Heavy Snow — Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

2024-03-08 to 2024-03-09 · Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

Event narrative

The Pajarito Ski Resort observed 14 inches of snowfall. Additionally, a CoCoRaHS observer just south of Valles Caldera National Preseve observed 11 inches of snowfall.

Wider weather episode

An upper-level disturbance over the Four Corners worked together with a backdoor surface cold front draped across central New Mexico to produce scattered to numerous snow showers across the region on March 8th. Accumulating snowfall with periods of 1 to 2 inch hourly snowfall rates were observed across the northern mountains and central mountain chain. This resulted in some minor traffic accidents. Ski sites across the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains observed 10 to 15 inches of snowfall. Additionally, 9 to 14 inches of snowfall was observed across the peaks of the Jemez Mountains at Pajarito Ski Resort and just south of Valles Caldera National Preserve. Finally, a couple 7 to 8 inch reports were observed in the Sandia Mountains. Snow showers tapered off during the overnight hours of March 8th into March 9th as overall lift decreased.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1155334. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.