Bad News for Residents, Good News for Skiing

Northern New Mexico Buried By Recent Storm

By Carson Bennett, 2-06-08

	House Buried in Chama, courtesy KOB.com

The small town of Chama, on the northernmost edge of New Mexico, is buried. 33 inches of snow fell on Chama and most of Rio Arriba County in three days, from February 2nd to February 5th. This is bad news for residents of Chama, many of whom are literally unable to open their front doors.

Yesterday, February 5th, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson declared Rio Arriba County a disaster area, freeing $750,000 in disaster relief funds. He also ordered a dozen New Mexico National Guard troops to Chama to help with disaster relief efforts such as clearing roads, repairing utilities, and responding to emergencies.

Dump trucks have been unloading snow in half of Chama’s Gallego park, while the other half has been cleared for use as a helicopter landing pad. Many structures have been damaged or destroyed. The roof of Chama’s only grocery store collapsed under the weight of nearly three feet of snow. Luckily, no injuries have been reported, and residents of Chama and nearby towns (even as far away as Santa Fe and Albuquerque) have responded in true neighborly fashion, sending donations of food and supplies, and descending upon the town with snowplows, tractors, and snow shovels to help residents dig out of the drifts.

This may be quite a hassle for Chama residents, but it’s good news for the nearby ski areas. The steep slopes of Taos, 115 miles southeast of Chama, received 30 inches in the last three days, bringing their summit base depth to 108 inches. Wolf Creek, just northwest of Chama, has accumulated 56 inches in the same three days, pushing their summit base depth to a staggering 208 inches. And Durango, about 115 miles to the west, was also hit with 30 inches since Saturday. Their base total is an unseasonable 85 inches.

I’m confident I speak for all of us when I wish the residents of Chama a quick and safe recovery from this most recent storm…

And I know I speak for all of us powder hounds when I say, “let’s go skiing!”

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