCUMULATIONS BEING CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. DPORTER
14 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Two to six inches of snow was common across the Northwest Plateau, but up to 8 and 9 inches were reported around Farmington.
Up to nine inches of snow fell in the San Juan Mountains.
While only six inches of snow was common across the Jemez mountains, up to 16 inches was reported over the highest terrain.
Up to 13 inches of snow fell across the West Slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
Seven to 18 inches of snow was reported across the Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 9500 feet.
Up to 20 inches of snow fell on the Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains above 9500 feet.
Three to six inches of snow was common across the Upper Rio Grande Valley.
Two to seven inches of snow fell across the Lower Chama River Valley.
Up to 8 inches of snow fell across the Far northeast Plains.
Eight to 18 inches of snow was common across the East Slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Six to ten inches of snow was reported at several locations across Union County.
Three to five inches of snow was common across the Santa Fe Metro Area.
Ten to 20 inches of snow fell over the higher terrain of the South Central Mountains.
Two to nine inches of snow fell across the Sandia/Manzano Mountains.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 2010
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 210584, 210585, 210588, 210590, 210592, 210593, 210600, 210602, 210611, 210596, 210612, 210605, 210610, 210609.