A strengthening closed upper low winter storm system swung across northern and central NM, bringing heavy snow to parts of northern NM on February 10th. A brief period of near winter storm criteria heavy snow also impacted the Albuquerque metro area for a 1 to 2 hour period on the morning of the 10th.
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 strengthening closed upper low winter storm system swung across northern and central NM, bringing heavy snow to parts of northern NM on February 10th. A brief period of near winter storm criteria heavy snow also impacted the Albuquerque metro area for a 1 to 2 hour period on the morning of the 10th. This system continued to track over eastern NM, slowing in speed and combining with a backdoor surface cold front pushing southward through eastern NM. These two features combined to produce heavy snow over parts of the northeastern plains during the predawn hours of February 11th, and later past sunrise in the morning through east-central NM from Clovis to Roswell. There was a west to east oriented mesoscale oriented band of heavy snow stretching from near Vaughn to Clovis that dumped 4 to 7 inches of snow in a span of a couple of hours. Heavy snow in Roswell also caused 21 cars to become stuck in snow, needing to be pulled out by the Roswell Community Disaster Relief service. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities. General snow amounts most areas ranged from 2 to 6 inches with locally higher amounts of near 10 inches atop the peaks of the southern Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains, and a storm total high of 19.5 inches atop Sierra Blanca Peak.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A CoCoRaHS station near of Alto measured 19.5 inches of snow. General amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches in populated areas including Ruidoso, and 10 to 17 inches in the higher terrain.
A CoCoRaHS station near Cedro measured 8.2 inches of snow. Other amounts ranged rom 2 to 7.5 inches of snow through the East Mountain Communities.
The Pajarito ski area measured 11 inches of snow.
A CoCoRaHS station in Clayton reported 7 inches of snow. Other amounts across the county ranged rom 2 to 6 inches.
A trained spotter just west of Mosquero reported 7 inches of snow. Amounts across the county ranged from 3 to 7 inches.
The Santa Fe ski area measured 10 inches of snow.
The Melrose COOP observer reported 6 inches of snow. Amounts in Clovis ranged from 2 to 5.2 inches.
A trained spotter just southwest of Portales reported 7 inches of snow. Other reports across the county ranged from 3 to 6 inches.
There was a public report of 6 inches in the far east-central part of the county. Other amounts ranged from 2 to 5 inches across the zone.
The Roswell Community Disaster Relief pulled out 21 cars that were stuck in snow. Reports across Roswell ranged from 2 to 5 inches of snow total. There were no reports of injury or fatalities.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, February 2024
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: 1151826, 1151825, 1151823, 1151827, 1151828, 1151824, 1151829, 1151830, 1151831, 1151832.