Winter
Weather Hazards in the Southwest
Heavy Snow
Major snowstorms can strike
southwestern New Mexico and far western Texas any time from late
autumn through early spring. El Paso, Texas was paralyzed when
from December 13-14, 1987 almost TWO FEET of snow fell over
the city. A surprise springtime snowstorm also dumped 17 inches of
snow across the El Paso area from April 5-7, 1983.
The greatest threat of snow is across the mountains,
especially the Sacramentos and the Gilas. Cloudcroft, which is
almost 9000 feet above sea level, averages 84 inches of snow a
year which is more than the annual snow for Burlington,
Vermont or Duluth, Minnesota. When traveling, persons must
remember during the cool season that heavy snow may be falling
over the mountains even when it is mild and dry across surrounding
deserts. |
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Ice Storms
During certain types of weather
patterns, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific
will be lifted by a shallow but very cold air mass covering the
surface. When this happens, rain initially falls aloft but freezes
as it makes contact with the ground. This causes rapid
accumulations of ice which creates extremely dangerous driving
conditions and causes trees and power lines to collapse. Although
ice storms are more common in the plains and mid western states,
they occasionally occur over southern New Mexico and western
Texas, especially east of the Rockies. |
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Dense Fog
Fogs are simply clouds that
are based on the ground. During late autumn, winter and early
spring easterly winds sometimes force moist air from the Gulf
of Mexico into New Mexico and western Texas where it is lifted as
it moves over the eastern slopes of regional mountains. As the air
rises, it cools and releases water droplets which condense to form
occasionally dense fog. Thus fog is most common along the
eastern slopes or foothills of the mountains.
Under certain conditions,
heavy fog develops over the lowlands and valleys. When rain or
melting snow wets the ground, it moistens the air at low levels. If the winds are light and the skies are clear at night,
the moist air cools more rapidly causing fog to form before
sunrise.
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