An upper level low pressure system moved out of the central Rockies late on the 10th and into boot heel of New Mexico late in the evening on the 11th. A potent backdoor cold front accompanied this system, providing enough cold air and upslope flow for significant snow to fall along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
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.
An upper level low pressure system moved out of the central Rockies late on the 10th and into boot heel of New Mexico late in the evening on the 11th. A potent backdoor cold front accompanied this system, providing enough cold air and upslope flow for significant snow to fall along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Eight to 12 inches fell near the peaks of the mountains with lower amounts in nearby valleys. Winds behind the backdoor cold front were strongest through the White Sands Missile Range with gusts up to 61 mph. No damage was reported due to the wind or snow.
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 Feb 10, 10:48 PM MST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 1048 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE VFR CONDITIONS WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL BE DETERIORATING INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DIVES INTO THE STATE...BRINGING A COLD FRONT AND SOME RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW. WINDS WILL ABRUPTLY SHIFT DIRECTION AND STRENGTHEN IN THE NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF NEW MEXICO AFTER MIDNIGHT. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES...EXPECT STRONG SHIFTING WINDS TO SPREAD SOUTHWARD WITH PRECIPITATION ENSUING. WINDS WILL ALSO BE LOCALLY STRONG AS THE FRONT ADVANCES BEYOND/WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN OF NEW MEXICO WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 KT...INCLUDING KABQ AIRPORT WHERE AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED EARLY WEDNESDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL INITIATE IN NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO LATE TONIGHT...SPREADING FARTHER SOUTH AND WEST INTO WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE BETWEEN 6000-8000 FEET WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS LIKELY AND REDUCED VISIBILITY/CEILINGS IN HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS OF SNOW WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AREAS OF IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS. LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE LESS RESTRICTIVE REDUCTIONS IN RAIN. 52 && .PREV DISCUSSION...246 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015... .SYNOPSIS... A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES...INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION AND STRONG WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT ON WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BELOW NORMAL ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO BEHIND A COLD FRONT...WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED ACROSS THE WEST. SNOW WILL BE FAVORED ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS WHERE SOME MODEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. RAIN WILL FALL AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE GAPS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN...STRONG CANYON WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THE RIO GRANDE AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEYS WITH GUSTS GREATER THAN 50 MPH POSSIBLE. AFTER WEDNESDAY...QUIETER WEATHER ENSUES WITH TEMPERATURES REBOUNDING BACK ABOVE NORMAL BY THE WEEKEND. && .DISCUSSION... THE STORM SYSTEM IMPACTING THE STATE TOMORROW WILL BE THE MAIN SHOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THEREAFTER...A RETURN TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS. THE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH UTAH AND ARIZONA AND IS STILL EXPECTED TO GAIN STRENGTH AND WEAKLY CLOSE OFF NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS BY SUNRISE TOMORROW. THE DIFFERENCE TODAY FROM 24 HOURS AGO IS WHERE THE SYSTEM GOES FROM THERE. YDAY...MODELS TOOK THE SYSTEM TO THE SOUTHWEST INTO ARIZONA...BUT TODAY THE LOW LOOKS TO MOVE SOUTH...IF NOT SSE...OVER KGNT/KABQ BEFORE TRENDING TOWARD THE BOOTHEEL WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THOUGH A WIND SHIFT HAS ALREADY MOVED INTO NE NM...THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY OVER EC COLORADO. TEMPERATURES ARE NOT MUCH COLDER BEHIND IT...STILL IN THE 50S...BUT DEWPOINTS DO INCREASE SLIGHTLY. AS THE FRONT PLOWS THROUGH THE PLAINS TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...EXPECT HIGHER DEWPOINTS TO FILTER INTO EASTERN NM. THIS WILL HELP MOISTURE VALUES SOMEWHAT...AS WELL AS KEEP TEMPS FROM WET-BULBING BELOW 32 DEG. PLUS...NOW WITH MODELS SHOWING THE SYSTEM MUCH FURTHER EAST THAN YESTERDAY...THERE ARE MORE DYNAMICS TO WORK WITH TO SQUEEZE OUT A BIT MORE QPF. IN FACT...ALL MODELS ARE SHOWING A BIT MORE QPF...IN BOTH COVERAGE AND QUANTITY...THAN PREVIOUS RUNS. SNOW LEVELS LOOK TO BE AROUND 6500 FEET BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...PERHAPS SOMEWHAT LESS CLOSER TO THE TEXAS BORDER...THUS THE PLAINS WILL LARGELY SEE RAIN...OR AT BEST...A VERY WET SNOW WITH NO IMPACTS. THAT SAID...THERE DOES LOOK TO BE A BAND OF PRECIP ALONG THE DEFORMATION ZONE ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS WHERE SOME HIGHER RAIN/PRECIP RATES MAY EXIST. THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS WILL BE THE FAVORED AREA FOR SNOWFALL WITH STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW...THOUGH WITH THE WARM ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS...AND THE QUICK PROGRESSION OF THE SYSTEM...IMPACTS SHOULD BE FAIRLY MINIMAL UNLESS HIGH SNOWFALL RATES EXIST FOR A TIME IN BANDED PRECIP. DECIDED TO GO WITH A LOW END WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE SANGRES AS WELL AS RATON PASS. AREAS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS...SUCH AS RATON AND LAS VEGAS...WILL LIKELY SEE SOME SNOW...BUT SHOULD MAINLY STICK TO EXPOSED/GRASSY SURFACES GIVEN THE PREVIOUS 4 DAYS OF RECORD/NEAR RECORD WARMTH. ALSO CONTEMPLATED INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN AND JEMEZ MTNS IN THE ADVISORY...BUT NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE EXISTS ATTM TO DO SO. THE OTHER CONCERN IS THE EAST CANYON WINDS WITHIN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. MAV GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW WIND ADVISORY SPEEDS...BUT ODDLY THE MET GUIDANCE IS WELL UNDER...DESPITE SHOWING NEARLY 50KT OF EAST WINDS AT 700 MB. GFS IS ALSO SHOWING 35KT OF SO OF EAST WINDS AT 7H SO WILL GO AHEAD AND ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE MIDDLE/LOWER RGV AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY. ON THURSDAY...THE SYSTEM DOES DIVE TO THE SOUTHWEST TOWARD THE BAJA AS AN UPPER HIGH BUILDS NORTH OF IT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING STILL LOOKS TO SETTLE IN OVER THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT OVER THE WEEKEND. LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE TWO WIND SHIFTS/COLD FRONTS TO KEEP TEMPS IN CHECK. THE FIRST WILL BE ON FRIDAY...AND THEN ANOTHER ON SUNDAY. EVEN STILL...TEMPS WILL BE 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FRIDAY...AND UP TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL OVER THE WEEKEND. SOME DISAGREEMENT EXISTS WITH THE MODELS IN THE EXTENDED. THE SYSTEM THAT MOVES ACROSS TOMORROW DID LOOK LIKE IT WOULD MAKE A 2ND PASS AT NM EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT NOW MODELS ARE SHOWING A NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH THAT MAY EITHER ABSORB OR DETER IT FROM MAKING ITS WAY BACK TO NM. STILL ENOUGH DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS TO NOT HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE. 34 && .FIRE WEATHER... WEATHER MODELS HAVE BEEFED UP THEIR LIQUID WATER FORECAST FOR THE NEAR TERM WEATHER SYSTEM PASSAGE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD OCCUR ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS. WETTING PRECIPITATION WILL ALSO BE LIKELY ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS AND HIGHER ELEVATION AREAS TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE. THE LAST WARM DAY WILL BE TODAY AS TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BETWEEN 15 TO 30 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL ALSO INCREASE. VENTILATION ALSO LOOKS TO BE PRETTY GOOD MOST AREAS DUE TO THE STRENGTHENING EASTERLY FLOW. STRONG RIDGETOP WINDS ARE DEPICTED BY THE LATEST MODELS ALONG THE SANDIA/MANZANO/GALLINAS RANGES SO TRIED TO CAPTURE THAT IN THE GRIDDED FORECAST. INCLUDING STRONGER DOWNSLOPE FLOWS TO THE WEST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MOUNTAIN RANGES. THE MIDDLE AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY WILL BE IMPACTED THE MOST BY THE STRENGTHENING DOWNSLOPE WINDS DURING THE DAY PERIOD ON WEDNESDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL BE A QUICK HITTER AS THE COLD FRONT WEAKENS AND THE UPPER LOW DIGS FURTHER SOUTH ON THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE THURSDAY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL READINGS ACROSS THE SOUTH AND NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE NORTH. HUMIDITY VALUES LOOKS TO BE SEASONABLE ALTHOUGH PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEAST WILL NEED TO BE LOOKED AT DUE TO A STRONGER MID LEVEL DRY SLOT DEPICTED BY THE MODELS. WILL BE SOMEWHAT DEPENDENT ON SNOWMELT ETC. VENTILATION RATES WILL CERTAINLY LOWER DUE TO LOWER MIXING HEIGHTS AS WELL AS TRANSPORT WINDS. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN SHOWING THIS TREND THE PAST FEW DAYS SO CONFIDENCE IS PRETTY GOOD. MODELS STILL SHOW THE HIGH OVER LOW BLOCKING PATTERN TO THE WEST OF THE STATE FRIDAY AND LASTING INTO THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL BETWEEN 5 TO 15 DEGREES DURING THIS PERIOD. NOT SEEING ANY SIGNIFICANT DRY INTRUSION IMPACTS AT THIS TIME SO THE HUMIDITY VALUES LOOK TO BE PRETTY SEASONABLE WITHIN THE GRIDDED FORECAST. VENTILATION SHOULD TREND A LITTLE HIGHER ON FRIDAY DUE TO HIGHER MIXING HEIGHTS ALTHOUGH TRANSPORT WINDS WILL BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE. VENTILATION RATES LOOK TO LOWER ON SATURDAY BUT SHOULD REBOUND SOME ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL LARGELY BE DEPENDENT ON THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE CUT OFF LOW OFF THE BAJA COAST AND THE NEXT PIECE OF PACIFIC ENERGY DIVING SOUTHWARD FROM THE NORTH. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE NORTHERN PIECE OF ENERGY AND BACK DOOR COLD FRONT COULD PHASE WITH THE CUT OFF LOW AS IT TRIES TO MOVE EASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK. STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THAT. MORE CONFIDENT OF A COOL DOWN WITH AN UPTICK IN HUMIDITY. JUST DONT KNOW HOW MUCH. STAY TUNED. CURRENT GRIDDED FORECAST SUGGESTS MUCH HIGHER VENTILATION AND A STRONGER SURFACE WIND FLOW. 50 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE WEATHER PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HRS AND IMPACT CENTRAL/EASTERN TERMINAL SITES THE MOST. CIGS/VIS WILL LOWER AT LVS/TCC AND EVENTUALLY ROW/ABQ/SAF AS THE OVERNIGHT PROGRESSES INTO WED MORNING. THIS WILL BE DUE TO A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT. GOING CONSERVATIVE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF HOW LOW CIGS COULD GET AT LVS. STRENGTHENING WIND FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE THE OTHER AVIATION HAZARD. EXPECT GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35 KT OR POSSIBLY EVEN HIGHER BY MIDDAY WED AT ABQ. SUSPECT AN AWW DUE TO WIND WOULD BE ISSUED ON WED FOR ABQ. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ519-520-525. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...NMZ512>515-527. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 339 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 NMZ501>540-111300- 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- 339 PM MST TUE FEB 10 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SOME SNOW...POSSIBLY MIXED WITH RAIN INITIALLY...WILL LIKELY DEVELOP NOT LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ON EAST INTO WESTERN UNION AND HARDING COUNTIES. IT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON AND THEREAFTER BEGIN TO DIMINISH. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE. LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF HIGH TERRAIN SNOW...WITH EITHER RAIN OR A MIX AT LOWER ELEVATIONS... WILL DEVELOP SOUTH AND WEST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL EITHER BE TOO WARM OR ACCUMULATIONS TOO LIGHT TO CREATE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG EASTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE RIO GRANDE AND UPPER TULAROSA VALLEYS AS A FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE GAPS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN AND WINDS ALOFT INCREASE. GUSTS BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY. WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS... WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 34
2 heavy snow, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
SNOTEL reports indicated between 4 to 10 inches of snow.
SNOTEL, ski resort, and COOP observer reports indicated between 6 to 12 inches of snow.
The White Sands Missile Range mesonet site, Shist, measured a 61 mph gust.
The White Sands Missile Range mesonet site, Phillips Hill, measured a 58 mph gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2015
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: 551691, 551692, 551700, 551701.