This winter (Oct 2004 - 2005 present) snowfall is at about 160% above normal for the Sierra Blanca (12,003 ft) mountain where the Ski Apache ski resort is located nearby. Incredible snowfall continues to snow at this hour. You can compare the elevation of Sierra Blanca (12,003 ft) with that of the famous Mt. Ranier ("Mt. Tahoma) at 14,410 ft. where Sierra Blanca is the highest mountain in southern New Mexico. "Sierra Blanca" means "White Mountain" in Spanish and it usually have snow on it year round. But that was before the drought. It's nice to see an island of white snow among the vast desert surroundings of the New Mexico landscape.
From the Ski Apache Cam website:
Updated: As of Friday Feb. 25, 7:00 am
New Snow Past 24 Hours 14 inchesNew Snow Past 48 Hours 17 inchesNew Snow Past Week 25 inchesMidway Depth 84 -92" BaseSeason Snowfall Total 147"
Check out the photos of the mountain.
The drought of south central New Mexico has been on going for several years. Sierra Blanca usually looked like this with snow on it. But now it looking like this instead for a change.
But New Mexico is still in a drought mode and will take 3 or 4 years of above normal precipitation to help reverse it and raise the groudwater. All across New Mexico precipitation has been at normal to twice (even three times) above normal rainfall. This is already a good start. A very good start.
This bodes well for the forests all across New Mexico where streams flowed only intermittently are now flowing continuously. Even the Rio Grande river is flowing at near bankful.
Streams should flow throughout this year with an already thick snow pack development on Sierra Blanca and the Sacramento mountain range that ties into it. Increased tourism on fishing, hiking and camping should be the result.
Ski Apache, the second southernmost ski resort in the United States located only 130 miles from the Mexican border.
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