While most of the ice and snow is gone, much of Española and Rio Arriba County is still dealing with the melt-off from the fresh blanket of snow that covered the area over the weekend.
Snowfall varied in the County. Española got four inches, while Chama received 11, according to the National Weather Service. Service Meteorologist Chris Luckett said the storm was a result of the collision between moisture coming from the southwest, a low pressure system from California, and a back door cold front (modified Arctic air moving west from the Great Plains).
The New Mexico State University Sustainable Agriculture Science Center in Alcalde measured the amount of precipitous water that fell over the weekend, recording 0.77 inches. While temperatures dipped to a weekend low of 16 degrees, Center Superintendent Steve Golden said the snow was actually beneficial to local agriculture.
Most crops are dormant by this time of year, he said, and the high amount of moisture replenishes the soil and contributes to a better spring water supply from the snow pack currently accumulating in the surrounding mountains.
As local farmers think ahead to spring, interim city manager Joe Duran said the city was prepared for the weekend snow.
Street crews worked 12-hour shifts over the weekend to apply sand and salt to the icy roads.
While crews had little trouble clearing and melting the snow off of most city streets, Duran said North McCurdy Road was a consistent issue for city workers.
The poor drainage system in the area caused the melted snow to pool in the center of the street before freezing over. Crews repeatedly had to apply sand and salt to keep the road from getting icy.
“We do this every year, so we know where the problem areas are,” Duran said.
City buildings were on a two-hour delay as crews worked to clear municipal parking lots and sidewalks. No city property or vehicles were damaged as a result of the storm.
County Emergency Preparedness Director Mateo DeVargas said the County prepared for the worst but was met with “business as usual.”
“To my knowledge, it was pretty quiet,” DeVargas said.
County Public Works Director Napoleon Garcia did not return phone calls, for comment.