Blizzard — Curry County, New Mexico

2013-02-24 to 2013-02-25 · Curry County, New Mexico

Event narrative

Snowfall amounts ranging from 5-12 inches were reported from co-op observers across the county with drifts measuring over one foot. Gusts into the fifties were recorded. NM DOT closed the main interstate that runs through this county as well as several side roads in the area due to the hazardous blizzard conditions. There was also a report of a power outage due to storm (Twitter) but can not be confirmed. Local news media reported 2 days after the event that an 81 year old man had died after he slipped on ice and hit his head while shoveling his driveway after the storm.

Wider weather episode

A slow moving upper level storm system sliding southeast out of the Great Basin interacted with a potent back door cold front sliding south down the Front Range to produce widespread heavy snowfall, strong to damaging winds, and blizzard to near blizzard conditions for much of eastern New Mexico. Widespread major impacts to travel developed across the eastern plains where nearly every U.S. and state highway as well as Interstates 25 and 40 were closed for several hours to even days. Snow and blowing snow produced drifts as high as 5 feet along the TX state line.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 427801. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.