A slow moving upper level low pressure system slid eastward across central New Mexico on the 2nd and 3rd. This combined with a back door cold front that ushered in abundant low level moisture, set the stage for a late season winter event.
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.
A slow moving upper level low pressure system slid eastward across central New Mexico on the 2nd and 3rd. This combined with a back door cold front that ushered in abundant low level moisture, set the stage for a late season winter event. Heavy, wet snow plagued the northern mountains, as well as portions of central and northeast New Mexico. Snow amounts of one to two feet were reported across the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In addition to the snow, very strong northerly winds brought down approximately 150 power poles across northeast New Mexico. The strong winds and blowing snow caused near zero visibilities which caused many roads to close, including Interstate 25 north of Springer.
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 Apr 2, 2:55 AM MST, 8 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 355 AM MDT MON APR 2 2012 ...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED OVER THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS WITH A TOUCH OF WINTER IN SURROUNDING HIGH TERRAIN ZONES... .DISCUSSION...BIG TEMPERATURE CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY TO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT AS THE TROUGH ALOFT DIGS FARTHER INTO THE WESTERN SECTION OF THE STATE. THE FEATURE WILL PUSH OVER CENTRAL AREAS OF THE STATE TODAY...BRINGING IN A COLD CORE ALOFT AS IT CLOSES OFF. ANY PRECIPITATION THIS MORNING WILL LIKELY REMAIN SHOWERY AND LIGHT...BUT THIS WILL QUICKLY CHANGE BY THE AFTERNOON AS DYNAMICS NEAR AND JUST NORTH OF THE CORE OF THE LOW BEGIN TO INTERACT WITH SECONDARY FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING ARRIVING FROM THE NORTH. RAPIDLY INCREASING UPWARD MOTION WILL MEET UP WITH SOME BETTER MOISTURE THAT WILL GET TRANSPORTED THROUGH THE WARM SECTOR OF THE FEATURE...AND THE FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING SHOULD EXPLOIT THIS TO PRODUCE MESOSCALE BANDS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION. SOME DISCREPANCIES ON EXACT PLACEMENT OF THE CORE OF THE LOW ARE STILL IN EXISTENCE...AND THIS MAKES IT TRICKY TO NAIL DOWN THE EXACT AREA OF HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION...BUT FROM A SNOW IMPACT THE RATON PASS AND THE SANGRES APPEAR TO TAKE A BIG IMPACT. SNOW LEVELS WILL STILL REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH DESPITE THE COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT...WITH ACCUMULATIONS GENERALLY STAYING AT OR ABOVE 8000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. THAT BEING SAID...TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE BELOW NORMAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL DAYS...SOME 20 TO 30 DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED IN THE SANGRES...SAN JUANS...SANDIA/MANZANOS...AND THE RATON RIDGE WHILE THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO A WINTER WX ADVISORY. THE OTHER ISSUE WILL BE THE SCREAMING WINDS IN THE NORTHEAST AS THE BACK DOOR SEGMENT OF THE FRONT PLUNGES IN. HAVE HOISTED A WIND ADVISORY FOR FAR NE HIGHLANDS...HARDING...AND UNION COUNTIES TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. THE FAR NE HIGHLANDS AS WELL AS THE HIGHLANDS EXTENDING THROUGH LAS VEGAS AND CLINES CORNERS WILL JUMP INTO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS EVENING WHEN DARKNESS FALLS AND TEMPERATURES CAN BEGIN TO SUPPORT SOME ACCUMULATION. THE TONIGHT PERIOD WILL STILL BE AN OPTIMAL TIME FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO CONTINUE RACKING UP SOME SNOW ACCUMULATION...ESPECIALLY ABOVE 8000 FEET. WHILE SOME SNOW MAY MIX IN WITH RAIN IN LOWER ELEVATIONS OF 5000-6000 FEET THE TEMPERATURE PROFILES AND WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES FROM THE RECENT STRETCH OF RECORD WARMTH SHOULD PRECLUDE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION. INTO TUESDAY MORNING THE MODEL CONSENSUS IS THAT THE LOW WILL WORK TOWARDS THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF THE STATE...BUT SOME DIFFERENCES ARE STILL NOTED AMONG THE MODEL SOLUTIONS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LIKELY CLIMB BACK TO A 7000 TO 8000 FOOT LEVEL TOWARD THE NOON HOUR...ALLOWING SOME OF THE MID SLOPE AND HIGHLAND ZONES TO LOSE WINTER IMPACTS. IMPACTS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAIN ZONES...BUT AS THE AFTERNOON ENDS...PRECIPITATION SHOULD DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. LOWER GRADE POPS HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE FORECAST OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN ZONES THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY LAST REMNANTS OF WRAP AROUND PRECIPITATION AS THE LOW EXITS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE SEVERAL DEGREES BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH ONLY HIGH CLOUDS BEING OBSERVED WITH RISING HEIGHTS AND 700 MB TEMPERATURES. WINDS STILL APPEAR TO INCREASE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A TROUGH FEATURE IS CARVED OVER THE GREAT BASIN...AND THE GRADIENT ALOFT IS TIGHTENED OVER NEW MEXICO. TEMPERATURES WOULD BE BACK ABOVE NORMAL IN MOST LOCALES BY THIS TIME. THE MODELS THEN ADVERTISE SOME RETURN FLOW OFF OF THE GULF BY THE WEEKEND...AND THIS COULD INTRODUCE SOME PRECIPITATION...MOSTLY TO THE SOUTHEASTERN ZONES DEPENDING ON HOW THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN UNFOLDS. 52 && .AVIATION...A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS THIS MORNING WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THE FRONT. HOWEVER...A STRONG BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NE PLAINS AROUND 15Z MONDAY MAKING SOME SOUTHWARD PROGRESS DURING THE DAY...BUT STRONG AND GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS SHOULD REMAIN NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 THROUGH AROUND 06Z TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL EXTEND FROM KRTN TO KLVS AND EAST TO KCAO. ADDITIONALLY... PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP AROUND 15Z AND WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THROUGH 00Z THEN CONTINUING THROUGH THE PERIOD. MVFR TO IFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...ESPECIALLY FROM THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN TO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EAST FROM 18Z THROUGH 06Z AS WELL. NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 21Z. 05 && .FIRE WEATHER...CONTRASTING CONDITIONS ARE IN STORE FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THIS WEEK. CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE QUICKLY TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL STORM CURRENTLY NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS DEEPENS AND CLOSES OFF OVER NEW MEXICO. A PACIFIC COLD FRONT MOVING WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE TODAY WILL RESULT IN MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES ALL AREAS TODAY. BY MID MORNING...A STRONG BACK DOOR FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS. PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP FIRST ACROSS THE NORTH AND POSSIBLY THE WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN TODAY AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE FINALLY TAPERING OFF LATE TUESDAY AND INTO WEDNESDAY. A FEW HOURS OF CRITICAL WIND AND RH BELOW 15 PERCENT ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST ZONES TODAY BUT WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED. OTHERWISE EXPECT WETTING PRECIPITATION WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOCUSED ON THE NORTHERN HIGH TERRAIN AND EAST SLOPES AND HIGHLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS TODAY AND EARLY THIS EVENING ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. OVERNIGHT RH RECOVERIES TONIGHT TO BE EXCELLENT ACROSS THE NORTH AND MAINLY GOOD ELSEWHERE. PRECIPITATION AND COOL TEMPERATURES LINGER INTO TUESDAY ALTHOUGH A MODEST WARM UP WILL BE NOTED ACROSS THE WEST. VENTILATION TO BE GOOD TO VERY GOOD MOST LOCATIONS. THE CLOSED UPPER LOW SHOULD BE EAST OF THE STATE BY LATE IN THE DAY. TEMPERATURES WARM DRAMATICALLY ON WEDNESDAY AND WARMING CONTINUES ON THURSDAY AS SHORT WAVE RIDGING MOVES ACROSS THE STATE. STEADY DRYING ACCOMPANIES THE WARMING TREND WITH AFTERNOON RH ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BELOW 15 PERCENT BY THURSDAY THOUGH WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW LOOKS TO REMAIN BELOW CRITICAL VALUES. AS ANOTHER SYSTEM DEEPENS OVER THE GREAT BASIN EARLY FRIDAY... THE SOUTHWEST GRADIENT AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM STRENGTHENS AND WEST TO SOUTHWEST SURFACE WINDS INCREASE ON FRIDAY. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE BOTH EAST AND WEST. TEMPERATURES COOL A BIT MOST LOCATIONS BUT AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN AROUND BE 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE EAST. HIGH HAINES OF 6 IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. 05 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 55 34 57 33 / 30 20 10 5 DULCE........................... 51 29 50 26 / 50 40 30 10 CUBA............................ 49 30 48 28 / 50 50 40 10 GALLUP.......................... 47 27 56 29 / 20 20 5 0 EL MORRO........................ 44 27 53 27 / 30 30 20 0 GRANTS.......................... 47 26 55 26 / 30 30 20 5 QUEMADO......................... 46 28 57 30 / 20 20 10 0 GLENWOOD........................ 58 34 65 36 / 0 0 0 0 CHAMA........................... 45 25 44 21 / 60 50 60 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 49 31 46 31 / 60 60 40 5 PECOS........................... 49 30 44 31 / 80 80 50 20 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 49 24 42 22 / 60 70 60 20 RED RIVER....................... 38 21 34 16 / 80 80 70 30 ANGEL FIRE...................... 40 21 38 16 / 90 90 70 40 TAOS............................ 50 28 45 27 / 60 60 50 10 MORA............................ 43 27 43 27 / 90 90 60 30 ESPANOLA........................ 55 31 51 31 / 50 50 40 5 SANTA FE........................ 50 31 45 33 / 60 70 50 5 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 52 32 49 34 / 60 60 40 5 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 52 37 54 37 / 40 60 30 5 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 53 38 55 39 / 40 50 30 5 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 55 37 57 33 / 30 50 30 5 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 55 37 57 38 / 30 40 30 5 LOS LUNAS....................... 57 37 60 34 / 30 30 20 0 RIO RANCHO...................... 54 37 57 40 / 30 50 30 5 SOCORRO......................... 57 41 62 41 / 5 20 10 5 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 48 31 49 26 / 70 70 40 5 TIJERAS......................... 54 34 55 37 / 60 70 40 5 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 52 33 51 28 / 60 60 40 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 47 31 46 32 / 70 80 40 10 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 49 35 53 37 / 20 50 30 5 CARRIZOZO....................... 54 34 57 37 / 5 30 10 5 RUIDOSO......................... 46 33 49 36 / 10 30 20 5 CAPULIN......................... 47 29 39 28 / 80 90 70 30 RATON........................... 48 31 42 28 / 90 90 60 30 SPRINGER........................ 57 32 50 31 / 90 90 60 30 LAS VEGAS....................... 50 31 44 32 / 80 90 60 30 CLAYTON......................... 61 34 48 35 / 20 70 60 30 ROY............................. 57 34 49 35 / 40 70 60 20 CONCHAS......................... 66 37 57 38 / 30 60 50 20 SANTA ROSA...................... 61 36 55 38 / 40 60 40 20 TUCUMCARI....................... 69 38 57 38 / 20 50 40 20 CLOVIS.......................... 66 36 56 37 / 20 30 30 10 PORTALES........................ 66 39 58 39 / 10 30 20 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 65 39 58 39 / 20 40 20 10 ROSWELL......................... 68 43 63 43 / 5 10 0 5 PICACHO......................... 61 38 61 39 / 5 20 20 5 ELK............................. 56 34 58 37 / 5 20 10 5 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ510-512>515-521-527. WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ528-530-531. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ523-528-529. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ511. && 52/05
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 557 AM MDT MON APR 2 2012 NMZ501>540-031200- 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- 557 AM MDT MON APR 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A POTENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TO PARTS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP ALONG A COLD FRONT THAT WILL PLUNGE INTO NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON WHERE SOME OCCASIONAL GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 AND 55 MPH WILL OCCUR. SNOW WILL FAVOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WITH SEVERAL INCHES TO UPWARDS OF A FOOT OR MORE OF ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER SOME THIS EVENING...AND ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY SPREAD INTO THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR BETWEEN GLORIETA AND RATON AS WELL AS THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR NEAR TIJERAS AND CLINES CORNERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS TUESDAY BEFORE SLOWLY DECREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. IMPACTS TO TRAVEL MAY CONTINUE IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS THROUGH THIS TIME. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT 1.888.386.7637 OR VIA THE WEB AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ. 52
12 heavy snow, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow totals of 6 to 11 inches were reported across the San Juan Mountains. The highest amounts were at area SNOTELs.
Between 6 and 12 inches of snow was reported across the Jemez Mountains.
Area SNOTELs and Sipapu Ski area picked up between 9 and 16 inches of snow.
Approximately 20 inches of snow fell at Taos Ski area while area SNOTELs picked up between 12 and 14 inches of snow.
The Wesner Springs SNOTEL picked up an estimated 22 inches of snow.
Area SNOTELs received up to 18 inches of snow, while in the towns of Angel Fire and Eagle Nest, 11 to 12 inches of snow was reported.
An estimated 50 power poles were toppled by strong northerly winds.
Between 6 and 12 inches of snow was reported, including 12 inches at Sandia Park and 8 inches at Sedillo.
Up to 7 inches of snow fell around the Taos area.
Around 8 inches of snow fell at the Raton Pass, while 10 inches of snow fell at Capulin.
Between 6 and 12 inches fell across the northeast highlands, including around a foot at Wagon Mound.
Estimated wind gusts of 70 mph were reported near Gladstone, while the Clayton ASOS reported wind gusts up to 59 mph. These strong winds took out an estimated 50 power poles across the area.
An estimated 50 power poles were toppled by strong northerly winds.
Between 6 and 8 inches of snow fell across northern Union County, which turned the dirt roads to mud. The southern half of the county saw little to no snow.
In the far northern reaches of the Estancia Valley, northeast of Stanley, 6.5 inches of snow was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, April 2012
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: 364151, 364152, 364153, 364154, 364155, 364156, 364167, 364158, 364157, 364160, 364161, 364164, 364165, 364162, 364159.