COVID-19: NM shelter in place order and relief efforts

All New Mexico ski areas are closed for the season. New Mexico is under a public health emergency shelter in place order effective March 24 at 8 am. You can read about the new regulations here.

While not explicitly stated, it is reasonable to interpret the new order such that uphill access, touring, and backcountry skiing are not essential and thus prohibited. For example, Ski Santa Fe published a letter to the public "requesting that skiers, hikers, and others NOT recreate with-in the permit area of Ski Santa Fe." 

In an effort to help support COVID-19 relief efforts, OpenSnow has created a resource for local foundations that are deploying funds to directly respond to the most vulnerable members of our mountain communities.

I will continue to post weather forecasts for informational purposes and to provide a source for positive news.

We are all in this together. Together we will get through this. And our beloved mountains will be here with us when we do.

Turning to the weather: Friday storm recap and extended outlook

Friday night's storm brought a nice little refresh to the northern mountains. Below are the approximate snowfall totals. 

The Taos Ski Valley website automatically reports snowfall based on snow sensor data and on Saturday it reported 5" over the previous 5". This is consistent with SNOTEL data in the area as well.

Weak storm on Monday

On Sunday we could see a few snow flurries in the northern mountains ahead of a system that will race across northern New Mexico on Monday. We should see a trace to an inch or two of snow by Monday evening. 

Dry start to April

The extended outlook remains locked in on a dry pattern for the Land of Enchantment. This graphic shows the expected 10-day pattern between April 1st and April 10th with the colder and stormier weather focused over the northern Rockies. 

The resulting precipitation outlook for both the GFS and Canadian Ensembles are drier than normal for the desert southwest and the southern Rockies. 

This doesn't mean that we won't see any snow or precipitation during the first 10 days of April. In fact, we should see a glancing blow around April 4th-5th with some light accumulation in the northern mountains. But the bottom line appears to be a dry pattern until at least April 10. We will keep an eye on this and see if anything shifts.

I will post another update on Tuesday, March 31. Stay safe and healthy. 

Que viva Nuevo Mexico

JULIEN ROSS
[email protected]

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OpenSummit → Mountain Weather Forecasts

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