New Mexico, 2024Blizzard and Winter Storm in New Mexico, November 6 to 8, 2024
November 6 to 8, 2024 · NWS ABQ · 35 events in 28 counties and zones
An upper low dove south into the Four Corners area during the day November 6th with much colder air diving south into northern and central NM during the day. Snow developed across northwest and north central NM during the day.
Every event with a place to put it; 35 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- $4.0 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 35
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.
An upper low dove south into the Four Corners area during the day November 6th with much colder air diving south into northern and central NM during the day. Snow developed across northwest and north central NM during the day. Snow increased in coverage and intensity across central and northeast NM late November 6th into November 7th as the low dug south along the Arizona and New Mexico border increasing lift across the state. Snow was confined to northeast NM on November 8th as the low exited the northeast part of the state. One to three feet of snow fall was observed across the east slopes of the central mountain chain and northeast plains. A Las Vegas CoCoRaHS station measured a three-day total of 31.7 inches, breaking the official three-day record snowfall in the Las Vegas climate records. Deep snowdrifts as high as 3 to 6 feet were reported over portions of northeastern NM. Overall snowfall amounts ranged from several inches along the Continental Divide and in the Albuquerque Metro area, to near a foot in Santa Fe and the Jemez and Tusas Mountains, with 1 to 3 feet in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and 6 to 31 inches across east-central and northeastern NM. Major impacts from heavy and blowing snow resulted across the highlands stretching from Santa Fe and northward along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I-25 and stretches of U.S. Highways 64/87 and 56 from I-25 to Clayton were closed from Pecos, NM to the CO border from November 7th into the 9th. NM State Police reported multiple semi-trucks having crashed and blocked a portion of I-25 near Romeroville and Las Vegas on the 7th. A major traffic pileup occurred along I-40 from near Moriarty through Santa Rosa to Tucumcari where vehicles were stranded for 12 to 36 hours. There were reports of vehicles running out of gas, with occupants needing food and water. Widespread power outages also occurred within the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Downed branches from the weight of wet snow in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, with many trees still with foliage on them, caused power outages there as well. State offices were closed because of this in both metro areas on the 7th.
Key Impacts: Heavy snow, blizzard.
What forecasters said that day
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 Nov 5, 10:23 PM MST, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 1016 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
- A major winter storm will impact portions of the region with very heavy snowfall in the higher terrain late tonight through Friday. Blizzard-like conditions are possible across portions of northeast NM and along the central mountain chain.
- A backdoor cold front will bring windy conditions Wednesday into Thursday with well below normal temperatures lasting through Friday.
- A slow warming and drying trend is forecast this weekend into early next week.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 5, 10:23 PM MST, 3 hours 37 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
1023 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1016 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
- A major winter storm will impact portions of the region with
very heavy snowfall in the higher terrain late tonight through
Friday. Blizzard-like conditions are possible across portions
of northeast NM and along the central mountain chain.
- A backdoor cold front will bring windy conditions Wednesday
into Thursday with well below normal temperatures lasting
through Friday.
- A slow warming and drying trend is forecast this weekend into
early next week.
&&
.UPDATE...
Issued at 918 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
The upper low is dropping south over eastern UT per the latest
water vapor satellite imagery and will bring a prolonged major
winter weather event to northern and central NM that will last
through Friday. Went ahead and upgraded the watch to a warning
and will likely issue an advisory for some surrounding zones later
tonight.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 323 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
The brief period of clear skies and calm weather we've been seeing
this Election Day will soon end as a winter system approaches the
Four Corners tonight, then impacts New Mexico through Friday. While
more widespread snow is expected for New Mexico with this system
compared to the one earlier in the week, the most significant
impacts will be in and around the central mountain chain. Road
closures and power outages will be a concern for areas near the
eastern slopes of the central mountain chain where snow amounts may
exceed 12 inches. Locally higher amounts over 24 inches are possible
in the Sangre De Cristos. Expect temperatures well below normal for
most of the state as the system exits the area on Saturday. A
slightly warmer and drier period of weather will follow.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Wednesday night)
Issued at 323 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
Forecast confidence continues to increase that a major winter storm
will target portions of the region between Wednesday and Friday. The
latest suite of deterministic models, ensembles, cluster analysis,
and coordination with surrounding NWS offices and WPC has allowed
for additional clarity on some details. Agreement is exceptionally
good tonight through Thursday with regard to an unseasonably strong
upper level low digging southward along the NM/AZ border. The latest
satellite imagery shows strong diffluence aloft developing into the
Four Corners region as a baroclinic zone strengthens ahead of an
approaching 135-145 kt upper level speed max. A Pacific cold front
will move into northwest NM tonight with snow showers breaking out
along and behind the front. This activity will make it to the Cont
Divide by sunrise with snow becoming more persistent on southwest-
facing slopes of the northwest high terrain. Meanwhile, a backdoor
cold front will enter northeast NM and begin to allow for snow
showers to develop along the northern Sangre de Cristo Mts as well
before sunrise. The light snow tonight is before the main event so
the current Winter Storm Watches will continue with upgrades to
warnings for several areas likely from subsequent forecast shifts.
Snow showers will transition to more persistent snowfall along the
central mt chain thru Wednesday afternoon as a 548dm H5 low drifts
south along the AZ/NM border and the Pacific cold front converges
with the backdoor cold front. Temps will be colder tomorrow in the
wake of both fronts with snow levels dropping to near 5,500 ft. A
rain/snow mix is expected during the day from near ABQ southward and
for parts of the central highlands and northeast NM. The upper level
storm system will then settle into far southwest NM Wednesday night
with even stronger diffluence aloft, large-scale ascent, and deep
moist easterly upslope flow along the central mt chain. Canyon winds
in the RGV will strengthen Wednesday night with localized gusts in
the 35 to 45 mph for the ABQ east side. Meanwhile, sow will become
widespread Wednesday night and Thursday morning from the Continental
Divide eastward across much of eastern NM above 4,500 ft. Snowfall
rates may exceed 2"/hr along the central mt chain before sunrise
Thursday. A snow-freeze zone may also develop in the RGV Wednesday
night and Thursday morning with the deepening easterly flow across
the high terrain. Blowing snow may occur where temps are cold enough
with very low visibility, especially along the I-25 corridor from
near Raton Pass to Las Vegas and Santa Fe.
The H5 low moves very little thru Thursday while filling to near
555dm by 00Z Friday. Snow will likely remain widespread over the
region with the heaviest snowfall rates in the central high terrain.
Snow levels are tricky over eastern NM where very rich moisture
begins advecting westward toward the H5 low Thursday. The Winter
Storm Watch in Harding, eastern San Miguel, Guadalupe, and eastern
Lincoln counties is primarily focused on their western borders where
a very tight rain/snow gradient is possible. There are still details
to clarify over the next 12-24 hours with thermal profiles, areas of
mesoscale snow banding, higher snowfall rates, and blowing snow. The
Winter Storm Severity Index still indicates major impacts from this
system along the central mt chain and nearby highlands thru sunset
Thursday. Folks in the higher terrain need to be prepared for very
heavy snowfall amounts with some power outages during cold weather.
Additional forecast and uncertainty details on this snowfall event
for Thursday night and Friday can be found below in the long term
discussion.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Thursday through Monday)
Issued at 323 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
Friday through Saturday... As the upper level low pressure system
positions itself over southwestern New Mexico on Thursday evening,
widespread snow will continue into the morning hours on Friday for
much of the state. Upper level diffluence, aided by a 120 knot 300mb
jet will help drive these large snow amounts along the Sangre De
Cristo mountains. In addition, mid level flow will be perpendicular
to the Sangre De Cristo Mts and will further aid in upslope
orographic forcing. Snow levels will be in the 4000 to 5000 foot
range by Friday morning so lower elevations such as the Rio Grande
Valley and the eastern plains could see some accumulations. Some
uncertainty still exists on the exact position of the low center and
how fast it moves across the state through Friday, which could lead
to some differences in snow fall amounts for certain areas.
Regardless, there is high confidence that the lower to middle Sangre
De Cristo Mountains will receive the greatest amounts of snowfall as
precipitation chances will look to linger there later into Saturday
morning. Expect several road closures for the NE quadrant of the
state where heavy snow amounts will cause hazardous driving
conditions in addition to possible power outages for residents of
this area.
A TROWAL over northern New Mexico on Friday evening into Saturday
could edge precipitation amounts toward the higher end of guidance,
but this is contingent on how far east the low pressure center will
be. Most guidance has the center in the Oklahoma Panhandle Friday
evening into Saturday. The Euro is the most bullish in terms of
amounts and has precipitation lingering later than other guidance.
Temperatures for the eastern plains of New Mexico will be hovering
just around freezing so there is also some uncertainty for how far
east frozen precipitation will be at this time.
By mid-day Saturday the system will be on its merry way to the east,
bringing about a period of drier weather and warmer temperatures.
More zonal, westerly flow will start Sunday, but confidence of the
weather pattern next week is low. Probabilistic cluster analysis
currently shows two solutions: most GEFS members show a brief trough
entering the region that could once again bring precipitation for
northern NM, while most ENS members agree on a more persistent
shortwave ridge pattern that will keep things drier and warmer.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1016 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
Leading edge of the Pacific cold front is entering northwestern
NM, expect chances for MVFR conditions to reach KFMN to KGUP
tonight. This front will reach KSAF to KABQ later Wednesday
morning. While conditions improve back to VFR behind this front
through western NM, a backdoor cold front will push into
northeastern NM bringing a northerly wind shift. Snow will break
out over the Sangre de Cristo Mts first, before spreading to
surrounding lower elevations later in the afternoon. Snow will
intensify over the northeastern highlands from KRTN to KLVS past
00Z Wednesday evening when IFR conditions are expected to persist.
The backdoor front is forecast to reach thru the gaps of the
central mountain chain to KSAF and KABQ around 02Z to 03Z bringing
east canyon winds combined with increasing snow chances. Lesser
precipitation chances are forecast further east and south over
eastern NM from KTCC to KROW through the 06Z timeframe, despite
the backdoor frontal boundary advancing past these terminals.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 323 PM MST Tue Nov 5 2024
A major winter storm will bring widespread snow and gusty winds to
much of the region between Wednesday and Friday. High terrain areas
may pick up more than 12" of snow with locally higher amounts over
24" in the Sangre de Cristo Mts. Lower elevation areas may also pick
up several inches of snow. A mix of rain and snow is more likely for
parts of east-central and southeast NM with heavy snow closer to the
I-25 corridor. Temps will be well below normal thru Friday night. A
gradual warming and drying trend is expected over the weekend into
early next week. Another winter storm may cross northern NM around
the middle of next week.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Farmington...................... 27 40 23 42 / 40 20 30 40
Dulce........................... 22 35 16 38 / 60 60 60 50
Cuba............................ 25 34 22 35 / 40 50 70 70
Gallup.......................... 23 36 19 35 / 60 50 40 60
El Morro........................ 26 34 19 32 / 50 70 60 80
Grants.......................... 25 36 20 34 / 40 60 60 80
Quemado......................... 25 34 20 33 / 10 60 50 80
Magdalena....................... 30 42 26 33 / 0 30 70 90
Datil........................... 25 36 23 31 / 5 40 70 80
Reserve......................... 24 41 19 38 / 0 40 40 60
Glenwood........................ 32 50 28 45 / 0 20 40 50
Chama........................... 20 30 13 31 / 60 70 70 70
Los Alamos...................... 29 36 23 32 / 30 70 80 80
Pecos........................... 27 37 22 33 / 20 70 90 90
Cerro/Questa.................... 25 31 15 30 / 60 80 90 80
Red River....................... 19 24 8 25 / 60 90 90 80
Angel Fire...................... 17 28 8 27 / 40 80 90 90
Taos............................ 24 34 18 32 / 50 80 80 70
Mora............................ 22 33 16 31 / 20 70 90 90
Espanola........................ 30 42 25 38 / 30 70 70 70
Santa Fe........................ 29 37 23 34 / 20 70 90 90
Santa Fe Airport................ 30 40 25 34 / 20 70 70 90
Albuquerque Foothills........... 34 42 30 37 / 5 50 80 90
Albuquerque Heights............. 35 44 31 39 / 5 40 60 80
Albuquerque Valley.............. 32 46 32 40 / 0 40 60 80
Albuquerque West Mesa........... 34 44 30 39 / 10 40 70 80
Belen........................... 32 47 31 40 / 0 30 60 90
Bernalillo...................... 32 44 30 39 / 10 50 70 80
Bosque Farms.................... 31 46 31 40 / 0 40 60 80
Corrales........................ 33 45 30 39 / 10 40 70 80
Los Lunas....................... 32 46 32 40 / 0 40 60 80
Placitas........................ 32 41 28 35 / 10 50 80 90
Rio Rancho...................... 33 44 29 38 / 10 50 70 80
Socorro......................... 34 49 31 42 / 0 20 60 90
Sandia Park/Cedar Crest......... 29 36 24 31 / 10 50 90 90
Tijeras......................... 28 39 27 33 / 5 50 80 90
Edgewood........................ 26 41 24 33 / 0 50 90 90
Moriarty/Estancia............... 27 43 24 34 / 0 50 80 90
Clines Corners.................. 27 39 20 30 / 0 40 80 90
Mountainair..................... 29 43 24 32 / 0 30 90 90
Gran Quivira.................... 29 46 24 33 / 0 30 90 90
Carrizozo....................... 36 54 29 39 / 0 10 70 90
Ruidoso......................... 35 50 24 34 / 0 10 70 90
Capulin......................... 24 30 19 26 / 20 50 70 90
Raton........................... 26 34 21 31 / 20 60 80 80
Springer........................ 27 37 23 33 / 5 50 70 80
Las Vegas....................... 26 37 19 31 / 5 60 80 90
Clayton......................... 31 41 26 33 / 0 20 70 90
Roy............................. 30 40 24 33 / 0 30 60 80
Conchas......................... 35 49 31 37 / 0 20 60 80
Santa Rosa...................... 34 49 28 36 / 0 20 60 90
Tucumcari....................... 34 52 33 37 / 0 10 50 80
Clovis.......................... 36 58 33 44 / 0 0 30 80
Portales........................ 36 60 35 46 / 0 0 30 80
Fort Sumner..................... 35 57 32 41 / 0 5 50 80
Roswell......................... 36 66 38 47 / 0 0 20 70
Picacho......................... 36 61 29 41 / 0 5 40 80
Elk............................. 36 59 28 41 / 0 5 40 70
&&
.ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM Wednesday to 11 AM MST Friday for
NMZ204-206-208-211-212-218-221>224-226-233-239.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM Wednesday to 5 PM MST Friday for
NMZ228>232.
Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST Wednesday for NMZ210.
Winter Storm Warning from 5 AM Wednesday to 5 PM MST Friday for
NMZ213>216-227.
&&
SHORT TERM...42
LONG TERM....11
AVIATION...24
Event by event
27 heavy snow, 4 winter storm, 2 winter weather, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Tusas Mountains Including Chama
- When
- November 6, 2:00 AM MST to November 8, 12:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tusas Mountains Including Chama forecast zone
- Reported by
- SNOTEL
- Coordinates
- 36.544, -106.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An estimated 18 inches of snow was observed at the Hopewell SNOTEL. Additionally, snowfall estimates of 10 and 17 inches, respectively, were observed at the Bateman and San Antonio SNOTEL sites.
Heavy Snow, Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass
- When
- November 6, 3:15 AM MST to November 8, 11:00 PM MST
- Where
- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 36.544, -104.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The COOP observer in Capulin measured 26.1 inches of snow. Heavy blowing snow and near whiteout conditions at times resulted in the closure of I-25 at Raton Pass through the early morning hours of November 9th. Additionally, U.S. 64/87 through Capulin was shut down during this time.
Heavy Snow, Jemez Mountains
- When
- November 6, 4:00 AM MST to November 8, 11:00 AM MST
- Where
- Jemez Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.023, -106.622 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Pajarito Ski Resort observed 29 inches of snow. One to two feet of snow was estimated or measured from SNOTEL sites and CoCoRaHS observers elsewhere in the zone.
Heavy Snow, West Central Highlands
- When
- November 6, 5:00 AM MST to November 7, 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Central Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 34.993, -107.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer in Grants measured 11.6 inches of snow.
Heavy Snow, Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass
- When
- November 6, 9:00 AM MST to November 8, 5:00 AM MST
- Where
- Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.494, -105.396 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
CoCoRaHS observers in Glorieta and Pecos measured 13.3 inches of snow. Additionally, the snow resulted in the closure of I-25 at Glorieta Pass.
Heavy Snow, Upper Rio Grande Valley
- When
- November 6, 10:30 AM MST to November 8, 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Rio Grande Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 36.544, -106.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer in Arroyo Hondo observed 10.5 inches of snow. Elsewhere in the zone, generally 3 to 5 inches of snow was observed in Taos.
Heavy Snow, Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood
- When
- November 6, 11:00 AM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.121, -106.434 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer measured 24 inches of snow near Golden north of Edgewood. Generally, 12 to 18 inches of snow was observed across the zone. Heavy snow and low visibility resulted in a massive backup on I-40 that stretched into this zone. Motorists were stuck for over 12 hours to as long as a day and half in the most severe cases. There were reports of vehicles running out of gas, with occupants needing food and water.
Heavy Snow, Northeast Highlands
- When
- November 6, 11:00 AM MST to November 8, 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northeast Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.480, -104.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer in Las Vegas measured 31.7 inches of snow. This set a new 3 day snowfall record for the month of November in Las Vegas. Heavy snow, poor visibility and reports from law enforcement of semi-trucks stuck and stranded in the snow resulted in the closure of I-25 within the zone. Additionally, U.S. 84 was closed from Romeroville to Anton Chico at the San Miguel and Guadalupe County border during this time.
Heavy Snow, Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- November 6, 12:00 PM MST to November 8, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- SNOTEL
- Coordinates
- 36.592, -105.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An estimated 22 inches of snow was observed at the Taos Powderhorn SNOTEL. Ski resorts and SNOTEL sites in the zone observed between 1 to 2 feet of snow.
Heavy Snow, Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- November 6, 12:00 PM MST to November 8, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.115, -105.451 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ski Santa Fe observed 27 inches of snow. SNOTEL sites in the zone observed 1 to 2 feet of snow.
Heavy Snow, Santa Fe Metro Area
- When
- November 6, 12:00 PM MST to November 7, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Santa Fe Metro Area forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.416, -106.504 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer in the Eldorado community of Santa Fe observed 14.5 inches of snow. Generally, 9 to 12 inches of snow was observed in Santa Fe. The heavy snow on November 6th caused down powerlines from San Ildenfonso to Gallisteo resulting in power outages for 5500 customers. Additionally, state offices were closed due to the heavy snow.
Heavy Snow, Far Northeast Highlands
- When
- November 6, 12:30 PM MST to November 8, 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Far Northeast Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 36.308, -104.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter in Cimmaron observed 26 inches of snow. Generally, 18 to 24 inches of snow was observed in the zone. Heavy snow and poor visibility resulted in the closure of I-25 in the zone and U.S. 56 at Springer through the zone from November 7th through the early morning hours of November 9th.
Heavy Snow, East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- November 6, 2:00 PM MST to November 8, 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.032, -104.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Angel Fire Ski Resort observed 40 inches of snow. CoCoRaHS observers and SNOTEL sites generally observed between 1 to 2.5 feet of snow. State Highway 434 from mile marker 21 to 26 was closed due to snow drifts. In Rociada, video on social media showed cattle stuck in deep snow. Power outages and snow drifts lasted for a few days after the snow ended.
Heavy Snow, Central Highlands
- When
- November 6, 2:00 PM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Central Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.209, -105.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer a few miles west of Vaughn measured 14 inches of snow. Heavy snow and low visibility resulted in a massive backup on I-40 that stretched across this zone including Clines Corners. Motorists were stuck for over 12 hours to as long as a day and half in the most severe cases. There were reports of vehicles running out of gas, with occupants needing food and water.
Heavy Snow, Espanola Valley
- When
- November 6, 3:00 PM MST to November 7, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- Espanola Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 36.198, -106.100 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer at Abiquiu observed 12 inches of snow. Elsewhere in the zone, 8 inches of snow was observed at Abiquiu Reservoir and 3 to 6 inches of snow was observed at Espanola.
Heavy Snow, South Central Highlands
- When
- November 6, 3:00 PM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- South Central Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.277, -106.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter near Corona observed 18 inches of snow.
Heavy Snow, San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands
- When
- November 6, 3:00 PM MST to November 7, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 33.961, -107.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer on the north slopes of the Magdalena Mountains observed 5 inches of snow. Additionally, 3 inches of snow was observed at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory west of Magdalena along U.S. 60.
Heavy Snow, Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area
- When
- November 6, 5:00 PM MST to November 7, 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.002, -106.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
CoCoRaHS observers in Rio Rancho and Bernalillo observed 8 inches of snow. Generally, 3 to 8 inches of snow was observed on the west side of Albuquerque and 2 to 4 inches on the east side of Albuquerque and Belen. Isolated areas in Placitas observed 20 inches of snow. The heavy snow weighed down and broke tree limbs still containing foliage resulting in some power outages across the Albuquerque Metro. State government offices were closed November 8th due to the snow.
Heavy Snow, Estancia Valley
- When
- November 6, 5:00 PM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Estancia Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.066, -106.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer just west-southwest of Estancia measured 28 inches of snow. Generally, 14 to 15 inches was observed in Moriarty and Estancia. Heavy snow and low visibility resulted in a massive backup on I-40 that stretched across this zone. Motorists were stuck for over 12 hours to as long as a day and half in the most severe cases. There were reports of vehicles running out of gas, with occupants needing food and water.
Heavy Snow, South Central Mountains
- When
- November 6, 8:00 PM MST to November 7, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- South Central Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- SNOTEL
- Coordinates
- 33.745, -105.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An estimated 12 inches of snow was estimated at the Sierra Blanca SNOTEL site. Generally, 4 to 8 inches of snow was observed in Ruidoso, Alto, and Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. There were reports of traffic backups on State Road 48 (Alto Rd) between Ski Run Road and E. Challete the morning of November 7th.
Heavy Snow, Northwest Highlands
- When
- November 6, 9:00 PM MST to November 8, 3:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northwest Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 36.072, -107.535 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A COOP observer in Torreon Navajo measured 8 inches of snow. Several snowfall reports of 4 inches were observed across the rest of the zone.
Heavy Snow, Union County
- When
- November 6, 9:00 PM MST to November 8, 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Union County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.482, -103.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Twenty nine inches of snow was observed in far northern Union County near the Colorado border. Additionally, in Clayton and central Union County, around 19 to 22 inches of snow was observed. The 21.7 inches of snow observed in Clayton set a new 3 day snowfall record for the month of November and is the 2nd highest three day snowfall event. The Pasamonte COOP's 17 inch snowfall amount is that station's 2nd highest three-day total. A massive car pileup November 7th on U.S. 64/87 resulted in the closure of the highway. U.S. Highway 56 was closed as well due to the heavy snow and poor visibility. Local rancher rescued a stranded motorist on the highway and took them to a hospital in Clayton.
Heavy Snow, Harding County
- When
- November 6, 9:00 PM MST to November 8, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Harding County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.858, -103.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter in Roy observed 24 inches of snow. Heavy snow and poor visibility resulted in the closure on State Highway 39 in the county.
Heavy Snow, Eastern San Miguel County
- When
- November 6, 9:00 PM MST to November 8, 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern San Miguel County forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.480, -104.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer a few miles south of Mosquero observed 6.2 inches of snow. NM Roads reported severe driving conditions due to snow and blowing snow on State Highway 104 and 419 in the Trementina and Garita area on November 7th.
Heavy Snow, Guadalupe County
- When
- November 6, 9:00 PM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Guadalupe County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 34.863, -104.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The emergency manager in Santa Rosa reported 8 inches of snow. Additionally, a trained spotter along I-40 in far northwest Guadalupe County reported 7 inches of snow. Heavy snow and blowing snow resulted in a massive traffic backup lasting at least 7 hours on the section of I-40 within the zone.
Winter Weather, Quay County
- When
- November 7, 12:00 AM MST to November 8, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Quay County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 35.104, -103.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter near Montoya in western Quay County reported 2.5 inches of snow. Poor road conditions from snow resulted in a long traffic backup on I-40 that stretched and started in the zone at mile marker 330, the western outskirts of Tucumcari.
Heavy Snow, West Central Mountains
- When
- November 7, 2:00 AM MST to 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Central Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- SNOTEL
- Coordinates
- 34.821, -107.693 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An estimated seven inches of snow was observed at the Rice Park SNOTEL with several reports of up to 6 inches across the rest of the zone. A multi-vehicle crash was observed on I-40 between Gallup and Thoreau.
Heavy Snow, Northwest Plateau
- When
- November 7, 2:30 AM MST to November 8, 5:19 AM MST
- Where
- Northwest Plateau forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 36.045, -108.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A CoCoRaHS observer measured 6 inches of snow in Aztec.
Winter Weather, Santa Fe Metro Area
- When
- November 7, 3:00 AM MST to November 8, 8:00 AM MST
- Where
- Santa Fe Metro Area forecast zone
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.416, -106.504 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy snow up to a foot caused power outages from San Ildefonso to Gallisteo and Santa Fe. State government offices were shutdown on November 7th. Unfortunately the cold resulted in two fatalities, one on the morning of the 7th and another on the morning of the 8th in Santa Fe. An unidentified male in his 50s was found Thursday outside Freedom Church on Cerrillos Road and Vegas Verdes Drive. Cody Lee Morales, 28, was found Friday morning near Cesar Chaves Elementary School on Jaguar Drive. The two deaths were determined to be from exposure to the cold, temperatures fell into the 20s each night.
Winter Storm, Harding County
- When
- November 7, 4:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Harding County forecast zone
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 35.858, -103.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Mills Canyon RAWS station observed gusts of around 30 mph. These wind gusts along with snow and blowing snow caused lower visibility and severe driving conditions in the zone.
Blizzard, Union County
- When
- November 7, 6:00 AM MST to 4:15 PM MST
- Where
- Union County forecast zone
- Injuries
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Property damage
- $4.0 million
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 36.482, -103.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Whiteout conditions due to blowing snow along with snow drifts were observed across U.S. Highways 64/87, and U.S. Highway 56/412 beginning late Thursday morning. Wind gusts across western and central Union County from various mesonet stations and the Clayton Municipal Airpark ASOS peaked at around 40 mph during this time. Cars piled up behind a jack-knifed semi-truck between Clayton and Des Moines. The emergency manager estimated around 100 cars impacted and needing help getting turned around and off the road. The highway was closed and remained closed until all vehicles and drivers were cleared off after a couple of hours later. One stranded and injured motorist was rescued by a local rancher and taken from the scene to a nearby hospital.
Winter Storm, East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains
- When
- November 7, 7:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 36.032, -104.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy snow and blowing snow resulted in near blizzard conditions across the zone with wind gusts of around 30 mph at the Pecos RAWS station. NM Roads reported severe driving conditions in the Mora area due to this snow and blowing snow.
Winter Storm, Far Northeast Highlands
- When
- November 7, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Far Northeast Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 36.308, -104.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Raton Crews Municipal Airport reported snow and blowing snow during the day November 7th resulting in near blizzard conditions. Wind gusts of up to 39 mph were briefly observed for less than three hours. Additionally, visibility dropped to less than 0.25 miles at times. These conditions resulted in the closure of I-25 and U.S. 56 in the zone during this time.
Winter Storm, Northeast Highlands
- When
- November 7, 10:00 AM MST to 4:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northeast Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 35.480, -104.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Las Vegas Municipal Airport reported visibility as low as 0.25 miles from snow and blowing snow along with wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Snow and blowing snow resulted in visibility below 0.25 miles and near blizzard conditions across other parts of the zone resulting in the closure of I-25 and U.S. 84 throughout the entire zone.
Blizzard, Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass
- When
- November 8, 1:00 PM MST to 11:30 PM MST
- Where
- Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 36.544, -104.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Raton Pass NMDOT station reported blizzard conditions with blowing snow, wind gusts as high as 49 mph and visibility as low as 0.20 miles. I-25 at Raton Pass was closed during this time due to the blizzard conditions. Additionally, near blizzard conditions were observed for much of the day on November 7th.
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in South Carolina, November 6 to 10, 20242 deaths · 28 events
- Rip Current in Florida, November 6, 20241 death · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Georgia, November 6 to 7, 2024$5.0 million · 29 events
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, November 6 to 9, 202423 events
- Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Florida, November 6 to 7, 20243 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, November 6, 20242 events
- High Wind in California, November 6, 202456 kt wind · 2 events
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, November 6 to 9, 20241 event
- High Wind in Alaska, November 6, 202454 kt wind · 1 event
- Marine Tropical Storm in Gulf of Mexico, November 6 to 7, 20241 event
- Flood in Arkansas, November 6 to 19, 20241 event
- Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, November 6 to 8, 20241 event
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: 1216242, 1216260, 1216243, 1216240, 1216244, 1216249, 1216254, 1216262, 1216245, 1216246, 1216251, 1216261, 1216248, 1216256, 1216250, 1216257, 1216297, 1216252, 1216255, 1216259, 1216237, 1216263, 1216272, 1216294, 1216295, 1216296, 1216238, 1216236, 1216327, 1216303, 1216302, 1216298, 1216300, 1216301, 1216299.