A major and historic winter storm impacted New Mexico over multiple days from February 13th through the morning hours of February 15, 2021. A significant and very cold arctic airmass surged southward through the central United States earlier in the week, and this very cold air finally swept east to west across New Mexico on February 13th and 14th. This brought record cold temperatures to much of the state, and gusty winds resulted in dangerous wind chills. The coldest temperatures during this event were observed in the early morning hours of February 15th where wind chills across eastern New Mexico were as much as 30 degrees below zero. Meanwhile, a Pacific storm system approaching from the west brought the necessary ingredients for widespread snow to develop. Mountain locations received as much as 12 inches of snow while lower elevations generally received about 3 to 6 inches. Hazardous travel conditions were reported across much of the state with blizzard conditions even developing across portions of central New Mexico, including the Albuquerque metro area.

Heavy Snow in SANTA FE METRO AREA, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 15:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 20:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Various sources around Santa Fe reported 3 to 5 inches of snow. Snow-packed and icy roads led to severe driving conditions along Interstate 25 from La Bajada to Santa Fe on the evening of February 13th.

Heavy Snow in MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 02:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Widespread snow impacted the Albuquerque metro area overnight on February 13th and into the morning hours of February 14th. Various sources in the area reported 2 to 4 inches of snow with the highest totals nearing 4 inches in the Rio Rancho area.

Blizzard in MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA, NEW MEXICO
From 14-FEB-21 02:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 11:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A major winter storm tracked through New Mexico through the early morning hours of February 14th. This storm brought a prolonged period of blizzard conditions to central New Mexico, including the Albuquerque metro area. Wind gusts up to 60 mph combined with heavy snow resulted in zero visibility conditions for several hours.

Heavy Snow in SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS INCLUDING EDGEWOOD, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 17:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 02:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Various sources in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains reported 7 to 12 inches of snow. The highest amounts were found in northeastern portions of the area where a member of the public measured 12 inches of snow south of Golden on February 14th.

Heavy Snow in ESTANCIA VALLEY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 16:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 22:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Various sources in the Moriarty area reported 5 to 6 inches of snow. A COOP observer in Moriarty measured 5.7 inches of snow on February 14th which set a new snowfall record for the date.

Heavy Snow in CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 16:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 21:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Various sources in the Central Highlands reported 4 to 6 inches of snow. A COOP observer near Encino measured 5.5 inches of snow on February 14th which set a new snowfall record for the date.

Winter Storm in UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 20:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 40.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Snow as well as strong winds impacted the Tularosa Valley on the morning of February 14th. Estimated wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph resulted in four train cargo containers derailing as it traveled through Carrizozo. No injuries occurred from the train derailment, and the cargo containers were empty. Damages are estimated for the four empty cargo containers.

Heavy Snow in SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 20:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Various sources in the South Central Mountains reported 8 to 12 inches of snow. The highest snowfall totals were found in the Ruidoso area where a trained spotter measured 12 inches of snow during the afternoon of February 14th.

Heavy Snow in NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 15:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter reported 6.5 inches of snow on the morning of February 14th.

Heavy Snow in GUADALUPE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 16:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 16:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A member of the public in Santa Rosa reported 6 inches of snow on the morning of February 14th.

Heavy Snow in CURRY COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter in Clovis reported 4 inches of snow on the morning of February 14th. Strong winds resulted in snow drifts up to 4 feet.

Heavy Snow in CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 23:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

CoCoRaHS observers in the Roswell area reported 3 to 4 inches of snow on the morning of February 14th.

Heavy Snow in EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 21:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 17:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A CoCoRaHS observer southwest of Arabela measured 10 inches of snow on the morning of February 14th.

Heavy Snow in SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 23:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter east of Elk measured 4 inches of snow on February 14th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in CENTRAL HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 03:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 07:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold wind chills across east central New Mexico. The Clines Corners ASOS estimated wind chills of 25 below to 30 below zero during the morning hours of February 15th with wind speeds of about 20 mph.

Cold/Wind Chill in CURRY COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 00:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 07:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures in Curry County. An AWOS station in Clovis estimated wind chills of about 18 below to 22 below zero during the early morning hours of February 15th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in UNION COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 14-FEB-21 22:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 11:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures in Union County. The Clayton ASOS measured several hours of temperatures around 10 below zero. Combined with wind speeds around 10 mph, wind chills were estimated to be 25 below to 30 below zero.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 02:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 09:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures across northeastern New Mexico. The Raton ASOS measured several hours of temperatures around 10 below to 15 below zero. Combined with wind speeds around 10 mph, wind chills were estimated to be about 25 below zero.

Heavy Snow in SAN AGUSTIN PLAINS AND ADJACENT LOWLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter southeast of Magdalena measured 4 inches of snow on February 14th.

Heavy Snow in MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY/ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA, NEW MEXICO
From 14-FEB-21 11:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Widespread snow impacted the Albuquerque metro area on February 14th. Various sources in the area reported 2 to 4 inches of snow with the highest totals nearing 4 inches in the Rio Rancho area.

Heavy Snow in SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS INCLUDING EDGEWOOD, NEW MEXICO
From 14-FEB-21 11:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Various sources in the Sandia and Manzano Mountains reported 7 to 12 inches of snow. The highest amounts were found in northeastern portions of the area where a member of the public measured 12 inches of snow south of Golden on February 14th.

Blizzard in SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS INCLUDING EDGEWOOD, NEW MEXICO
From 14-FEB-21 02:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 11:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

A major winter storm tracked through New Mexico through the early morning hours of February 14th. This storm brought a prolonged period of blizzard conditions to central New Mexico, including the Sandia and Manzano Mountains. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph combined with heavy snow resulted in zero visibility conditions for several hours.

Thunderstorm Wind in BERNALILLO, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 17:50:00 to 13-FEB-21 18:05:00 (MST-7)
Location: PARADISE HILLS
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Albuquerque's first thunderstorm of the year brought very strong winds to the metro area as well as pea size hail. A mesonet station on the northwest side of Albuquerque recorded a 62 mph wind gust.

Cold/Wind Chill in GUADALUPE COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 01:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 09:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures in Guadalupe County. An AWOS station in Santa Rosa estimated wind chills of about 18 below zero during the early morning hours of February 15th.

Heavy Snow in FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 12:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 20:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A COOP observer near Dulce measured 6 inches of snow on February 14th. This tied the record for the second largest snowfall total for the date at that location.

Cold/Wind Chill in QUAY COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 00:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 10:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures across Quay County. The Tucumcari ASOS measured several hours of temperatures around 5 below to 10 below zero. Combined with wind speeds around 10 mph, wind chills were estimated to be about 18 below to 20 below zero.

Cold/Wind Chill in ROOSEVELT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 00:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 10:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures across Roosevelt County. An AWOS station at Melrose Air Force Range measured several hours of temperatures around 5 below zero. Combined with wind speeds around 10 mph, wind chills were estimated to be about 18 below to 20 below zero.

Heavy Snow in SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 20:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 23:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Various sources around the Southwest Mountains reported 8 to 12 inches of snow. The highest snow totals were found near Red Hill where a trained spotter measured 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow in SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 23:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 16:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter in Aragon measured 4 inches of snow on the afternoon of February 14th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS, NEW MEXICO
From 15-FEB-21 03:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 09:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A very strong arctic air mass resulted in extremely cold temperatures across northeastern New Mexico. The Las Vegas ASOS measured several hours of temperatures around 10 below to 15 below zero. Combined with wind speeds around 10 mph, wind chills were estimated to be about 25 below to 28 below zero.

Heavy Snow in TUSAS MOUNTAINS INCLUDING CHAMA, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 13:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Various sources near Chama reported 10 to 13 inches of snow. A COOP observer in Chama measured 10 inches of snow on February 14th.

Heavy Snow in GLORIETA MESA INCLUDING GLORIETA PASS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 14:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Various sources around Glorieta reported snow amounts of 3 to 6 inches. Snow-packed and icy roads led to severe driving conditions along Interstate 25 from Glorieta to Rowe during the evening of February 13th.

Heavy Snow in NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 14:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: SNOTEL

Various sources in the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains reported 7 to 10 inches of snow. Taos Ski Valley measured 10 inches of snow on February 14th.

Heavy Snow in EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO
From 13-FEB-21 14:00:00 to 14-FEB-21 18:00:00 (MST-7)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Various sources on the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains reported 5 to 8 inches of snow. Snow-packed and icy roads as well as zero visibility led to severe driving conditions along U.S. Highway 64 from Eagle Nest to Ute Park on the evening of February 13th.