Winter Storm — Union County, New Mexico

2023-02-09 · Union County, New Mexico

Event narrative

U.S. Highway 64 closed due to near whiteout conditions causing blowing snow and low visibility all along the highway between Raton and Clayton.

Wider weather episode

A fast moving upper level disturbance passing southward along the Rocky Mountains brought a potent cold front that surged south through eastern NM. High winds and light to moderate snow accompanied this storm system. High wind gusts greater than 60 mph were observed at Raton and through portions of Union County. The combination of strong winds and blowing snow also caused several road closures and crashes along U.S. Highway 64 from Raton to Clayton, and along I-40 in the Central Highlands. An isolated snowfall accumulation of 5 inches in DeBaca County were reported as well.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1068988. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.