Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Mexico, February 21 to 23, 2019

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Mexico, February 21 to 23, 2019
Start: 2019-02-21T06:00
End: 2019-02-23T16:00
Location: New Mexico

February 21 to 23, 2019 · NWS ABQ · 30 events in 27 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

A slow-moving winter storm that pummeled Arizona with record heavy snowfall on February 21, 2019 shifted east into New Mexico on the 22nd and 23rd. A large band of snow and associated Pacific cold front moved into the Gallup and Farmington areas late on the 21st before drifting east across the Continental Divide and into the Rio Grande Valley through the 22nd. Gallup picked up 10 to 15 inches of snowfall in less than 12 hours with blowing snow and low visibility. Interstate 40 was closed for several hours due to very dangerous travel conditions and several accidents. Snow and wind then slammed the Rio Grande Valley by the evening of the 22nd with widespread reports of two to six inches of heavy wet snow from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Snow continued to pummel the northern mountains through the early morning hours of the 23rd, leaving behind a whopping 18 to 24 inches of fresh snow. Several locations across northern and central New Mexico established new daily snowfall records. The storm system then exited into the eastern plains where snow, blowing snow, low visibility, and icy roadways resulted in the closure of U.S. 64 from Clayton to Raton and Interstate 25 within Raton Pass. Strong winds in the wake of this system produced wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph across the eastern plains along with areas of blowing dust.

What forecasters said that day

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 21, 4:34 AM MST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 4:34 AM MST, 1 hour 26 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 4:02 AM MST, 1 hour 58 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
402 AM MST Thu Feb 21 2019

NMZ501>540-221200-
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 Cristos above 9500 feet/Red River-
Southern Sangre de Cristos above 9500 feet-
East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley-
Lower Chama River Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area-
Middle Rio Grande Valley/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-
402 AM MST Thu Feb 21 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central
New Mexico.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A winter storm warning for heavy snow is in effect for northwest New
Mexico beginning early this morning and for all of western New
Mexico beginning late this morning and continuing tonight. Travel is
expected to become dangerous across western New Mexico today and
tonight due to snowpacked and icy roads and reduced visibility.
Stronger winds across the Southwest Mountains could result in areas
of blowing snow with visibility less than one quarter of a mile. A
winter storm watch is in effect for the Upper Rio Grande Valley and
the Sangre de Cristos for late this afternoon and tonight, as heavy
snow could cause difficult to dangerous driving conditions and
reduced visibility.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Winter storm warnings will continue for western New Mexico Friday
through Saturday morning, while a winter storm watch will remain in
place for the Upper Rio Grande Valley and the Sangre de Cristos
Friday through Saturday morning with reduced visibility in moderate
to heavy snow and dangerous driving conditions. Rain over the
remainder of central New Mexico and eastern New Mexico Friday will
change to snow during the afternoon and evening hours on Friday and
continue overnight through Saturday morning. These areas could see
slick conditions develop on roads late Friday through Saturday
morning. Very strong and gusty northwest winds are expected to
develop late Friday night and continue through Saturday afternoon
east of the central mountains and south of I-40 with gusts to near 50
mph possible. North and south oriented roads and highways could be
difficult to travel, especially for high profile vehicles, as strong
crosswinds will be likely.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated.

28

Event by event

15 heavy snow, 13 high wind, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Chuska Mountains

When: February 21, 6:00 AM MST to February 22, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Chuska Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL

The Navajo Whiskey SNOTEL reported 15 inches of snow. Difficult travel was reported through Narbona Pass.

Heavy Snow, San Juan Mountains

When: February 21, 6:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: San Juan Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Various sources across Rio Arriba County reported between 2 and 12 inches of snow. The heaviest snow fell in the Chama area. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, West Central Plateau

When: February 21, 7:00 AM MST to February 22, 7:00 PM MST
Where: West Central Plateau forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Various sources from Tohatchi to Gallup and Zuni reported between 5 and 15 inches of snow. The heaviest snow fell in the area from west of Gallup to Tohatchi. Interstate 40 was closed in the Gallup area for several hours due to extreme travel and several motor vehicle accidents.

Heavy Snow, West Central Mountains

When: February 21, 7:00 AM MST to February 22, 8:00 PM MST
Where: West Central Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Various sources along the Continental Divide reported between 5 and 10 inches of snow. Interstate 40 was closed along the Continental Divide for several hours due to extreme travel conditions.

Heavy Snow, Far Northwest Highlands

When: February 21, 8:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Far Northwest Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Areas from Cedar Hill east along the Colorado border to Dulce picked up 8 to 12 inches of snow. Tribal police in Dulce estimated that nearly 2 feet of snow had fallen in Dulce over a two day period. Difficult travel was also reported.

Heavy Snow, Southwest Mountains

When: February 21, 8:00 AM MST to February 23, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Southwest Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL

SNOTEL sites in the Gila region reported between 12 and 18 inches of snow while areas around Quemado picked up 4 to 8 inches. Difficult travel was reported across the area.

Heavy Snow, Jemez Mountains

When: February 21, 8:00 AM MST to February 23, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Jemez Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Various sources around the Jemez Mountains reported between 6 and 12 inches of snow. The heaviest snow fell in the Valles Caldera. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Plateau

When: February 21, 9:00 AM MST to February 22, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Northwest Plateau forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Various sources across the Farmington, Aztec, and Bloomfield areas reported 4 to 7 inches of snow. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Highlands

When: February 21, 10:00 AM MST to February 23, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Northwest Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Areas along U.S. 550 received around 6 inches of snow. Difficult travel conditions were reported.

Heavy Snow, West Slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

When: February 22, 3:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: West Slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Various sources in the area from Questa to Arroyo Seco south to near Cundiyo reported between 6 and 26 inches of snow. The heaviest snow buried the area around Arroyo Seco where snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour occurred for several hours. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet/Red River

When: February 22, 3:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet/Red River forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Various sources in the area from Red River to Taos Ski Valley reported between 12 and 24 inches of snow. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet

When: February 22, 3:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL

Various sources in the high terrain east of Santa Fe reported between 12 and 24 inches of snow. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Upper Rio Grande Valley

When: February 22, 3:00 AM MST to February 23, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Upper Rio Grande Valley forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL

Various sources in the area from Taos to El Prado and Arroyo Hondo reported between 8 and 16 inches of snow. Snowfall rates near 2 inches per hour occurred for several hours around El Prado and Arroyo Hondo. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Santa Fe Metro Area

When: February 22, 4:00 PM MST to February 23, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Santa Fe Metro Area forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Various sources in the area from Madrid to Santa Fe and Tesuque reported between 2 and 8 inches of snow. Snowfall rates from the Santa Fe foothills to Tesuque exceeded 1 inch per hour for several hours. Difficult travel was reported.

Heavy Snow, Albuquerque Metro Area

When: February 22, 4:00 PM MST to February 23, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Albuquerque Metro Area forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Various sources in the Albuquerque metro area reported between 2 and 7 inches of snow. Snowfall rates on the east side of the metro area exceeded 1 inch per hour for a couple hours during the evening. A couple mile stretch of Tramway Boulevard was closed due to extreme travel conditions and several motor vehicle accidents. The 3.6 inches of snowfall at the Albuquerque Sunport on February 22, 2019 broke the previous daily record of 1.5 inches from 1979.

Winter Weather, Union County

When: February 22, 5:00 PM MST to February 23, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Union County forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

The combination of a couple inches of snow with strong winds resulted in blowing snow, low visibility, and extremely hazardous travel over northwestern Union County. U.S. Highway 64/87 was closed between Clayton and Raton for several hours on the morning of February 23, 2019.

Winter Weather, Raton Ridge/Johnson Mesa

When: February 22, 5:00 PM MST to February 23, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Raton Ridge/Johnson Mesa forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

High Wind, De Baca County

When: February 23, 4:44 AM MST to 9:00 AM MST
Where: De Baca County forecast zone
Measured: 37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Public

A weather station at Sumner Lake reported sustained winds between 40 and 43 mph for several hours.

High Wind, Upper Tularosa Valley

When: February 23, 5:26 AM MST to 5:32 AM MST
Where: Upper Tularosa Valley forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

A mesonet site on White Sands Missile Range reported a peak wind gust up to 59 mph.

High Wind, South Central Highlands

When: February 23, 5:44 AM MST to 5:46 AM MST
Where: South Central Highlands forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public

A weather station at the Corona public library reported a peak wind gust up to 60 mph.

High Wind, Sandia/Manzano Mountains

When: February 23, 6:00 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where: Sandia/Manzano Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public

Various sources around the Sandia and Manzano mountains reported sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts between 50 and 60 mph. The Sandia Peak ski area was closed at noon due to hazardous wind levels and blowing snow.

High Wind, Central Highlands

When: February 23, 7:25 AM MST to 10:30 AM MST
Where: Central Highlands forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS

Clines Corners reported peak wind gusts up to 59 mph. The combination of strong winds and a couple inches of snow from the previous evening caused blowing snow and severe travel conditions along U.S. Highway 285.

High Wind, Curry County

When: February 23, 7:28 AM MST to 10:18 AM MST
Where: Curry County forecast zone
Measured: 38 kt (44 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: AWOS

The Clovis airport reported sustained winds of 40 to 44 mph for several hours.

High Wind, Estancia Valley

When: February 23, 8:05 AM MST to 8:28 AM MST
Where: Estancia Valley forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public

A public weather station in Stanley reported peak wind gusts up to 58 mph. The combination of strong winds and a couple inches of snow from the previous evening caused blowing and drifting snow within the Estancia Valley.

High Wind, Curry County

When: February 23, 8:10 AM MST to 9:00 AM MST
Where: Curry County forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public

A weather station in Clovis reported peak wind gusts up to 66 mph.

High Wind, Chaves County Plains

When: February 23, 9:00 AM MST to 12:00 PM MST
Where: Chaves County Plains forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS

The Eight Mile Draw RAWS site reported peak wind gusts up to 63 mph.

High Wind, South Central Mountains

When: February 23, 9:25 AM MST to 2:30 PM MST
Where: South Central Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Public

A weather station at the Upper Hondo Water & Conservation District office in Capitan reported sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph for several hours.

High Wind, Roosevelt County

When: February 23, 10:02 AM MST to 11:48 AM MST
Where: Roosevelt County forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet

The West Texas mesonet site at Dora reported sustained winds between 40 and 47 mph.

High Wind, Roosevelt County

When: February 23, 10:13 AM MST to 11:33 AM MST
Where: Roosevelt County forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

The West Texas mesonet site at Dora reported peak wind gusts up to 59 mph.

High Wind, South Central Mountains

When: February 23, 1:38 PM MST to 1:40 PM MST
Where: South Central Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public

A weather station at the Upper Hondo Water & Conservation District office in Capitan reported at peak wind gust up to 60 mph.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Mexico in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, February 2019

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 798283, 798290, 798287, 798288, 798284, 798289, 798292, 798282, 798285, 798293, 798296, 798297, 798298, 798299, 798300, 798301, 798302, 798274, 798262, 798261, 798257, 798259, 798267, 798258, 798268, 798276, 798266, 798269, 798270, 798264.