A typical spring time storm system impacted New Mexico from March 21st through March 23, 2022. This system approached from the west and tracked over southern New Mexico over this time period, bringing multiple hazards.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 typical spring time storm system impacted New Mexico from March 21st through March 23, 2022. This system approached from the west and tracked over southern New Mexico over this time period, bringing multiple hazards. Daily rounds of high winds were common, especially across northeast New Mexico behind a strong backdoor cold front. Precipitation began as low elevation rain and mountain snow across western and northern portions of New Mexico, but as snow levels fell with the passage of this system, lower elevations across the Rio Grande Valley picked up a few inches of snow as well. The highest impacts from this system were across northeast New Mexico where the combination of the strongest winds and snow created blizzard-like conditions. Difficult to severe travel was common across Colfax and Union counties, and several roadways, such as U.S. Highway 64 between Raton and Clayton, were forced to close. Impacts were felt in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque metros as well as a band of heavy snow traveling south through the Rio Grande Valley produced three to six inches of snow in the early morning hours of the 23rd as the storm system was finally exiting the area. This last round of heavy snow forced the closure of Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque, stranding travelers. Impacts: heavy snow, high winds, blizzard conditions, severe travel conditions, road closures.
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 21, 4:33 AM MST, 5 hours 12 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 2 winter storm, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The combination of heavy snow and high winds created blizzard-like conditions in the area which forced the closure of U.S. Highway 64 from Raton to Clayton.
The combination of heavy snow and high winds created blizzard-like conditions in the area which forced the closure of U.S. Highway 64 from Raton to Clayton. Snow totals around Union County were generally between 2 to 5 inches with a CoCoRaHS observer near Grenville measuring 5 inches of snow.
An ASOS station in Tucumcari measured a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
An ASOS in Raton measured a peak wind gust of 66 mph.
An ASOS station in Raton measured a peak sustained wind speed of 47 mph.
A CWOP weather station near Clovis measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
The highest reports were near Glorieta where a CoCoRaHS observer measured 6.5 inches of snow. This heavy snow led to severe travel conditions along Interstate 25 through Glorieta Pass.
An ASOS station in Clayton measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
Multiple sources reported heavy snow across the Albuquerque metro area with snow totals of 4 to 7 inches. This heavy snow led to difficult to severe travel conditions across the area, and Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque at mile marker 147 was forced to close. This caused major traffic backup, stranding many travelers. The official snow total at Albuquerque International Airport was 2.4 inches on the morning of the 23rd which set a new daily record for snowfall.
A downed power pole in Mount Dora caused power outages in the Mount Dora, Des Moines, Clayton, and Capulin areas. Damages are a rough estimate.
An ASOS station in Raton measured a peak wind speed of 59 mph.
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1004949, 1004951, 1003950, 1003952, 1003953, 1003956, 1004947, 1003954, 1004948, 1003970, 1003968.