A significant surge of low level moisture from the Gulf of Mexico streamed into eastern and central NM on December 13th ahead of an approaching upper level storm system from the Pacific Northwest. Fog, freezing fog, and snow spread over portions of the highlands adjacent to the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia/Manzano Mountains.
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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 significant surge of low level moisture from the Gulf of Mexico streamed into eastern and central NM on December 13th ahead of an approaching upper level storm system from the Pacific Northwest. Fog, freezing fog, and snow spread over portions of the highlands adjacent to the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia/Manzano Mountains. Snow packed and icy roads developed along the East Slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone, causing travel impacts and a jackknifed semi truck near Mora on December 13th. Snow expanded across the northern mountains as the upper low crossed over AZ and into western NM during the night of the 13th into the morning of the 14th. This continued through the day of December 14th with significant snow accumulations of 10 to 21 inches atop the peaks of the northern mountains of NM. Snow reached down the mid elevations, including Santa Fe through Glorieta Pass and down through the East Mountain Communities during the morning of the 14th. Snow packed and icy roads causing travel impacts resulting in severe winter driving conditions were reported in these areas from Santa Fe to Glorieta to Edgewood and Moriarty and to Clines Corners by the NM Department of Transportation. The rain to snow transition zone stretched northeastward along a line from near Clines Corners to Clayton during December 14th. Conditions steadily improved west to east across the state during the afternoon of December 14th with the storm moving into TX by the evening hours.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
There were reports by storm spotters of 6.9 and 8 inches in Las Vegas, NM. There were other public reports of 5 and 6 inches of snow southwest of Las Vegas toward Tecolote Creek.
There were two reports from a storm spotter and a CoCoRaHS observer of 8 inches of snow, one in Raton and the other in Maxwell.
The Pajarito Ski area measured a storm total of 15 inches on the morning of December 14th. Ten inches was also estimated at a SNOTEL station west of Los Alamos, with general amounts of 4 to 6 inches reported elsewhere across the Jemez Mountains.
A storm spotter reported 6 inches of snow along U.S. Highway 412 a few miles east of the Yates Highway intersection. Lower amounts of 2 to 2.5 inches were reported in Clayton.
There were two reports of by trained spotters of 3 to 6 inches in Roy. Another spotter reported 3.5 inches just west of Mills.
Two CoCoRaHS Stations near I-25 from Rowe to Glorieta measured 12.6 and 13 inches of snow. The NM Department of Transportation reported severe driving conditions along I-25 between mile markers 282 and 299 east of Santa Fe and through the Glorieta Pass.
There was a CoCoRaHS report of 11.8 inches along NM Highway 217 near McComb Road. General amounts reported throughout the East Mountain Communities ranged between 2 to 7.7 inches. I-40 eastbound was closed due to a multi-vehicle crash between Edgewood and Moriarty. There was no report of injuries or fatalities.
A CoCoRaHS observer reported 12.2 inches along U.S. 64 east of Taos. The Red River Ski area reported 10 inches. Difficult driving was reported throughout the zone.
An estimated 21 inches of snow was reported at the Wesner Springs SNOTEL. Other amounts ranged from 13 inches at Ski Santa Fe to 20 inches by a storm spotter along NM Highway 518.
There was a CoCoRaHS report of 21.2 inches in Chacon with a storm spotter report of 20 inches in Rociada. The Angel Fire Ski area reported 18 inches of snow while a storm spotter in Ocate reported 12 inches of snow. The heavy snow resulted in a jackknifed semi truck along NM Highway 518 a few miles west of Mora. Power outages were also reported by local media outlets with some reports stating power was out for three or four days before being restored. Residents in and around Mora were directed to call for emergency assistance if stranded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, December 2023
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: 1144474, 1144473, 1144464, 1144475, 1144476, 1144465, 1144471, 1144467, 1144468, 1144469.