New Mexico Daily Snow

Heads up, there may be fresher snow! Read the latest New Mexico Daily Snow

By Julien Ross, Forecaster Posted 2 years ago October 12, 2021

Glancing blow Tuesday then a quiet mid to late October

Summary

A strong winter storm shooting north from the Four Corners on Tuesday will mainly bring wind and cold to the Land of Enchantment, and double-digit snowfall to our neighbor friends along the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. Tuesday night will be the coldest of the season so far. The 10+ day outlook through mid to late October looks quiet on the homefront.

Short Term Forecast

The most significant winter storm of the season so far is currently approaching the Four Corners on Tuesday morning. The location of the storm and the counterclockwise spin is producing the perfect setup of southwest flow for the San Juan Mountains and Wolf Creek as evidenced in the loop below.

The orographic lift from the lower elevation plateaus in northwest New Mexico to the high peaks of the San Juan's is a perfect snowmaker, even with less than optimal moisture content. Here is the current situation at Wolf Creek with several inches already and look for double-digit totals by Tuesday night. Will some early-season grassy pow turns be in the future of the most ambitious among us?

On Tuesday, the storm will make a sharp turn north/northeast from the Four Corners. The storm's location and wind dynamics will keep New Mexico mostly in the dry slot with only minimal precipitation and snowfall in the northern mountains. Here is the moisture content in the high altitudes of the atmosphere on Tuesday, the browns indicating dry, and the greens/purples moister. 

This is a big bummer because we can sure use more precipitation in a still drought-stricken state. As such, here is the forecast snowfall across the Rocky Mountain region, with only a glancing blow for New Mexico's northern high country. Look for a dusting to several inches from Ski Santa Fe across the Pecos high country to Taos and Red River.

Temperatures have already plummeted into the 20's above 10,000 feet on Tuesday and will drop into the teens overnight into Wednesday. Strong winds will wreak havoc across the northern half of the state through Tuesday.

Extended Forecast

Looking ahead the next 10+ days look quiet for New Mexico and most of the inner mountain West as the storm track retreats to the far Pacific Northwest.

I will post an update if any meaningful storms manage to head our way during the remainder of October, otherwise, I will be back in November with the official kick-off of our 2021-2022 season!

Enjoy the autumn colors which are peaking in many places this week.

JULIEN ROSS
[email protected]

Announcements

Tentative Opening Dates (consult with resort website and social media for latest updates)
Angel Fire: December 10, 2021 
Pajarito: TBD
Red River: November 24, 2021
Sandia Peak: TBD
Ski Apache: TBD
Ski Santa Fe: November 25, 2021
Sipapu: TBD
Taos: November 25, 2021

Santa Fe Ski Swap
The Santa Fe Ski Swap is back this year, slated for November 19-20, and 20% of sales benefit the Santa Fe Ski Team. Mark your calendars!

New Mexico Geography Key

Northern Mountains
→ Red River, Taos Ski Valley, Angel Fire (north side of northern mountains - Sangre de Cristos)
→ Sipapu (middle of the northern mountains - Sangre de Cristos)
→ Ski Santa Fe (south side of the northern mountains - Sangre de Cristos)
→ Pajarito (southwest side of the northern mountains - Jemez)

Central Mountains
→ Sandia Peak (Sandias)
→ Mt. Taylor backcountry (San Mateos)

Southern Mountains
→ Ski Apache (Sacramentos)
→ Ski Cloudcroft (Sacramentos)

About Our Forecaster

Julien Ross

Forecaster

Julien was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was introduced to skiing at age 7 through the public schools subsidized ski program at Ski Santa Fe. It was love at first turn and Julien has been chasing deep powder and good mogul lines ever since. Julien grew up fascinated by weather and studied physical geography with a focus on meteorology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Free OpenSnow App