Historic storm from October 17 to 20 produced severe snowfall in Colorado and record rains in New Mexico
A complex storm brought record-breaking rainfall to New Mexico and severe snowfall to Colorado from October 17 to 20, 2024. According to the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E), the storm was driven by a mid-level shortwave trough that deepened into a cutoff low-pressure system over Arizona, pulling in abundant moisture and creating conditions for intense thunderstorms.
Image credit: NOAA/GOES-East, Zoom Earth, The Watchers. Acquired at 00:20 UTC on October 19, 2024
- Roswell, NM, experienced catastrophic flooding with 146 mm (5.78 inches) of rain in 6 hours, leading to flash floods, 2 fatalities, and numerous rescues.
- In Colorado, the Uinta and San Juan Mountains saw significant snowfall, contributing to about 15% of the annual peak snowpack.
A complex storm brought catastrophic weather to Colorado and New Mexico from October 17 to 20, including record-breaking rainfall and snowfall.
Roswell, New Mexico, was struck the worst by rain, accounting for about half of the area’s usual annual precipitation in just 6 hours.
This extraordinary rainfall culminated in a new all-time daily record of 146 mm (5.78 inches). Notably, this amount fell during a 6-hour period and exceeded the threshold for a 500-year storm.
The storm’s effects were felt throughout the region, as the Pecos River at Lake Arthur rose above minor flood stage 6 m (20 feet) on October 20, peaking at 6.1 m (20.34 feet).
Further downstream, the Pecos River 10 km (6 miles) northeast of Lakewood, NM, rose above the action stage 4.8 m (16 feet), reaching a peak stage of 5.6 m (18.48 feet). The swift rise in river levels stressed the storm’s destructive power and the danger posed to local communities.
In Roswell alone, emergency services reported over 300 rescues and 40 hospitalizations, with two fatalities recorded.
Meanwhile, severe snowfall of up to 0.6 m (2 feet) was observed in Colorado’s Uinta and San Juan Mountains, accounting for around 15% of the annual peak snowpack in a single occurrence.
This vent was primarily driven by the evolution of a mid-level shortwave trough, initially located over the Pacific Northwest on Thursday, October 17.
As time progressed, the trough propagated southeastward and deepened, eventually forming a cutoff low-pressure system over Arizona by Saturday, October 19.
The cutoff low remained nearly stationary for about 24 hours, prolonging precipitation over the Four Corners region.
This setup allowed for strong synoptic-scale forcing, large instability, abundant moisture, and vertical wind shear, all of which combined to produce conditions ideal for organized convection and severe thunderstorms.
This particular combination of meteorological factors was rare and likely contributed to the unusual intensity of precipitation and snowfall.
As the low-pressure system developed over Arizona, it pulled in large amounts of moisture and instability, creating conditions for intense thunderstorms.
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References:
1 Complex Storm Produces Heavy Snow in CO and Record-Breaking Rainfall in NM – CW3E – October 28, 2024
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