Heavy Snow — Southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet, New Mexico

2016-01-07 to 2016-01-08 · Southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet, New Mexico

Event narrative

Public observers and SNOTELs across the area reported between 10 and 15 inches of fresh snow on the morning of the 8th. NM DOT reported difficult travel conditions, including Hyde Park. Persistent snowfall over several days worsened the impacts to travel.

Wider weather episode

The last storm in a series of very active winter systems moved across northern and central New Mexico on the 7th and 8th. This storm produced the most widespread snowfall of the series and ushered in the coldest temperatures of the winter season for sheltered valleys of northern New Mexico. Many areas along and north of Interstate 40 picked up 3 to 6 inches with amounts of 8 to 12 inches common in the higher terrain. Widespread difficult travel conditions were reported. Convective snow showers on the 8th produced impressive snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour in the area from Espanola south to Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Overnight low temperatures averaged between -15 and -30 in valley areas from Dulce to Taos and Angel Fire each morning thereafter through the 12th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 607556. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.