A strong upper-level storm system over Southern California slowly moved eastward over southern New Mexico through February 12, 2020. Precipitation first began across western New Mexico late on the 10th as moisture streamed into the area ahead of this system.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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 ABQ wrote it up.
A strong upper-level storm system over Southern California slowly moved eastward over southern New Mexico through February 12, 2020. Precipitation first began across western New Mexico late on the 10th as moisture streamed into the area ahead of this system. Meanwhile, a cold front surged south and west through eastern New Mexico, into the Rio Grande Valley, and to the Arizona border on the morning of the 11th, which cooled temperatures and helped set the stage for widespread wintry precipitation. This cold front was also responsible for strong winds in the Albuquerque metro area which resulted in large variability in snow totals. Snow was moderate to heavy at times, especially across southern New Mexico. Most of the state received snow with generally two to four inches being observed across lower elevations while the highest accumulations were observed across mountain areas with peaks receiving over a foot. Widespread travel impacts were also observed with this system with several accidents reported which caused parts of highways and interstates to be closed. Snow finally ended early in the morning on the 12th as the system lifted northeast into the Texas Panhandle.
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, 4:45 PM MST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 445 PM MST Mon Feb 10 2020 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE A mixed-bag of VFR to MVFR conditions prevail across northern and central NM this evening, but significant deterioration is expected overnight with the approach of a winter storm and the southwest progress of a strong backdoor cold front across the area. Lower elevation locations will see rain, with a change-over to snow at some point late tonight or early Tuesday morning. By Tuesday morning, widespread IFR or LIFR conditions will prevail with mountain obscurations. A strong east canyon/gap wind will impact KABQ and KSAF overnight and will peak at some point early Tuesday. Gusts to 50kts or greater are likely at KABQ and an Airport Weather Warning will be issued later tonight. There is potential for significant snow accumulation on runways, especially at KGUP, KLVS and KTCC. Very little improvement is expected Tuesday afternoon. 11 && .PREV DISCUSSION...321 PM MST Mon Feb 10 2020... .SYNOPSIS... After an episode of light rain and snow last night and earlier today, a more significant winter storm is set to overtake New Mexico tonight through Tuesday and Tuesday night. Precipitation will quickly expand and change over to mostly snow overnight as colder temperatures and gusty winds invade the state. East canyon winds will develop after midnight in some central areas of the state with gusts reaching 45 to 60 mph in some locations. Periods of light to moderate snow are expected to continue during the daytime hours Tuesday, leading to significant and potentially widespread travel issues due to the accumulating snowfall. Snow will gradually end from west to east late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, but some patches of freezing fog could keep visibility low in several places through the late morning hours. Just a few stray showers will linger on Wednesday with temperatures remaining several degrees below normal. Mostly dry conditions are forecast through the remainder of the week with temperatures slowly climbing closer to seasonal averages for mid February. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... The upper low situated just off the northern Baja Coast is well depicted on satellite imagery this afternoon, with diffluence aloft setting up a fair number of convective cu over southeastern AZ and the bootheel of NM. There will be enough instability and moisture to allow for a few embedded thunder strikes across southwestern NM. The area of diffluence ahead of the upper low will shift more into western NM streaming up bands of showers this evening with snow levels generally staying above valley floors initially. This will change as a backdoor cold front swings south and westward through eastern NM, surging through the gaps of the central mountain chain by 09Z-12Z. Snow levels plummet with the arrival of the backdoor front for the RGV with the heaviest snowfall occurring through western NM during this time. Strong gap winds of 30-40mph with gusts upwards of 50-60 mph will cause the much maligned snow-hole effect in the ABQ metro area. Therefore snow amounts within the ABQ metro are still expected to be highly variable with as little as a trace near the Sunport to 3-6 inches on the West Mesa and Rio Rancho. Eastern NM meanwhile will also see its prime time for heaviest snowfall during the overnight period as well. As the backdoor front moves to the I-40 corridor, it will undercut the area of diffluence aloft to enhance snowfall intensities. Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are forecast along the I-40 corridor from the East Mountain communities to the TX border. Higher amounts of 8 to 12 inches will be likely up the east slopes of the central mountain chain, with upwards of 18 inches possible atop mountain peaks. There is some potential for isolated warning amounts of snow (4 inches) to fall in the lower RGV and San Agustin Plains during the day Tuesday, but confidence is not high enough to warrant upgrading the current advisories for those zones. The focus for snow shifts to south- central NM during the day Tue as a secondary vort max wraps around the southern side of the low. There are notable differences with how some models are phasing this piece of energy with the larger upper low and this could have impacts on forecast snowfall through southeastern NM late Tuesday into Tuesday night. However at the moment, most models agree that a few more mesoscale snow bands of light to modest intensity will continue over southeastern NM to about midnight Tuesday night when the current Winter Storm highlights are currently scheduled to expire. As conditions clear out and winds calm, some areas of patchy freezing fog will be possible over the Northwest Plateau along the continental divide Tuesday night. LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)... The remnants of the upper low will be filling in and dampening as it swings toward the eastern border of NM Wednesday morning, transitioning to a drier, cool northwesterly flow by Wednesday afternoon. After the aforementioned freezing fog lifts, only a few lingering showers are expected into the afternoon, namely over the mountains with negligible additional accumulation. High temperatures will moderate a bit from Tueday's readings, but will still fall short of average by 5 to 15 degrees across the entire forecast area. Northwesterly to northerly winds will also be a bit gusty, adding to the chill in the air. Into Thursday the flow aloft backs more westerly and relaxes considerably. The dry trend will continue with temperatures unable to gain much. By Friday, we should have a better view and analysis of the next notable perturbation in the flow. At this time, forecast models latch on to a fairly progressive open short wave trough that will be encroaching upon the area just north of the Four Corners region by Friday afternoon. This will increase the west southwest flow aloft over NM, but surface speeds should remain moderately breezy for the most part as dry conditions persist. This short wave will cross near the NM-CO border Friday night into Saturday, potentially offering a few light and transient showers over our northern zones, but impacts appear to be low. The flow looks to remain progressive with a few upstream short waves quickly passing near or just north of NM in the days that follow. Deterministic models are out of phase with each other, regarding the timing of these features, but ensemble means still depict the features with minimal precipitation. 24/52 && .FIRE WEATHER... No fire weather concerns as heavy snow from a winter storm system rolls through New Mexico tonight through Tuesday. Lingering snow and below normal temperatures stick around through Wednesday and likely Thursday. Strong gap winds are forecast through the central mountain chain at ABQ and Santa Fe tonight, slowly tapering off through the day. Warmer temperatures and improving ventilation returns by the end of the work week into the weekend. 24 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 11 PM MST Tuesday for the following zones... NMZ201-202-209-220-241. Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM MST Tuesday for the following zones... NMZ203>208-210-211-213>217-221>223-227>234. Winter Storm Warning from 11 PM this evening to 11 PM MST Tuesday for the following zones... NMZ212-218-219-224>226-235>240. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 323 AM MST Mon Feb 10 2020 NMZ201>241-111200- Northwest Plateau-Chuska Mountains-Far Northwest Highlands- Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains- West Central Highlands-Southwest Mountains- San Francisco River Valley-Tusas Mountains Including Chama- Jemez Mountains-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley- Espanola Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area- Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area- Lower Rio Grande Valley-Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood- Estancia Valley-Central Highlands-South Central Highlands- Upper Tularosa Valley-South Central Mountains- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass- 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- San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands- 323 AM MST Mon Feb 10 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central New Mexico. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Light amounts of lowland rain and mountain snow are expected though midday before a brief break in the weather. Rapidly deteriorating conditions in snow and blowing snow are expected tonight as a winter storm impacts the region. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Moderate to heavy snowfall, areas of blowing snow and much colder temperatures expected Tuesday over much of northern and central Mexico. Strong east winds gusting to 50 to 60 mph are expected into the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Metro areas, where variable amounts of snow are likely. Travel will be impacted region wide. The storm will exit the state by early Wednesday but colder than normal temperatures persist through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report snow amounts as well as snow and wind impacts through the National Weather Service Albuquerque web site at weather.gov/abq or by calling 1.888.386.7637. You can also submit storm reports and photos on our Facebook page or via Twitter using the hashtag nmwx.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 heavy snow, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Areas around Glorieta generally received around 4 to 7 inches of snow. A CoCoRaHS observer east of Glorieta received 7.2 inches of snow.
Areas across the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains received generally 8 to 10 inches of snow. The Wesner Springs SNOTEL near Rociada received about 10 inches of snow.
A trained spotter reported severe driving conditions along I-40 with very icy roads in the San Fidel area. At least three motor vehicle accidents were reported with two rollovers, however, no information on any damage or injuries was available from law enforcement.
Various CoCoRaHS observers across the area received between 6 inches to over a foot of snow. The highest accumulations were in the Ponderosa area where one observer received 12.2 inches of snow.
The east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains generally received between 9 and 13 inches of snow. A COOP observer in Gascon reported 13 inches of snow.
About 5 inches of snow in the Encino area caused very dangerous travel conditions along US 285 due to snow packed and icy roads. The COOP observer near Encino measured 4.6 inches of snow which set a new daily snowfall record for the 11th.
Areas across the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains received nearly a foot of snow. The Taos ski area reported 11 inches of snow.
Observers in the area from Espanola to Dixon received 4 to 7 inches of snow. The higher amounts fell around Dixon.
Various sources around the Santa Fe metro area reported around 3 to 5 inches of snow. The highest report came northwest of the city with 5.3 inches of snow.
Various sources across western San Miguel County reported snow totals between 6 and 9 inches.
A COOP observer in Dilia measured 6 inches of snow on the morning of the 11th, setting a new daily snowfall record.
Various sources reported snow totals between 4 and 9 inches. The highest totals in the area were recorded in western Cibola County where 9 inches was measured in Fence Lake. Snow packed and icy roads as well as zero visibility conditions from blowing snow caused severe driving conditions along NM State Road 36.
Various sources in the Arroyo Hondo area reported snow totals between 4 and 6 inches.
Strong east winds with gusts up to 50 mph on the east side of the Albuquerque metro area created a large variability in accumulations across the city. Snow accumulations on the east side generally ranged from just a trace to around half an inch, but areas on the west side and in Rio Rancho fared better with snow totals up to 4 inches.
The Sandia and Manzano mountains received very heavy snow from this event and various sources reported between 7 and 13 inches. The Sandia ski area reported a storm total of 13 inches. Areas in and around Edgewood also received heavy snow with totals between 7 and 11 inches.
Heavy snow accumulated quickly in the Estancia Valley. Within just a few hours, ten inches of snow accumulated in the Estancia area. A COOP observer in Moriarty measured 7.3 inches of snow which set a new daily snowfall record for the 11th.
A CoCoRaHS observer in Texico reported 5 inches of snow accumulation.
A CoCoRaHS observer on the border of Curry and Roosevelt counties received 5 inches of snow.
A trained spotter several miles southeast of Corona measured 6 inches of snow.
Trained spotters in the Corona area measured 6 inches of snow early in the morning on the 11th. Areas farther north received up to a foot of snow, and two CoCoRaHS observers in Mountainair each measured 12 inches.
Heavy snow in the area resulted in snow totals near to over a foot across mountain peaks. The Frisco Divide SNOTEL near Luna received 9 inches of snow while the Silver Creek Divide SNOTEL near Mogollon received 13 inches. Widespread severe driving conditions were also reported throughout Catron County due to snow packed and icy roads along U.S. Highway 60 and NM State Roads 601, 36, and 32.
A SNOTEL near Bonito Lake received about 10 inches of new snow accumulation.
Various sources in the Magdalena area reported about 5 to 6 inches of snow. A trained spotter southeast of Magdalena reported 5 inches of snow while a CoCoRaHS observer in the area reported 6 inches.
About 4 inches of snow that fell in the Socorro area and lower Rio Grande Valley caused severe driving conditions along I-25. Snow packed and icy roads caused multiple automobile accidents which resulted in the New Mexico State Police to close I-25 southbound from Socorro to Truth or Consequences. No information on any damage or injuries was available from law enforcement.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2020
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: 868422, 868424, 869713, 868421, 868425, 869715, 868423, 868436, 868438, 868639, 868640, 868418, 868435, 868439, 868630, 868631, 868641, 868642, 868643, 868634, 868420, 868635, 868644, 869714.