Snow dusts area; frigid temperatures expected for week

Residents of eastern New Mexico woke to snow on the ground in some areas Monday.

Estimates of snow amounts ranged from a dusting in Clovis to about an inch in Tucumcari.

In Portales, Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry said, “There were flurries but nothing stuck.”

Winter is still over a month away, not officially beginning until 2:48 p.m. on Dec. 21. But frigid temperatures are expected the rest of this week.

Today’s high across the region is forecast for the mid-40s. Thursday should warm to the mid-50s, but the high temperature for Friday will barely be above freezing, according to the National Weather Service.

Nighttime temperatures through the weekend could be near the teens.

No significant moisture is expected this week, but NWS reports the year’s first snowfall is typically right around the corner.

“We define ‘first snowfall’ as the first occurrence of snowfall accumulation of 0.1 inch or greater,” NWS reports on its website.

The average first snowfall in Clovis occurs Dec. 4, according to the weather service; Portales’ average first snowfall occurs Dec. 9.

Tucumcari’s average first snowfall is Nov. 29, but Quay County has seen a first snowfall as early as Sept. 29, 1945, according to the NWS website.

NWS predicts precipitation in eastern New Mexico will be slightly below average this season. Amarillo television meteorologist Dave Oliver said the average or normal snowfall for the region is about 10 inches for Clovis to about 18 inches in Clayton to the north.

NWS forecasts temperatures across the region will be slightly below average this season.

“There’s a lot of variability, of course, with Arctic blasts,” Oliver said in regard to what is “normal” for the region.

Oliver said average temperatures this time of year are around 50 for highs and 25 for lows.