Heavy Snow — West Central Highlands, New Mexico

2010-12-16 to 2010-12-17 · West Central Highlands, New Mexico

Event narrative

Around Tohajiillee, 6 to 7 inches of snow was reported. Just west of Grants, a man driving too fast for the wintry conditions on Interstate 40, loss control and veered off the highway. The 65-year old man died when the vehicle struck lava rocks and overturned.

Wider weather episode

A weak upper level trough, combined with a back door cold front and abundant moisture, set the stage for heavy snow across much of central and eastern New Mexico. The front quickly moved across the plains and easterly upslope flow behind the front helped focus the heaviest snow amounts along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia Mountains. The front pushed through the gaps of the central mountain chain near Santa Fe, allowing significant snows to develop over the capital city just after morning rush hour on the 16th. However, farther south, around the Albuquerque Metro area, the front was delayed, and the precipitation remained as rain until the evening hours. The snow created multiple traffic problems, and portions of both I-40 and I-25 were closed for a time due to hazardous road conditions and multiple accidents.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 265556. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.