Forecasters predict several inches of snow in Santa Fe
Just as the last snow from Santa Fe’s New Year’s storms melts away, a new system promises to cover Northern New Mexico in a fresh batch of powdery precipitation, with some cities predicted to receive up to 18 inches.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Albuquerque on Sunday said the double whammy of an east-moving storm and a west-moving cold front will hit the state’s northeast quadrant Monday evening. Twelve to 18 inches of snow are anticipated by end of day Tuesday in Chama, while Red River and Raton residents could see 8 to 12 inches.
“This is setting up to be a very classic weather setup, bringing a lot of snow to a good portion of Northern New Mexico,” said meteorologist Randall Hergert.
Santa Fe is expected to receive between 3 and 8 inches of snow. Six to 7 inches is most likely, he said.
Travel is likely to be affected late Monday night and Tuesday morning, especially on the Interstate 25 corridor heading north from Santa Fe.
Winds up to 25 mph are likely to accompany the snow and make already chilly temperatures in the upper teens feel even colder.
“It’ll feel like it’s in the single digits,” Hergert said.
In Santa Fe, snow flurries were arriving late Sunday — a sort of winter-weather “appetizer,” he said.
And for dessert? As second system is expected to move through the region beginning Thursday. Forecasters said it’s too early to predict how much snow that fresh blast will bring.
The new-fallen snow is likely to help shore up snowpack on the state’s mountain ranges after a relatively dry January.
Hergert said most of the state’s ranges have accumulated below-average snowpack so far this year. The Sangre de Cristos, which have posted some of the best snowpack numbers in the state, had received 102 percent of the average snowpack for this time of year as of Sunday, according to data from the National Resources Conservation Service.
Ski Santa Fe could see up to 18 inches of fresh powder by the end of the day Tuesday, Hergert said.