New Mexico extreme cold
Every recorded extreme cold record since 1996 · 33 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 133 extreme cold records in New Mexico from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 14 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 27, 1997 cold/wind chill in Catron County and 3 more: 2 deaths across 2 records. New Mexico ranks 45th of 51 states and territories by count and 47th of 50 per square mile.
Extreme cold in New Mexico, 1996 to 2026
Cold records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 1331996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 14average
- Deaths
- 110 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.6Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 201149 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are extreme cold records common in New Mexico?
New Mexico averages about 14 extreme cold records a year since 2000, 45th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2011 (49). Per 10,000 square miles of land, New Mexico records 11 extreme cold records since 1996, 47th of 50 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in New Mexico have the most extreme cold records?
Per square mile, Los Alamos County leads New Mexico: 1 days with a extreme cold record since 1996, 9.2 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Santa Fe County has the most cold records (20 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the cold season in New Mexico?
88% of its extreme cold records since 1996 fell in January and February. The busiest month is February (65 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 52 · Feb 65 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 0 · Jul 0 · Aug 0 · Sep 0 · Oct 0 · Nov 1 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest extreme cold records in New Mexico?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-27 | Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 3 more · forecast zone Westcentral Mountains One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. One man was found in Gallup covered in frost and lying in a sleeping position. Another man, found near Shiprock, died of hypothermia or exposure. Overnight low temperature from both Gallup and Farmington was near 32 degrees. Intermittent light snow was reported the previous evening, but produced no snow cover. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-02-09 | Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau A 69 year-old man from Fort Defiance was found in a wind swept field about 150 years east of North Ninth Street in Gallup. The low temperature in Gallup that morning was only 9 degrees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillMcKinley County and San Juan County · forecast zone Northwest Plateau A 61 year-old man died of exposure in a wooded area near the intersection of Southside River Road and River View Lane in Farmington. Morning low temperatures only dipped down to 31 degrees in Farmington. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-01-11 | Cold/Wind ChillMcKinley County and San Juan County · forecast zone Northwest Plateau A 47 year-old woman was found dead at a campsite in the vicinity of 6900 E. Main St. in Farmington. The woman was a transient who was living in a tent across from Memory Gardens. The morning low temperature was -3 degrees in Farmington. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-11-30 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau A Native American man between 55 and 60 years old was found in a lot near the corner of Aztec Avenue and Patton Drive. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-01-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillMcKinley County and San Juan County · forecast zone Northwest Plateau A 42 year old male was found dead in his truck, apparently as a result of continued exposure to the cold. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-12-27 | Cold/Wind ChillGamerco, McKinley County A 28 year old woman was found dead. Overnight low temperature at Gallup was -7 degrees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-12-28 | Cold/Wind ChillTaos County A 62 year old Taos woman was found dead in the side yard of her home. The death appeared to be an accidental fall and exposure to subzero temperatures. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-11 | Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 3 more · forecast zone Westcentral Mountains A man from Gamerco died from exposure in west Gallup. Overnight weather was clear and cold with a low of 16 degrees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-19 | Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 3 more · forecast zone Westcentral Mountains Exposure was listed as the cause of death for a man found near Tsayatoh. Overnight temperatures were in the single digits over a 3 to 5 inch snow cover. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest extreme cold records in New Mexico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDoña Ana County and Otero County · forecast zone Tularosa Basin/Southern Desert One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are extreme cold records becoming more frequent in New Mexico?
New Mexico's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | New Mexico | United States | New Mexico's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 15 | 5,539 | 0.27% |
| 2000s | 1 | 14,792 | 0.01% |
| 2010s | 57 | 18,162 | 0.31% |
| 2020-26 | 60 | 15,329 | 0.39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent extreme cold records in New Mexico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillChaves County · forecast zone Chaves County Plains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDe Baca County · forecast zone De Baca County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRoosevelt County · forecast zone Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillColfax County and Mora County · forecast zone Far Northeast Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillChaves County · forecast zone Southwest Chaves County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillChaves County · forecast zone Chaves County Plains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCurry County · forecast zone Curry County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillColfax County and Mora County · forecast zone Far Northeast Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-19 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCurry County · forecast zone Curry County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSierra County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Tularosa Basin/White Sands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGrant County and Luna County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Mimbres Basin | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
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