After the first winter storm earlier in the month, portions of southwest New Mexico received light snow accumulations with a second upper level system, but it was the third system that brought another round of widespread heavy snow. Another back door cold front moved down the plains on the 4th and westward through the gaps of the central mountain chain.
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.
After the first winter storm earlier in the month, portions of southwest New Mexico received light snow accumulations with a second upper level system, but it was the third system that brought another round of widespread heavy snow. Another back door cold front moved down the plains on the 4th and westward through the gaps of the central mountain chain. Snow developed along the front, including in central New Mexico, and continued through the early afternoon hours of the 5th before the upper level system moved eastward. Unlike the first winter storm, however, some of the heaviest snows were found across central portions of the state, even portions of Rio Rancho. Even Interstate 25 was closed south of Belen due to treacherous driving conditions.
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 Dec 4, 3:20 PM MST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 320 PM MST SUN DEC 4 2011 ...MAJOR WINTER STORM TONIGHT THOUGH TUESDAY NIGHT... .DISCUSSION... VERY COLD AIR WILL PLUNGE SOUTHWESTWARD INTO THE STATE TONIGHT AS THE THIRD UPPER LOW IN THE SERIES OF STORMS SINKS SLOWLY TO THE FOUR CORNERS. THIS LOW PRESSURE CENTER SHOULD SINK TO AROUND GALLUP BY SUNSET MONDAY...THEN IT WILL TRACK SLOWLY EASTWARD ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...FINALLY EXITING EASTWARD INTO THE TX PANHANDLE TUE AFTERNOON OR NIGHT. THE GFS MOVES THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW ABOUT 12 HOURS SLOWER THAN THE ECMWF...BUT THEY BOTH AGREE ON TIMING...LOCATION AND APPROXIMATE INTENSITY OF THE PRECIPITATION. SNOW WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40 AND ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. DEEP EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN. THE HEAVY SNOW WILL THEN SPREAD TO INCLUDE THE WEST CENTRAL...JEMEZ AND SOUTHERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS MONDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY MONDAY NIGHT...AND SHOULD QUITE ALL TOGETHER SOMETIME TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WE ARE ISSUING A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ZONES ALONG AND EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE VALID THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. SNOW ACCUMULATION SHOULD STOP BEFORE SUNRISE TUESDAY IN MOST LOCATIONS...BUT WE CHOSE NOT TO END THE WARNING UNTIL MID DAY DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THE TIMING OF THE SYSTEM AND BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE A SLOW RECOVERY OF INFRASTRUCTURE FROM HEAVY SNOW. SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD PEAK AT 12 TO 18 INCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS...WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS. STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD ALSO REACH 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE NE...CENTRAL AND S CENTRAL HIGHLANDS...ESTANCIA VALLEY AND MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS. THE FAR EASTERN PLAINS NEAR THE TX BORDER MAY ONLY ACCUMULATE 2 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW...AS WELL AS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY...SANTA FE METRO AREA AND NW HIGHLANDS. FARTHER WEST...ACROSS THE NW PLATEAU...CHUSKA MOUNTAINS...GALLUP AND GLENWOOD AREAS THE MOISTURE WONT BE AS RICH. WE WILL COVER THESE AREAS WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 1-4 INCHES OF SNOW...EXCEPT 3 TO 6 INCHES ABOVE 7500 FEET...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. WIND AND WIND CHILLS WILL ALSO BE A PROBLEM DURING THE STORM DUE TO A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PLUNGES SOUTHWESTWARD. A STRONG EAST WIND WILL DEVELOP BELOW CANYONS OPENING INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. SPEEDS WITH THIS GAP WIND EVENT SHOULD PEAK MONDAY WITH GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH. A LOCALIZED DOWNSLOPE EFFECT IN EAST WIND PRONE LOCATIONS SHOULD RESULT IN LOCALLY LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS...THIS INCLUDES PLACES LIKE THE ALBUQUERQUE SUNPORT. HIGH TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL VARY FROM 15 TO 35 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...WITH READINGS PEAKING IN THE TEENS FROM THE EAST MOUNTAINS NORTHEASTWARD TO NEW MEXICOS NE CORNER. WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THIS REGION WILL BE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO. DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED THROUGH MID WEEK. 44 && .AVIATION... INTERMITTENT MVFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. IMPACTING SAF...TCC...GUP AT TIMES. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TONIGHT AS COOLER AIR SPILLS INTO THE STATE. MOST TERMINAL SITES SHOULD BE IMPACT WITH MVFR AND EVENTUALLY IFR CONDITIONS. LVS HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFR LATER TONIGHT ALTHOUGH TAF INDICATES IFR AT THIS TIME. STRENGTHENING GAP WINDS WILL HIT AWW CRITERIA ABQ AIRPORT AT SOME POINT ON MONDAY...PROBABLY CENTERED MID TO LATE MORNING. AWW FOR SNOW ALSO A POSSIBILITY EITHER BEFORE THE EAST WINDS GET REVVED UP OR AFTER THEY LOWER LATER IN THE DAY. EITHER WAY...VERY ACTIVE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH QUITE A BIT OF AVIATION HAZARDS. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 10Z. 50 && .FIRE WEATHER... NO REAL BIG CHANGES. VIGOROUS COLD FRONT WILL STILL DIVE INTO THE STATE FROM THE NORTH AND EAST TONIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AND ROCKIES AND SET UP OVER WESTERN AREAS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO FEATURES WILL PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ALTHOUGH LIQUID WATER WITHIN THIS SNOWFALL WILL BE LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS 2 SYSTEMS. EITHER WAY...A GOOD PORTION OF THE STATE WILL GET BLANKETED WITH SLOW TO MELT SNOW. STRONG GAP WINDS...ESPECIALLY FROM TIJERAS DOWN TO ABO PASS WILL ALSO IMPACT AREAS TO THE WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THIS WILL MAKE FOR A BLUSTERY DAY WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. SNOW SHOULD GRADUALLY WIND DOWN DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY SHOWERS WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD WITH MUCH COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES. HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN HIGH. STILL LOOKS LIKE WEDNESDAY WILL BE DRIER WITH THE LOW MOVING OFF TO THE EAST. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FALL ACCORDINGLY BUT STILL REMAIN PRETTY HIGH. WINDS TURN MORE NORTH/NORTHWEST WITH REMAINING CHILLY TEMPERATURES. MODELS STILL SHOW THE CLIPPER SYSTEM PUSHING ACROSS THE PLAINS AND GRAZING THE ROCKIES THURSDAY/FRIDAY BUT PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE LACKING AT THIS TIME. IF PRECIPITATION WERE TO OCCUR...WOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST WITH ANOTHER BACK DOOR COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT WILL REINFORCE THE ALREADY COOL AIR IN PLACE. WEATHER MODELS SHOW A DRIER WESTERLY FLOW FOR THE WEEKEND PERIOD. PERHAPS EVEN SOME BREEZINESS FAVORING THE EASTERN PLAINS DUE TO LEE SIDE TROUGHING. 50 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 18 27 11 29 / 60 60 20 10 DULCE........................... 10 23 -2 21 / 70 70 20 10 CUBA............................ 14 24 0 22 / 70 90 60 10 GALLUP.......................... 13 26 2 25 / 50 70 30 10 EL MORRO........................ 12 21 -4 22 / 60 80 40 10 GRANTS.......................... 13 21 -1 24 / 60 90 50 10 QUEMADO......................... 13 29 1 25 / 40 70 50 10 GLENWOOD........................ 20 39 13 38 / 20 60 30 10 CHAMA........................... 10 19 -4 16 / 80 90 40 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 20 17 8 22 / 70 100 70 10 PECOS........................... 12 13 3 17 / 80 90 60 20 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 10 15 -9 18 / 70 80 50 10 RED RIVER....................... 3 10 -7 11 / 100 80 50 10 ANGEL FIRE...................... 4 10 -7 17 / 100 100 50 10 TAOS............................ 9 17 -7 21 / 40 80 50 10 MORA............................ 10 10 -2 18 / 100 100 70 10 ESPANOLA........................ 15 23 1 25 / 60 80 50 10 SANTA FE........................ 15 17 4 19 / 60 80 50 20 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 15 20 4 21 / 40 60 50 20 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 20 24 9 26 / 40 60 50 20 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 24 24 11 26 / 40 40 40 20 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 23 27 10 28 / 70 80 50 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 20 26 7 27 / 70 80 50 20 LOS LUNAS....................... 20 27 7 29 / 60 70 50 10 RIO RANCHO...................... 18 25 5 26 / 70 80 50 20 SOCORRO......................... 24 32 9 29 / 40 80 70 20 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 16 21 4 24 / 100 100 70 20 TIJERAS......................... 17 21 5 25 / 80 90 60 20 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 14 14 3 19 / 100 90 60 20 CLINES CORNERS.................. 13 13 1 15 / 100 100 60 20 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 18 21 6 23 / 70 100 70 20 CARRIZOZO....................... 20 30 10 30 / 20 50 50 20 RUIDOSO......................... 17 24 4 25 / 60 100 70 20 CAPULIN......................... 7 13 -5 17 / 80 80 40 5 RATON........................... 10 20 -6 20 / 90 80 40 5 SPRINGER........................ 10 19 -7 20 / 80 80 40 5 LAS VEGAS....................... 9 13 -2 15 / 90 100 60 10 CLAYTON......................... 14 14 5 22 / 80 60 40 5 ROY............................. 12 15 1 17 / 80 80 50 10 CONCHAS......................... 20 20 4 21 / 80 70 50 10 SANTA ROSA...................... 19 21 6 20 / 70 80 50 10 TUCUMCARI....................... 22 20 8 22 / 70 60 50 10 CLOVIS.......................... 22 21 10 23 / 70 60 50 10 PORTALES........................ 23 22 11 25 / 70 60 40 10 FORT SUMNER..................... 23 24 10 24 / 70 70 40 10 ROSWELL......................... 27 32 15 30 / 50 70 50 10 PICACHO......................... 23 27 10 26 / 60 100 60 20 ELK............................. 20 28 7 24 / 60 90 70 20 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ503-504-506>508-510>540. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ501-502-505-509. && 44/50
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 500 AM MST SUN DEC 4 2011 NMZ501>540-051200- 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- 500 AM MST SUN DEC 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON AND WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING NOW WILL SPREAD NORTH TO SOUTH BEGINNING TONIGHT. SNOW IMPACTS THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL BE GREATEST ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST. HOWEVER...IMPACTS DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL INCREASE OVER CENTRAL AND THE REMAINDER OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO TOWARD DAYBREAK MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GREATER THAN A FOOT OF NEW SNOW IS LIKELY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND AREAS ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. TRAVEL MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR MANY AREAS. PREPARE NOW FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT WINTER BLAST. A DRY BUT COLD WEATHER PATTERN WILL FOLLOW FOR LATER TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. 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. 41
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 417 PM MST SUN DEC 4 2011 NMZ501>540-051300- ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA-CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-CURRY COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY- EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-ESTANCIA VALLEY-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-GUADALUPE COUNTY-HARDING COUNTY- JEMEZ MOUNTAINS-LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-NORTHWEST PLATEAU-QUAY COUNTY- RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY- SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-SANTA FE METRO AREA- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTOS ABOVE 9500 FEET-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-UNION COUNTY-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY-WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- 417 PM MST SUN DEC 4 2011 ...MORE ROUNDS OF WINTRY WEATHER WILL IMPACT NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THROUGH MIDWEEK... ANOTHER ROUND OF WINTRY WEATHER WILL PASS ACROSS NEW MEXICO THROUGH MIDWEEK...LEAVING THE STATE FIRMLY IN THE GRIP OF WINTER CHILL WITH THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON. THIS BOUT WILL BE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL AND A MUCH DEEPER PLUNGE INTO WINTER WEATHER...WITH WIDESPREAD AND LONG LASTING SNOW BEGINNING THIS EVENING OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND EXTENDING SOUTHWARD OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. COLD AIR RAMMING WESTWARD FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL REACH NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO TONIGHT...AND THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND FALLING SNOW WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY POOR VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE STATE. AS COLD AIR PENETRATES SOUTHWARD AND BULGES WESTWARD AGAINST THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...TEMPERATURES WILL TAKE ANOTHER LARGE DROP WITH LITTLE DAYTIME WARMING EXPECTED ON MONDAY IN THE TEETH OF A VERY COLD AIR MASS OVERHEAD. AS THE WESTBOUND COLD AIR PILES UP AGAINST THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE SPEED THROUGH GAPS EARLY MONDAY MORNING...WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH BLOWING OVER THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA. WITH TEMPERATURES UNABLE TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING MONDAY...A BLUSTERY AND COLD START TO THE WORK WEEK IS ON TAP. FORECASTS SHOW THAT THE WIND SPEEDS WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS THOSE EXPERIENCED ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. WITH THE WINTER WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUING...ANOTHER WINTRY DISTURBANCE WILL DEEPEN OVER ARIZONA AND SHIFT EASTWARD ACROSS NEW MEXICO AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES WESTWARD TO MEET IT. THIS SETS UP ADDITIONAL FRESH SNOWFALL MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO FOR MONDAY...WITH NORTHERN NEW MEXICO HIGH TEMPERATURES REMAINING LOCKED TO THE TEENS AND 20S DURING THE DAY. WITH THE DISTURBANCE OVERHEAD AND COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE...SNOWFALL WILL BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE STATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AS SNOW LEVELS REMAIN AT THE SURFACE. WITH SNOW TAPERING OFF ON TUESDAY...COLD TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BEHIND...WITH TUESDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE TEENS OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...AND TO NEAR THE FREEZING MARK NEAR ROSWELL. TUESDAY NIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO DOUBLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO FOR SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAIN...ESPECIALLY NEAR EAGLE NEST AND ANGEL FIRE...AND SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE FOR AS FAR SOUTH AS INTERSTATE 40. SOME MODEST RELIEF FROM THE WINTER CHILL IS IN THE FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WORK WEEK WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS FOR EARLY DECEMBER. ANYONE PLANNING TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...AS WELL AS COMMUTERS AND SCHOOL STUDENTS...SHOULD PLAN FOR WINTRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND VERY COLD TEMPERATURES STARTING TONIGHT AND LASTING INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLAN WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS...FROM NOAA WEATHER RADIO...FROM ON LINE WEATHER PROVIDERS SUCH AS WEATHER.GOV/ABQ...AND FROM YOUR PREFERRED PRINT OR BROADCAST MEDIA. SHY
25 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Angel Fire Ski Area picked up over 8 inches of new snow.
Ski Apache received approximately 11 inches of new snow.
Around Conchas, 2 to 5 inches of snow was reported.
Four inches of snow was reported near Ragland.
Four to seven inches of snow was reported across Curry County.
Four inches of snow was reported around Fort Sumner.
The Red River Ski Area picked up over 8 inches of new snow.
Four inches of snow was reported around Santa Rosa.
Four inches of snow was reported around Portales.
The southeast slopes of the San Juan Mountains received the most snowfall. The Bateman SNOTEL picked up 10 inches of fresh snow.
Between 12 and 13 inches were reported across the Jemez Mountains by both the cooperative observer and the Pajarito Ski Area.
Another 7 to 10 inches of snow was reported across the Estancia Valley.
Three to five inches of snow was reported across the central highlands.
Over 6 inches of snow was reported near Corona.
Widespread snowfall amounts of 8 to 14 inches were reported. 14 inches of snow was reported at both Manzano and Sandia Ski Area.
Three to 5 inches of snow was reported across Roswell.
More than four inches of snow was reported across eastern Lincoln County.
Heavy snow began once the front moved into the area. Amounts of 4 to 8 inches were common in and near Laguna Pueblo, while up to a foot of snow as reported around Alamo.
Around 5 to 6 inches of snow fell across the lower Chama River Valley.
Between 4 and 7 inches of snow fell across the Santa Fe Area.
An east wind prevented the eastern sides of the city from seeing more than an inch or so of snow, however, west and northwestern portions of the metro area, including Rio Rancho, received around 4 to 6 inches of snow. Far northwestern portions of Rio Rancho reported up to 10 inches of new snow.
The lower Rio Grande Valley saw between 3 and 10.5 inches of snow. This caused portions of Interstate 25 to be shut down due to hazardous road conditions. Two semi trucks jackknifed on the interstate at mile marker 140.
Between 5 and 8 inches of snow was reported across southwest Chaves County.
Near Dulce, between 2 and 5 inches of snow was reported.
The heaviest snows were across the eastern portion of the southwest mountains. Near Magdalena, up to 10 inches of snow was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2011
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: 351039, 351048, 351049, 351051, 351052, 351054, 351038, 351050, 351053, 351036, 351037, 351045, 351046, 351047, 351044, 351055, 351056, 351034, 351040, 351041, 351042, 351043, 351057, 351033, 351035.