Northern New Mexico to see a not-so-snowy end to 2020

Northern New Mexico will get a double dose of precipitation to end 2020, but it may not be heavy snow.

A mixture of rain and snow greeted the northern half of the state Monday and is expected to continue through Tuesday. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service said the type of precipitation likely will depend on elevation. Snow accumulations between 1 to 4 inches should occur between 7,500 to 9,500 feet, with Santa Fe expected to receive around an inch of snow.

Between 4 to 12 inches of snow is forecast for elevations above 9,500 feet, with the San Juan mountain range and Truchas Peak possibly seeing up to a foot or more. Lower elevations should expect rain.

It is the first of two storms expected to hit the state this week. The second front should arrive on New Year’s Eve and last through Friday.

“We have pretty high confidence with the activity across the northern mountains that we will have some winter weather that will impact Western and Northern New Mexico,” meteorologist Daniel Porter said.

By Thursday, a storm from the Pacific Northwest will drop into the state, bringing snow to higher elevations and colder temperatures before moving on

Friday night.

“It’s a weaker storm than what we’re going to see earlier in the week. It’s faster moving, but it’s also going to be colder,” meteorologist Chuck Jones said. “Overall, we’re looking at lighter snow amounts, but there could be some moderate snow in the typical regions in the northern and western mountains. Travel impacts will be limited during the day on Friday.”

Jones said one thing that will be consistent this week is the cold. Temperatures will be 10-15 degrees cooler than normal, thanks to gusty winds Tuesday and Wednesday before a warming trend begins Saturday.