A shallow moist, arctic air mass firmly entrenched over eastern New Mexico combined with deep moist southwest flow over the area created widespread freezing drizzle and very light snow. The combination of frigid temperatures and light frozen or freezing precipitation created significant impacts to travel over southeastern New Mexico.
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 shallow moist, arctic air mass firmly entrenched over eastern New Mexico combined with deep moist southwest flow over the area created widespread freezing drizzle and very light snow. The combination of frigid temperatures and light frozen or freezing precipitation created significant impacts to travel over southeastern New Mexico. Many state and U.S. highways were closed for several hours due to black ice and extremely dangerous travel 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 30, 6:26 AM MST, 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 626 AM MST TUE DEC 30 2014 .UPDATE... ADDED THE ESTANCIA VALLEY...SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS...EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY AND THE SOUTHEAST PLAINS TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. ALTHOUGH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE...ROAD CONDITIONS WILL BE IMPACTED GIVEN THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES. 33 && .PREV DISCUSSION...442 AM MST TUE DEC 30 2014... .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS CHARACTERIZE THIS TAF CYCLE AS THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT ADVANCES WESTWARD WITH AN UPPER LOW ON APPROACH FROM OVER THE GREAT BASIN. AN AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING FOR GUSTY EAST CANYON WINDS IS IN EFFECT FOR KABQ THROUGH THIS EVENING...BUT MAY PERSIST INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MVFR CIGS TO DEVELOP AT KFMN AND KGUP LATE TODAY...BUT SLIGHTLY ABOVE MVFR AT KABQ/KAEG WITH POTENTIAL TO LOWER INTO MVFR CATEGORY THIS EVENING. A MIX OF IFR AND MVFR CONDITIONS FORECAST AT KLVS...KTCC AND KROW TODAY...BUT ALL SITES FORECAST TO GO DOWN TO IFR THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED AT KSAF THIS AFTERNOON...BUT WILL GO BACK DOWN TO MVFR THIS EVENING WITH POTENTIAL FOR IFR CONDITIONS BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...344 AM MST TUE DEC 30 2014... .SYNOPSIS... AN ARCTIC BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING. BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW IN FROM THE EAST AND NORTHEAST TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS THEN EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTHWARD THROUGH NEVADA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TONIGHT AND AND THEN HEAD EAST THROUGH NEW MEXICO WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION... ARCTIC BACKDOOR FRONT PLOWING WWD THROUGH GLORIETA PASS AND TIJERAS CANYON EARLY THIS MORNING. LIGHT SNOW HARD TO COME BY SO FAR AT AUTOMATED REPORTING SITES. OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES BEING REPORTED AT CLAYTON...RATON AND LAS VEGAS BUT NMROADS CAMERA AT RATON PASS REVEALS NO DISCERNIBLE ACCUMULATION. WILL LET WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES RIDE AS IS AND NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL ZONES FOR AREAS FARTHER WEST AND SOUTH. LACK OF MID-LEVEL CLOUDS/ICE THE MAIN REASON FOR LACK OF LIGHT SNOW...AND WITH LACK OF UPSTREAM CLOUDS ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...NOT EXPECTING MORE THAN A DUSTING MOST AREAS. LOW STRATUS AND/OR FREEZING FOG WILL LIKELY BE THE MAIN IMPACT...LOWERING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 1 MILE ALONG HIGHER SPOTS OF INTERSTATE 25 EAST/NORTH OF SANTA FE AND 1-40 EAST OF TIJERAS. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY REMAIN ON TRACK TO BE 10 TO 40 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGE FOR LATE DECEMBER. ARCTIC AIRMASS MODIFIES SOMEWHAT WEDNESDAY BUT TEMPERATURES STILL REMAIN 10 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. ALL EYES THEN TURN TO A DEEP UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW CURRENTLY SPINNING OVER FAR WEST-CENTRAL NV. MODELS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER...DROPPING THE LOW CENTER SWD TO JUST WEST OF LAS VEGAS NV BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. UPPER LOW THEN MAKES AN EWD TO SEWD TURN DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. WHILE MID-LEVEL MOISTURE IS LACKING WITH THIS SYSTEM...IT IS DEEP/STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SUFFICIENT WAA/UPGLIDE OVER THE LOW LEVEL MODIFIED ARCTIC AIRMASS IN PLACE. DECIDED TO GO WITH A WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY WWD TO THE AZ LINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. WHILE HIGH CONFIDENCE EXISTS FOR THE INITIAL FRONTAL BAND OF SNOW THAT IS FORECAST TO LIFT E-NEWD THROUGH WRN AND CENTRAL NM WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY FORENOON...UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES AS TO HOW PRECIPITATION EVOLVES WHILE THE LOW IS OVERHEAD LATE-DAY THURSDAY AND PARTICULARLY FRIDAY. MODELS ATTEMPT ELONGATE AND THEN EJECT A PORTION OF THE LOW NEWD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS WHILE THE MAIN PORTION OF THE LOW REMAINS OVER SE AZ. PREVIOUS RUNS OF THE GFS SHOWED A RESURGENCE OF THE MID- LEVEL THERMAL GRADIENT AND A RESULTING SNOW BAND AS THE SWRN PORTION OF THE SPLIT CLOSES OFF OVER SERN AZ/SWRN NM THURSDAY NIGHT. 06Z GFS RUN HAS BACKED OFF ON THIS SCENARIO BUT 00Z ECMWF HAS TRENDED TOWARD THE EARLIER GFS RUNS AND THE RESURGENCE OF PRECIP IN THE FORM OF SNOW OVER THE SERN HALF OR SO OF THE CWA. LEFT CHANCES FOR SNOW IN FOR FRIDAY AS A RESULT...PRIMARILY FAVORING THE SE HALF OF THE AREA. GFS AND ECMWF REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MOVES OVER FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. ECMWF INDICATING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE LATE NEXT WEEK. 33 && .FIRE WEATHER... TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO TREND DOWN TODAY BEHIND AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. VENT RATES WILL BE POOR TO FAIR FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT WILL SHOW SOME IMPROVEMENT THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES OVER THE AREA AND THE FRONTAL INVERSION BECOMES LIMITED TO MAINLY THE EASTERN PLAINS. CHANCES FOR WETTING PRECIPITATION ARE TRENDING UP FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD OVER THE STATE. WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA WILL BE FAVORED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...THEN THE FOCUS LOOKS TO SHIFT TO EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL AREAS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW DIVES SOUTH AND EAST INTO FAR WEST TEXAS AND THE PANHANDLE. A WARMING TREND IS FORECAST BEHIND THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO NEAR NORMAL BY NEXT TUESDAY. VENT RATES WILL BE POOR BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW OVER THE WEEKEND AND MAY NOT IMPROVE EARLY NEXT WEEK AS PRESSURE HEIGHTS INCREASE WITH A BUILDING WEST COAST RIDGE TRANSLATING EASTWARD...LEADING TO STUBBORN TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS. 11 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ521>523-527>540. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ501>511-519-520. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ519. && 33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 518 AM MST TUE DEC 30 2014 NMZ501>540-311230- 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- 518 AM MST TUE DEC 30 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN ARCTIC BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO TODAY. STRONG EAST CANYON WIND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. BEHIND THE FRONT...LOW CLOUDS WITH AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE. TRAVEL IMPACTS FROM THE LIGHT SNOW ARE EXPECTED ON INTERSTATE 40 EAST OF TIJERAS AND ON INTERSTATE 25 EAST/NORTH OF SANTA FE TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL CROSS THE STATE LATE-DAY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO BEGINNING LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. TRAVEL IMPACTS FROM SNOW DURING THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY ARE LIKELY. THE POTENTIAL FOR MIXED SNOW...FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET EXISTS NEW YEAR'S EVE AND NEW YEAR'S DAY OVER FAR EASTERN NEW MEXICO NEAR THE TEXAS LINE. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 33
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Freezing drizzle and light snow produced major interruptions to travel over the area. U.S. Highway 70 was closed periodically for several hours all the way from Ruidoso Downs to Hondo, Picacho, and near Roswell. Highway 285 was closed for a brief period as well around Roswell.
Freezing drizzle and light snow produced major interruptions to travel over the area. U.S. Highway 70 was closed periodically for several hours all the way from Ruidoso Downs to Hondo, Picacho, and near Roswell.
Freezing drizzle and light snow produced major interruptions to travel over the area. U.S. Highway 82 was closed periodically for several hours between Elk and Artesia.
Freezing drizzle and light snow produced major interruptions to travel over the area. NM highway 206 was closed for several hours between Portales and Tatum.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2014
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: 547896, 547897, 547898, 547899.