New Mexico Snow Day Calculator: Chances, Make-Up and Remote Days
By our rule of thumb, New Mexico schools close at about half an inch to 4.5 inches of snow, depending on the city. Lost time must be made up, and up to 4 days a year can be taught remotely.
- Under 5%
- 5 to 24%
- 25 to 49%
- 50 to 74%
- 75% or more
The next school day in New Mexico
Worked out from the National Weather Service forecast, 3:07 PM EDT, Thursday.
- Albuquerque<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
- Las Cruces<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
- Rio Rancho<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
- Santa Fe<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
- Roswell<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
- Farmington<1% snow dayFriday: no snow
Snow days in New Mexico depend on where you live. Santa Fe averages 23.5 inches of snow a year, Albuquerque 12.6 and Las Cruces just 1, so by our rule of thumb schools close about half the time at about 4.5 inches of overnight snow in Santa Fe, 3 in Albuquerque and half an inch in Las Cruces.
Type your ZIP code above to see the chance for your school. The calculator reads the National Weather Service forecast for your own spot and blends the NOAA stations nearest it, so a mountain town is judged by mountain snow.
When schools close, the time has to come back. New Mexico requires 1,140 instructional hours and 180 instructional days a year, and when weather cuts into them the school calendar must be amended so students still get a full year. Up to 4 days a year can be taught remotely instead (6.10.5 NMAC).
How much snow closes school in New Mexico?
About half an inch to 4.5 inches of overnight snow, by our rule of thumb, depending on the city. The calculator sets each place’s usual closing point from its normal snowfall, so the snowier the town, the more it takes.
New Mexico's six largest cities: normal snowfall a year (NOAA 1991–2020) and the snowfall and wind chill at which, by our rule of thumb, schools there usually close.
| City | Normal snowfall | Usually closes at | Cold point (wind chill) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | 12.6 in. a year | 3 in. of snow | −19°F |
| Las Cruces | 1 in. a year | 0.5 in. of snow | −15°F |
| Rio Rancho | 8.4 in. a year | 2 in. of snow | −21°F |
| Santa Fe | 23.5 in. a year | 4.5 in. of snow | −25°F |
| Roswell | 8.1 in. a year | 2 in. of snow | −18°F |
| Farmington | 8.6 in. a year | 2.5 in. of snow | −25°F |
Our rule of thumb: the usual closing point is 0.5 × (normal snowfall a year)0.7, the cold point the normal December–February low minus 45°F. How the calculator works.
Santa Fe, the snowiest of the 6 with 23.5 inches a year, has the highest closing point at 4.5 inches. Albuquerque (12.6 inches a year) follows at 3, Farmington (8.6) at 2.5, Rio Rancho (8.4) and Roswell (8.1) at 2, and Las Cruces (1 inch) sits at the rule’s floor, half an inch.
When the snow falls matters too. The calculator counts snow fully when it falls overnight (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) or while buses run (6 to 10 a.m.), and less when it falls the afternoon before, since crews have time to clear it. If your district rarely closes, or closes easily, tell the calculator and it moves the closing point.
Where does New Mexico get the most snow?
In the mountains. Of NOAA’s 149 New Mexico stations with a snowfall normal for 1991–2020, the snowiest is Red River, at about 8,670 feet, with 156.7 inches a year. Angel Fire (124.0 inches), Black Lake (114.7), Wolf Canyon (111.3) and Gascon (108.3) also top 100 inches, and Chama (91.9) is close behind.
Normal snowfall a year and normal December to February low at each of the 149 weather stations in New Mexico with a snowfall normal in NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals for 1991–2020, with each station's location, elevation and how complete its record is.
The 10 snowiest and 5 least snowy of 149 stations in New Mexico
| Station | Normal snowfall | Dec–Feb low | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red River | 156.7 in. | 8°F | 8,667 ft |
| Angel Fire 1S | 124 in. | 11°F | 8,500 ft |
| Black Lake | 114.7 in. | — | 8,645 ft |
| Wolf Canyon | 111.3 in. | 11°F | 8,220 ft |
| Gascon | 108.3 in. | 19°F | 8,250 ft |
| Chama | 91.9 in. | 9°F | 7,850 ft |
| Lake Maloya | 89.3 in. | 12°F | 7,400 ft |
| Tierra Amarilla 4 N | 75.1 in. | 8°F | 7,464 ft |
| Chacon 2 S | 73.4 in. | — | 8,053 ft |
| Cloudcroft | 66.8 in. | 20°F | 8,679 ft |
| … | |||
| Gage | 0.5 in. | 30°F | 4,479 ft |
| Caballo Dam | 0.4 in. | 30°F | 4,239 ft |
| Waste Isolt'n Pilot Plt | 0.2 in. | 30°F | 3,411 ft |
| Columbus | 0.2 in. | 33°F | 4,065 ft |
| Cliff 11 Se | 0 in. | 22°F | 4,773 ft |
Download “Normal snowfall at New Mexico weather stations, 1991–2020” (CSV, opens in Excel)
Built from: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 (National Centers for Environmental Information).
The middle of the list is 13.1 inches a year. The least snowy stations, such as Columbus (0.2 inch) and Cliff, the only one with no snow at all in its normal, barely see any. For the snowiest places, our rule of thumb tops out at a closing point of 15 inches.
Do snow days have to be made up in New Mexico?
Yes. New Mexico’s rule, in effect since July 1, 2024, says every student gets at least 1,140 instructional hours a year, and schools that are not exempt need calendars with at least 180 instructional days. When time lost to weather leaves the year short, “the school calendar shall be amended so that students receive a full school year” (6.10.5.8 NMAC).
A full school day is at least 5.5 instructional hours, and a half day at least 3.5. The 180-day rule exempts 2 kinds of schools: early college high schools, and districts and charter schools that meet reading targets set by the Public Education Department’s secretary (6.10.5.8 NMAC).
There is a hardship waiver. The secretary may waive, case by case, the length of the school day and the number of instructional days for hardships such as severe acts of nature or natural disasters, but the year must still be adjusted to reach 1,140 hours (6.10.5.8 NMAC). We found no set number of free snow days.
Can New Mexico schools switch to remote learning instead?
Yes, within a limit. Remote instruction may make up no more than 4 instructional days, or 32 hours, in a school year, and at least half of it must be synchronous, meaning live, real-time teaching (6.10.5.8 NMAC). Remote instruction means students work on the curriculum through an online platform while not at school (6.10.5.7 NMAC).
The limit does not apply to hardships covered by the secretary’s waiver, to optional instructional programs, to charter schools as their contracts allow, or to schools without attendance boundaries (6.10.5.8 NMAC). So a snow day can become a remote day, as long as the school stays within the limit.
How cold does it have to be to close school in New Mexico?
We found no state cold rule and no New Mexico district’s cold number in our research. Our rule of thumb watches the wind chill from 5 to 9 a.m., around the time children wait for buses, and sets cold points of about −15°F in Las Cruces, −18°F in Roswell, −19°F in Albuquerque, −21°F in Rio Rancho and −25°F in Santa Fe and Farmington.
Each cold point is the normal December–February low minus 45 degrees, and Santa Fe (19.8°F) and Farmington (20.2°F) have the coldest winter nights of the 6. The alert to watch is the National Weather Service’s Extreme Cold Warning, which means extremely dangerous cold or wind chills are expected or occurring (NWS cold alerts). It replaced the Wind Chill Warning on October 1, 2024 (National Weather Service).
Who decides, and when do families hear?
Your district does. Local school boards set the calendars, and the Public Education Department’s secretary grants hardship waivers (6.10.5.8 NMAC).
We did not find a New Mexico district’s closing clock in our research, so check your district’s website, app or local news. The calculator reads snow from 6 a.m. the day before to 3 p.m. on the school day, so look the evening before and again early in the morning, since forecasts change.
Snow days in New Mexico
- Closing snow
- Las Cruces half an inch
- Albuquerque 3 inches
- Santa Fe 4.5 inches
- School year
- 1,140 hours
- 180 days unless exempt
- Make-up
- Calendar must be amended
- Waiver still needs 1,140 hours
- Remote days
- Up to 4 days or 32 hours
- At least half live
- Snowiest spots
- Red River 156.7 inches
- Angel Fire 124 inches
Questions people ask
Does New Mexico make up snow days?
Yes. When weather cuts the year below 1,140 instructional hours or takes instructional days away, the school calendar has to be amended so students still get a full year (6.10.5.8 NMAC). A hardship waiver can change the days, but not the 1,140 hours.
How many remote days can New Mexico schools use?
Up to 4 instructional days, or 32 hours, a school year, with at least half of the remote teaching live (6.10.5.8 NMAC). Some schools and programs, such as charter schools under their contracts, have other limits.
How much snow does it take to close school in Albuquerque?
By our rule of thumb, about 3 inches overnight. Albuquerque averages 12.6 inches of snow a year, and the calculator sets its closing point from that. Only the district decides, so check its website, app or local news.
Will school be closed tomorrow in New Mexico?
Type your school’s ZIP code at the top of this page. The calculator reads the National Weather Service forecast for that spot and shows the chance of a snow day, a late start or school as usual, with its reasons.
Sources: 6.10.5 NMAC (school year and remote instruction) and National Weather Service cold alerts.
Facts checked October 29, 2026.
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