Heavy Snow — Union County, New Mexico

2024-11-06 to 2024-11-08 · Union County, New Mexico

Event narrative

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.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1216263. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.