With cold air already in place from previous storm, a second deep upper low moved through the Four Corners region and south along the New Mexico/Arizona border region. This system had a strong 120 knot jet associated with it and strong southwest upslope flow to bring over 2 feet of snow to parts of the Sacramento Mountains and 6 to 9 inches of snow to the Gila region.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 EPZ wrote it up.
With cold air already in place from previous storm, a second deep upper low moved through the Four Corners region and south along the New Mexico/Arizona border region. This system had a strong 120 knot jet associated with it and strong southwest upslope flow to bring over 2 feet of snow to parts of the Sacramento Mountains and 6 to 9 inches of snow to the Gila region.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Over 6 inches of snow fell above 6000 feet in the Gila region during the event. Snowfall reports ranged from about 6 inches 3 miles southeast of Silver City to 7.8 inches 4 miles northwest of Silver City with a maximum of 9.3 inches 5 miles west of Silver City.
The total snowfall three miles west-northwest of Mayhill was 10.3 inches.
Some significant snowfall totals from the higher elevations of the Sacramento Mountains included 17.5 inches two miles south of Cloudcroft, 23.0 inches in Sunspot and 25.5 inches two miles southwest of Cloudcroft.
Total snowfall of 16.0 inches was reported 6 miles east-northeast of La Luz at an elevation of 6100 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2018
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: 798174, 798177, 798176, 798175.