Cold weather in Clovis is snow joke

If preliminary reports turn out to be accurate, the Thanksgiving morning snowfall in Clovis tied the record high snowfall for the date.

National Weather Service volunteer observer Nancy McPherson said Clovis received about one inch of snow between 6 and 9 a.m., with about 0.02 inch liquid equivalent precipitation.

“I was shocked when I got up and it was snowing,” McPherson said. “I can remember our having snow several times on Halloween and it was kind of rough for kids, but at least on Thanksgiving most people don’t have to go out in it.”

“By 10 a.m. it was gone,” McPherson said. “As soon as the sun came out it disappeared.”

Other reporting stations in the area said there were a few flurries or nothing at all. Portales had no recorded precipitation, although snow was seen falling there for a short time. Melrose and Texico residents said the streets were wet but there was no measurable amount of snow or rain.

David Craft, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said Clovis may have been the farthest southern reach of a snow band that hit northern cities more heavily.

“It looks like you were pretty close to the edge of the rain-snow line,” Craft said. “We can usually see snow on the visible satellite and it looks like it didn’t go any farther south than Clovis.”

Craft said locations north of Clovis received considerably more snow and it stayed on the ground. Clayton received 2 1/4 inches and Nara Vista received one inch. Tucumcari received some snow though it melted before it was measured.

“That came associated with a back door cold front that dipped in from the northeast,” Craft said. “I’m not expecting any snow (Friday), we’ve got a nice situation coming with some breezes in the afternoon and it should be nice for you.”

Following a check of National Weather Service records, Craft said the city’s highest-ever snowfall for Nov. 26 was one inch in 1980. However, on Nov. 27, 1923, the city received 11 inches of snow.

“It’s not that uncommon to see snow this time of year, but one inch is a far cry from 11 inches,” Clark said.