Red River Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages

This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Red River, New Mexico has snow.

There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Red River usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that the ski resort normally has heavy snowstorms and deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when Red River can expect the first and last snowfalls of the season.

All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1991 to 2020 in Red River, near the base of the ski area.

How Often it Snows in Red River

This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres).

Average total snowfall and days with fresh snow in Red River
Days   Inches Centi­metres
6.7 January 19.1 48.5
8.3 February 26.1 66.3
7.6 March 31.4 79.8
5.7 April 26.7 67.8
1.5 May 6.2 15.7
0.0 September 0.0 0.0
2.5 October 9.7 24.6
5.7 November 19.0 48.3
6.9 December 18.5 47.0
44.9 Year 156.7 398.0

These averages don't show how much the snowfall in Red River varies from year to year.

In December, for instance, one in four years totals over 23.2 inches of snow. Another 25 percent of years receive less than 11.8 inches for the month.

Similarly in January, fresh snowfall in the heaviest years amounts to 25.7 inches or more, while the lightest years get 10.5 inches or less.

New snow for February ranges from over 36 inches in heavy snowfall years to under 12 inches in light years.

The greatest range occurs in March when years with high amounts of fresh snow get over 47 inches, while years with relatively little new snow receive at most 15 inches

When Red River Has Its First & Last Snowfalls

The first snowfall of winter for Red River usually arrives in October.

The season's last snowfall typically happens in May, although sometimes Red River receives no new snow after April.

The mountain town is normally free of snow every year from June to September.

How Many Snowstorms Red River Gets

Most days of snowfall in Red River result in at least an inch of fresh snow on the ground. For 19 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals three inches or more.

Snowstorms of over five inches a day normally occur ten times a year. Of these, three on average are major blizzards that dump ten inches or more. Storms that severe can show up at Red River anytime from October to May.

Number of days per month and year on average in Red River with a total snowfall of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
5.5 2.7 January 1.1 0.2
7.2 3.5 February 1.7 0.5
6.7 3.8 March 2.3 0.6
4.7 3.1 April 1.8 0.5
1.3 0.6 May 0.4 0.3
0.0 0.0 September 0.0 0.0
2.2 1.4 October 0.9 0.2
4.8 1.9 November 1.1 0.5
5.9 2.3 December 1.0 0.2
38.3 19.3 Year 10.3 3.0

How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Red River

For about two-thirds of winter days, Red River has at least an inch of snow on the ground.

Typically, on 30 days a year snow covering the ski resort amounts to ten or more inches deep. For six or seven of those days, the snowpack builds up to at least 20 inches.

Average total days per month and year in Red River with snow depth of at least 1, 3, 5 or 10 inches on the ground
1 inch
2.5 cm
3 inches
7.6 cm
  5 inches
12.7 cm
10 inches
25.4 cm
23.5 20.1 January 16.0 8.4
20.1 16.5 February 13.9 7.7
15.6 12.6 March 10.0 5.4
5.0 3.3 April 2.1 0.5
1.2 0.7 May 0.5 0.2
2.6 1.8 October 1.1 0.3
12.1 8.0 November 5.4 1.9
18.5 13.5 December 10.6 5.1
98.6 76.5 Year 59.6 29.5
Reference

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Climate Normals.

New Mexico Snowfall
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