Heavy Snow — Albuquerque Metro Area, New Mexico

2018-12-27 to 2018-12-28 · Albuquerque Metro Area, New Mexico

Event narrative

Blizzard-like conditions impacted parts of the Albuquerque metro area with strong winds and light to moderate snowfall amounts of one to four inches. Visibility was reduced to below one quarter mile at times around the Albuquerque Foothills, Four Hills, and Placitas with snow drifts up to two feet in some spots. The remainder of the metro area saw very little snowfall as gap winds created a snow free zone. Peak winds with this event ranged from 50 to 60 mph across the east side of the metro area.

Wider weather episode

A second punch of winter weather struck New Mexico shortly after Christmas as a slow-moving storm system shifted southeast through the Four Corners region. A potent back door cold front over eastern New Mexico set the stage for easterly upslope flow along the central mountain chain and strong gap winds in the Rio Grande Valley. Snow developed over western New Mexico on the afternoon of the 27th as the storm system approached from the Four Corners. Snow spread into the Rio Grande Valley and central mountain chain by the evening hours. The most significant portion of the storm blasted the region on the 28th as the storm system moving in from the west interacted with the very cold and moist airmass in place over eastern New Mexico. Widespread heavy snowfall amounts of 12 to 18 were reported with upwards of 30 inches in the Ruidoso area. The Albuquerque metro area and the Sandia/Manzano mountains saw periods of blizzard conditions with high winds. Widespread difficult to severe travel occurred over the area with road closures and stranded motorists.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 791922. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.