A winter storm system brought widespread snow to northern and central New Mexico on March 10-11, 2022. By early on March 10th, this storm strengthened over northern Arizona before tracking eastward across New Mexico on the 11th.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 winter storm system brought widespread snow to northern and central New Mexico on March 10-11, 2022. By early on March 10th, this storm strengthened over northern Arizona before tracking eastward across New Mexico on the 11th. Rain and snow showers first began across northwest and west central New Mexico early in the day on the 10th before becoming more widespread throughout that afternoon and into the 11th. Meanwhile, a strong backdoor cold front that moved through eastern New Mexico helped to enhance snowfall totals across the east slopes and adjacent highlands due to the much colder air and easterly upslope flow behind it. The highest snowfall totals were generally focused across northern New Mexico where the mountainous terrain received snow totals of 10 to 20 inches and the upper Rio Grande Valley and northeast highlands generally received around 6 inches. These heavier snow totals extended to also include the Sandia and Manzano Mountains as well as the west central plateau where near 6 inches of snow was also common. Lesser amounts were generally found elsewhere with 2 to 4 inches common across the eastern plains and the northwest highlands. This heavy snow did result in widespread travel impacts, especially across western and northern New Mexico. Interstate 40 near Gallup and U.S. Highway 64 from Taos to Eagle Nest were particularly impacted. Multiple vehicle accidents that involved semi trucks was reported along Interstate 40 near Thoreau. Impacts: heavy snow, avalanches, vehicle accidents, travel impacts.
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 Mar 10, 5:06 AM MST, 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 506 AM MST Thu Mar 10 2022 .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE A winter storm will impact the region over the next 24 to 36 hrs with high confidence of widespread snow. A band of snow currently entering the Four Corners region will shift slowly south today with IFR cigs/vsbys at KFMN east thru the northern mts. Snow will impact KGUP by 21Z before tapering off along the Cont Dvd this evening. A back door cold front draped over eastern NM will surge west tonight and focus another band of snow from the northern mts across eastern NM aft 00Z. Moderate to heavy snow will move south toward I-40 with IFR likely along the central mt chain into eastern NM tonight. Snow will also impact KSAF and KABQ with gusty east to southeast winds tonight. The entire storm system will move slowly southeast to near KSRR and KROW by Friday morning. Guyer && .PREV DISCUSSION...258 AM MST Thu Mar 10 2022... .SYNOPSIS... A potent winter storm will begin to impact northern NM through the day today, spreading southward through central NM tonight through Friday morning. Snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches will cover lower elevations through much of northern NM, 4 to 8 inches through the highlands, and 8 to 18 inches through the northern mountains above 8,500’. Areas south of the I-40 corridor will range from a few tenths to several inches mostly accumulating early Friday morning. Widespread winter travel impacts are likely through northern and central NM, with more sporadic impacts south of U.S. Highway 60. Conditions clear out with bitter cold temperatures Friday and Saturday morning before a warming trend takes hold for the weekend. A quick moving system stalls the warm-up Monday before it begins again Tuesday. && .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... The latest satellite imagery shows large scale ascent increasing over the Four Corners region as a 100 kt jet core shifts east thru northern AZ. At the surface, a strong cold front is moving southeast thru the Great Basin with a sharp northwest wind shift. Deep-layer southwest flow over AZ and western NM is tightening a baroclinic zone beneath the upper level jet core. A band of rain/snow currently developing in the area will expand eastward today from the Four Corners into the northern mts of NM. A period of moderate to locally heavy snowfall is likely between U.S. Highway 160 and U.S. Highway 64 thru this afternoon. The band is expected to shift south toward I- 40 this evening as the upper jet moves across central NM. Meanwhile, a potent back door cold front with a modified arctic airmass over the plains will surge westward this evening and allow surface convergence to increase along the central mt chain as large scale ascent slides over the region. This batch of snow will be more impactful as much colder air and heavier snowfall rates develop along the central mt chain and eastern plains of NM. Upslope flow with dendritic snow growth along the east slopes will lead to some hefty snowfall amounts and the advisories were already upgraded to Winter Storm Warnings. A mesoscale banded snowfall event is also likely to develop along the I-40 corridor of eastern NM tonight with potential for significant travel impacts. Another forecast challenge will be snowfall amounts along the convergence zone within the RGV as the two the frontal airmasses collide. This is a very dynamic scenario with potential for large deviations to current snowfall amounts depending on the timing and placement of key mesoscale features. The entire system will be sliding southeast by Friday morning with additional light snowfall over the southeast plains. Temps will be 15 to 25F below normal for late winter with wind chill values in the single digits above and below zero Friday morning. LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... The long term period begins with northwest flow aloft and mostly calm winds at the surface, allowing for efficient radiational cooling to occur. Saturday morning low temperatures will be 10F-20F below normal for mid-March, ranging from below zero in the Moreno Valley to single digits through the northern mountains, and teens elsewhere. Temperatures quickly rebound during the day Saturday, rising 15F-25F from Friday’s cold spell thanks to a flattening ridge of high pressure passing through. This will give way to a shortwave producing windy conditions Sunday afternoon. Global models are beginning to come into better consensus of an upper trough clipping northeastern NM Monday morning, allowing for a few spot showers favoring the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Raton Pass area. However, confidence remains weak for this event, and PoPs may have room to increase if better consensus arrives with future model runs. For now, a backdoor cold front providing a drop in temperatures through the eastern plains is the higher confidence aspect of Monday’s forecast. Temperatures quickly rebound to well above normal for the middle of next week as a ridge of high pressure builds in from the west. Guyer/24 && .FIRE WEATHER... A winter storm will move thru the region today and Friday with well below normal temperatures and widespread snowfall. Moderate to heavy snowfall will add to much needed snowpack over the Sangre de Cristo Mts. A ridge of high pressure will build into the area Saturday with a strong warming trend thru Sunday. Southwest winds will increase on Sunday with critical fire weather possible over eastern NM. A brief cool down is expected Monday followed by much warmer temperatures on Tuesday and more critical fire weather possible over eastern NM. Guyer && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ201>204-211. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ205>207-217>219-221-222-233-234. Winter Weather Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ223-229>232. Winter Storm Warning from noon today to 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ215-216-227-228. Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ210-213-214. Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to 5 AM MST Friday for the following zones... NMZ212. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow, 1 avalanche, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Various SNOTELs across the Tusas Mountains received snow totals ranging from 10 to 12 inches. This heavy snowfall caused severe driving conditions along U.S. Highway 64 from Tierra Amarilla and Hopewell Lake.
The Taos Ski Valley Resort received an estimated 22 inches of snowfall. Various other SNOTELs across the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains received snow totals of 6 to 10 inches. This heavy snowfall resulted in difficult driving conditions on area roadways, particularly along U.S. Highway 64 from Taos to Eagle Nest and along New Mexico State Road 150.
The Taos Avalanche Center reported widespread avalanche activity in the backcountry across the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains on March 10th. Weak layers deep down in the snowpack could not support the weight of the 10 to 20 inches of heavy snow that fell with this winter storm along with additional heavy snow that had fallen in the week prior. These avalanches that occurred were hundreds of feet wide and about 3 to 5 feet thick and ran well into the trees that were over 1,000 feet below. While nobody was hurt, there was one close call when a skier was pushed over in steep terrain and was buried in a tree well for several minutes. Fortunately, their friends were able to dig them out. An Avalanche Warning that was in effect for the area kept other traffic low in the backcountry during this storm. The only damages done were to trees.
A SNOTEL near Tres Ritos received an estimated 12 inches of snowfall.
A member of the public near Angel Fire received 14 inches of new snowfall. A COOP observer near Eagle Nest measured 9.8 inches of new snow from March 10th through the 11th. This heavy snowfall resulted in difficult driving conditions in the area, particularly along U.S. Highway 64 from Taos to Eagle Nest.
A trained spotter near Arroyo Seco measured 6 inches of new snow. This heavy snow resulted in difficult driving conditions, particularly on U.S. Highway 64 and New Mexico State Road 522.
A member of the public near Golden measured 7.5 inches of snow while several CoCoRaHS observers near Edgewood and Sedillo received 5 to 6 inches of new snow.
The Colfax County emergency manager measured 6 inches of new snow near Cimarron.
The McKinley County emergency manager along with a CoCoRaHS observer measured 6 inches of snow near Gallup. This heavy snow resulted in difficult driving conditions in the area, particularly along Interstate 40.
Three to five inches of snow fell across the west central mountains, and this snow combined with much colder air resulted in travel impacts on roadways, particularly Interstate 40. Multiple vehicles and semi-trucks were involved in accidents near Thoreau during the morning of March 11th. No injuries were known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, March 2022
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: 1002687, 1002688, 1002694, 1002689, 1002690, 1002691, 1002692, 1002693, 1002686, 1002735.