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New Mexico<\/strong>, known as the Land of Enchantment<\/strong>, typically receives an average of 13.47 inches (342.1 mm)<\/strong> of annual rainfall<\/strong>. But nearly seven decades ago<\/strong>, in the northeastern corner<\/strong> of the state, almost that entire annual average fell in a single day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Between May 18 and May 19, 1955<\/strong>, Lake Maloya<\/strong>, located in Sugarite Canyon State Park<\/strong>, experienced an unprecedented downpour<\/strong>: 11.28 inches (286.5 mm)<\/strong> of rain<\/strong> within 24 hours<\/strong>. This extreme weather event remains the highest 24-hour rainfall total<\/strong> ever recorded in New Mexico<\/strong>, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lake Maloya<\/strong> lies directly on the New Mexico\u2013Colorado border<\/strong>, just northeast of Raton<\/strong>, nestled within the rugged canyonlands<\/strong> of Colfax County<\/strong>. This part of the state, though often drier than its southern counterparts, has occasionally seen isolated weather extremes<\/strong>, and this 1955 storm stands as one of its most dramatic.<\/p>\n Beyond that record rainfall, New Mexico<\/strong> has witnessed other remarkable weather extremes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n On June 27, 1994<\/strong>, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant<\/strong> near Loving<\/strong> reached a scorching 122\u00b0F (50\u00b0C)<\/strong> \u2014 the hottest temperature<\/strong> ever recorded in the state.<\/p>\n In contrast, Gavilan<\/strong> plunged to a frigid -50\u00b0F (-45.6\u00b0C)<\/strong> on February 1, 1951<\/strong>, the coldest temperature<\/strong> in New Mexico’s history.<\/p>\n The heaviest 24-hour snowfall<\/strong> happened on February 3, 1964<\/strong>, when 41 inches (104.1 cm)<\/strong> of snow blanketed Kelly Ranch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And the deepest snowpack<\/strong> was measured at 96 inches (243.8 cm)<\/strong> on March 15, 1941<\/strong>, at Lee\u2019s Ranch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As of today, Tuesday, July 1, 2025<\/strong>, Albuquerque<\/strong> and other central regions are experiencing monsoon moisture<\/strong> as the summer rainy season<\/strong> pushes further across central and northern New Mexico<\/strong>. Afternoon thunderstorms<\/strong> and localized downpours<\/strong> are increasingly common as humidity levels<\/strong> climb.<\/p>\n While New Mexico\u2019s<\/strong> single-day rainfall record is impressive, surrounding states have seen even more intense precipitation events.<\/p>\n In Texas<\/strong>, the town of Alvin<\/strong> holds the continental U.S. record<\/strong> for 24-hour rainfall<\/strong>, with a staggering 42 inches (1066.8 mm)<\/strong> falling between July 25 and 26, 1979<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Oklahoma\u2019s<\/strong> highest one-day total stands at 15.68 inches (398.3 mm)<\/strong> in Enid<\/strong> on October 11, 1973<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In Arizona<\/strong>, Workman Creek<\/strong> recorded 11.4 inches (289.6 mm)<\/strong> of rain over September 4\u20135, 1970<\/strong>, closely rivaling Lake Maloya\u2019s<\/strong> total.<\/p>\n Even Utah<\/strong>, generally known for its dry high deserts, saw 5.08 inches (129 mm)<\/strong> of rain at Deer Creek Dam<\/strong> on February 1, 1963<\/strong>.<\/p>\n These extremes offer a powerful reminder of how weather in the American Southwest<\/strong> can shift from bone-dry drought<\/strong> to torrential storms<\/strong> in just hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New Mexico, known as the Land of Enchantment, typically receives an average of 13.47 inches (342.1 mm) of annual rainfall. But nearly seven decades ago, in the northeastern corner of the state, almost that entire annual average fell in a single day. Between May 18 and May 19, 1955, Lake Maloya, located in Sugarite […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":5196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/h3>\n
Other weather milestones in New Mexico<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Recent weather and monsoon moisture<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Rainfall extremes in neighboring states<\/strong><\/h3>\n