STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 01 FOR SOUTHERN ROCKIES TO CENTRAL PLAINS
PLAINS WINTER STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
900 AM CST MON DEC 19 2011
 
...LOW PRESSURE OVER NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING WILL INTENSIFY WITH
AN EXPANDING AREA OF HEAVY SNOW FROM THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE
CENTRAL PLAINS. TRAVEL THROUGH THIS REGION WILL BECOME
DANGEROUS...IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE BY LATER TODAY INTO TUESDAY... 
 
WINTER STORM AND BLIZZARD WARNINGS COVER MUCH OF NORTHERN NEW
MEXICO INTO CENTRAL KANSAS...WITH WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES
SURROUNDING THE WARNINGS.
 
FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 800 AM CST...A 1003 MB...29.62 INCHES...SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED
NEAR ROSWELL NEW MEXICO...WHILE A COLD FRONT WAS DROPPING SOUTH
THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE OVER WESTERN TEXAS...WITH LIGHTER RAINFALL EXTENDING INTO
OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHERN KANSAS. A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND RAIN WAS
FALLING OVER A LARGE PORTION OF NEW MEXICO.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 PM CST SUN DEC
18 THROUGH 900 AM CST MON DEC 19...

...NEW MEXICO...
EL MORRO 5 E                          5.5                     
PAJARITO MOUNTAIN SKI AREA            5.0                     
LA BAJADA                             3.0                     
SKI SANTA FE                          3.0                     
CLOUDCROFT 1.8 SW                     2.0                     
SANTA FE 1.3 WSW                      1.5                     
TIJERAS 5.2 E                         1.3                     
HIGH ROLLS 0.8 SE                     1.2                     
SILVER CITY 3.9 NW                    1.2                     
GRANTS                                1.0                     
MANZANO 2 SE                          1.0                     
SANDIA PARK                           1.0                     
ALBUQUERQUE 8.4 ENE                   0.7                     


LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO WILL INTENSIFY MONDAY AS
IT MOVES INTO WESTERN TEXAS...AND THEN MOVES NORTHEAST INTO
OKLAHOMA MONDAY NIGHT. AS THE LOW DEEPENS AND MOVES INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS...IT WILL DRAW IN COLDER AIR SOUTH AND CHANGE
PRECIPITATION FROM RAIN TO SNOW ACROSS THE REGION.  SNOW IS
ALREADY FALLING OVER PORTIONS OF NEW MEXICO...AND THE SNOW WILL
EXPAND NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON
AND NIGHT. A LARGE AREA OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM
NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO INTO SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS...WITH ISOLATED
AREAS OF AROUND ONE FOOT POSSIBLE BY TUESDAY EVENING. NORTH WINDS
WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH...WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH. 
THE STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW.  BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES
BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED. TRAVEL THROUGH THE REGION WILL QUICKLY
DETERIORATE ON MONDAY...WITH EXTREMELY DIFFICULT...IF NOT
IMPOSSIBLE...TRAVEL CONDITIONS BY MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY.

THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 300 PM CST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

GERHART/ECKERT