A significant winter storm impacted northern and central NM from January 23rd through January 27th, with a combination of heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold impacts. A subtropical upper low beginning off the coast of the northern Baja Peninsula transported abundant moisture into the Desert Southwest and New Mexico in particular, much of it overriding an anomalously bitter cold and shallow Arctic…
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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 significant winter storm impacted northern and central NM from January 23rd through January 27th, with a combination of heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold impacts. A subtropical upper low beginning off the coast of the northern Baja Peninsula transported abundant moisture into the Desert Southwest and New Mexico in particular, much of it overriding an anomalously bitter cold and shallow Arctic airmass over eastern NM. This warmer moisture laden air overriding subfreezing surface temperatures set the stage for freezing rain and sleet for areas along the south-central highlands to the south-central mountains and southeastern plains of NM January 23rd through January 24th. Slick icy travel conditions were reported in these areas alongside ice and snow downing limbs and trees across the Ruidoso area burn scars. Power outages and road closures in the Ruidoso area lasted multiple days from January 24th to at least January 28th. While the entire event was snow for the northeastern plains and northern mountains, the transition from rain to snow through the middle Rio Grande Valley and an icy wintry mix to all snow through the aforementioned areas of ice did not occur until late January 25th when a trailing upper level system over the Four Corners area brought snow levels down to valley floors. The highest snow accumulations of 30 plus inches fell atop Sierra Blanca Peak just west of Ruidoso. A Village Disaster Declaration was made January 27th. General amounts of 2 to 8 inches of snow fell elsewhere across the northern mountains, highlands, and southeastern plains. Extreme cold settled into eastern NM behind the Arctic airmass where 72 to 96 hours of subfreezing temperatures lasted in many areas. Freezing fog limiting visibility in these areas were present during the first 48 hours of the event, with extreme cold wind chills falling below zero to negative 10 to 15 degrees below zero during the nights thereafter through the morning of January 27th. Conditions from ice and snow began improving January 26th while the extreme cold and wind chills persisted for the southeast plains particularly near Roswell through January 27th.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow, 8 extreme cold/wind chill, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Taos Ski Valley observed 13 inches of snowfall. Nearby, the Taos Powderhorn SNOTEL observed an estimated 10 inches of snowfall.
Sipapu Ski observed 11 inches of snowfall.
Sierra Blanca Peak and Ski Apache experienced only snow during the entirety of the event totaling to 31 inches. Meanwhile in lower elevations of the zone, like the village of Ruidoso, a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain late January 23rd through the morning hours of January 24th followed by 8 to 12 inches of snow midday January 24th through the late morning of January 25th resulted in widespread downed trees and power outages in the village. At its peak, 8,551 customers were without power. Power was restored to all customers by the morning of January 28th.
The Vacas Locas SNOTEL observed an estimated 10 inches of snowfall.
Sandia Ski observed 8 inches of snowfall. Elsewhere across the zone, CoCoRaHS observers near Sedillo and Edgewood measured 4 to 5 inches of snowfall.
A CoCoRaHS observer 14.4 miles south of Causey measured 6 inches of snowfall. Elsewhere in the zone, another CoCoRaHS observer 5.7 miles west of Elida measured 4.6 inches of snowfall.
A CoCoRaHS observer a few miles west of Hagerman measured 0.3 inches of ice accretion from freezing rain late January 23rd into the morning of January 24th. This was followed with 8.8 inches of snowfall midday January 24th into the late morning hours of January 25th. Other snowfall reports across the zone midday January 24th through the late morning hours of January 25th include 8 inches near the Roswell Airport, 6.5 inches in Lake Arthur, and 5 to 6 inches on the north side of Roswell.
A trained spotter in the northern part of the zone measured 0.5 inches of ice accretion from freezing rain late January 23rd into the morning hours of January 24th. Additionally, trained spotters in Tinnie and Glencoe measured 6 inches of snowfall from midday January 24th through the late morning hours of January 25th.
A trained spotter a few miles south of Dunken measured 4 inches of snowfall.
A CoCoRaHS observer near Abiquiu measured 5.5 inches of snowfall.
A trained spotter in Carrizozo observed 4 inches of snowfall.
The mesonet station at Hagerman observed a minimum wind chill of 20 below zero. Elsewhere in the zone, the mesonet station at Dexter and the ASOS at the Roswell Air Center each observed a minimum wind chill of 19 below zero.
The AWOS at Clovis Municipal Airport observed a minimum wind chill of 14 below zero.
The mesonet station at Runyan Ranches observed a minimum wind chill of 5 below zero.
The Ziamet station at Dora observed a minimum wind chill of 18 below zero. Elsewhere in the zone, the mesonet station at Melrose Range observed a minimum wind chill of 15 below zero and the Roosevelt SWCD mesonet station observed a minimum wind chill of 11 below zero.
The mesonet station east of Fort Sumner observed a minimum wind chill of 12 below zero. Elsewhere in the zone, the mesonet station south of Fort Sumner observed a minimum wind chill of 11 below zero.
A mesonet station in Raton observed a minimum wind chill of 21 below zero. Elsewhere in the zone, the ASOS at Raton Crews Municipal Airport observed a minimum wind chill of 19 below zero.
A mesonet station 3.8 miles northeast of Solano observed a minimum wind chill of 16 below zero.
The ASOS at Roswell Air Center observed a minimum wind chill of 18 below zero. Elsewhere in the zone, mesonet stations in north Roswell, Dexter, and Bittler Lake Wildlife Refuge observed minimum wind chills between 5 below zero to 10 below zero.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, January 2026
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: 1301342, 1301343, 1301347, 1301341, 1301345, 1301348, 1301349, 1301350, 1301351, 1301344, 1301346, 1301357, 1301354, 1301358, 1301355, 1301356, 1301352, 1301353, 1301359.