Winter may be colder, wetter

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The coming winter is expected to be colder and wetter than usual.

Eastern New Mexico can expect a cold, wet winter and could see its first snow flakes as early as Halloween.

That’s the forecast from AccuWeather Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck, who said a strong El Nino system hanging over the Pacific will be there into the spring.

Smerbeck said he expects above-average moisture and below-average temperatures from November through March.

Weather patterns suggest we could see a “bookend situation,” with some of the worst weather around the region happening in November and March.

“One thing we’re concerned about is November being pretty active,” Smerbeck said.

“When you get into the March time frame, it gets busy again. We’re forecasting much-above-normal precipitation in March and below-normal temperatures in March.”

He said December, January and February forecasts also call for slightly-above-normal rain/snow totals and below-normal temperatures, but not so extreme as in November and March.

If the prediction holds, parts of eastern New Mexico could see more than 2 feet of snow before winter’s done.

Clint Bunch, public works director for the city of Clovis, said his staff is preparing for the moisture.

“Our salt/sand barn is filled to capacity and already mixed up. We’ve got sandbags made for any wet weather if anything’s needed (for flooding),” he said.

Bunch said the city has 400 tons of salt and 800 tons of sand ready for that first snow — and that probably won’t be enough to last the winter.

“We can’t put the salt out in the weather, so we’re limited to what we can store. We will have to reorder (if snow hits hard),” he said.

Bunch said the city has plows it puts on pickups and dump trucks, plus three road graders and other equipment that can be used to keep the main streets clear when it snows.

A plan is in place to operate snow-removal equipment 24 hours a day, Bunch said, with workers usually taking 12-hour shifts.

The street department has 12 employees, he said, but other city workers are geared to help out if a blizzard our way comes.

We might have more than one, if computer models prove true.

Smerbeck also predicts New Mexico’s ski areas will have a banner year for snow.

“When you get above 8,000 feet, there’s going to be a lot of snow,” he said.

But we do have some time to stock up on snow shovels, ice scrapers for the windshields and warm clothing.

“I don’t see cold air at all through at least the third week of October,” Smerbeck said.

“The last week of October has some potential for cold to plunge into the Western U.S.

“But the earliest I can see for any big storm (in eastern New Mexico) ... you will have to wait until November.”