Rain, snow forecast to hit Santa Fe

A trio of storms will bring rain and snow to Santa Fe from Thursday into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

The precipitation will start late Thursday morning or early afternoon as clouds move into the area.

“You will probably see numerous rain showers in the afternoon as the atmosphere will moisten up quickly,” said David Craft, a weather service meteorologist.

The rain is expected to turn to snow by Thursday night, with around 1 inch of accumulation.

Thursday’s high is expected to be 46 degrees with a low of 26.

Thursday’s storm will originate in the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, “so that’s a warmer system. That’s why we start out with rain,” Craft said.

“There is another storm coming in behind it,” he added, “with additional precipitation expected Friday.”

Friday’s storm will be pushing south from the Pacific Northwest and is expected to bring another inch or two of snow to the city. Higher elevations will likely get 6 to 12 inches of snow, and the ski basin could see up to 15 inches of fresh powder.

Friday’s high will be around 40 degrees with a low of 28.

“Any precipitation you get Friday will most likely occur in the evening,” Craft said.

Saturday will be cool with a high of 36 degrees and a low of 15.

“There will be yet another system grazing the area” late Saturday, Craft said.

That storm is expected to bring “maybe a trace to a few hundredths of an inch” of rain, he said. “At this time, it doesn’t look very significant.”

The weather should begin to dry out Sunday, with mostly sunny skies and a high of 37.

Santa Fe’s last measurable snowfall was Nov. 28, when it recorded eight-tenths of an inch, according to the weather service.