Dreaming of a White Halloween
December 5th, 2009 by John WolfeJust to give you an idea of how our fall has been so far, here’s what our weather looked like during Halloween week.
Video source: You Tube user, akaJeSais
While out in the yard, spray painting a prop for the haunt, it was sleeting like crazy on me… and this was three days before Halloween. Yet, two weeks prior to the sleet and snow, our temps were warm enough for us to have a hail storm. LOL! This weather’s been so funky.
On Thursday night, I fired up the furnace for the first time this fall (I’m pretty warm-blooded) because our low was going to be fifteen degrees — almost unheard of for early December in the Albuquerque area. As I headed off to bed around 9:30, the heat was working fine.
Fast forward to 2 AM. I wake up shaking and shivering — no heat — icicles are in the process of forming on my eyelashes. Turns out that a part went haywire in the furnace and I had to call someone to repair it yesterday morning. Now that’s a rude awakening: 2 AM, no heat, and thirteen degrees outside!
Thankfully, everything is once again a “toasty” fifty-eight degrees inside. See, told you I was warm blooded. 
December 5th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Wow–shoot some snow our way! It’s actually 53/32 here which is brisk for Phoenix. I keep hoping…our nights get into the 20s a lot in the winter, we just don’t get enough moisture to make snow when it happens. I’ve seen flakes come down, but never accumulation. I dream of getting it each Xmas. Maybe this year!
December 6th, 2009 at 12:41 am
LoL, oh my heavens, LoL! That must have truly sucked big time to think you would be waking to a warm house in the middle of the night and instead you are WOKEN UP by a freezing temp in the teens. I’m wondering, were your cats all huddled up together to stay warm
That is insane freezing weather for New Mexico of all places. I noticed on the national news that an immense and intense cold front was moving in and down over your area so I was curious just how cold it was getting in your neck of the woods. This wonderful little blog/description of icicles in the process of forming on your eyelashes was perfectly stated. For YOU to be that cold, it has to be under freezing 
I’m pleased to hear that you were able to get it fixed and I trust have your heater keeping you toasty warm again. To bad you didn’t have a fireplace. Perfect time to get that going.
This video is just nuts. It’s not something one would expect, at all, to be filmed in New Mexico and least of all IN OCTOBER??? Wow, strange days indeed dear friend. Take care and whatever you do, stay warm
December 6th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
autumnforest,
We are practically neighbors (sort of), so it never ceases to amaze me just how different the weather patterns express themselves a few hundred miles apart. Especially when the geography is somewhat similar. I’m not sure about your elevation; we may be a little higher than you guys, which helps us receive more snowfall. Actually snow had become more of a rarity in my local area as well, that is until December ’07 – January ’08. That winter it really let us have it.
I’m sending positive snow vibes your way for Christmas!
Goldie,
Well, it was sort of a gradual realization that I was freezing my rear off. I could feel it even earlier, but I was too tired to piece together the whys… LOL! I’m a zombie when I’m half asleep. Once 2 AM rolled around and I finally woke completely up, that was when the full force of the chill was hitting me and the knowledge that I had better check the thermostat and furnace.
The two cats who get along were absolutely huddled together in their blanket/bed. I also had one sleeping under the covers next to me and the other was in his little”house.” I made it by draping a thick a blanket over the top of the coffee table and then placed a blanket for padding underneath. He likes dark places when he sleeps.
Glad you got a kick out of my icicle description. Since I’ve shaved my head, the only places they could form would be my eyelashes and my goatee.
December 7th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Wow, that’s mild weather for Winnipeg, Canada. To tell you the truth, I hope our winter stays like this video all season long. We have snow like that now. It’s not normal, but we don’t care. On the other hand, it’s a problem for NM. I’m guessing it doesn’t normally snow in your part of the world, right John? It’ll all go away soon.
Concerning your recent blog reply, I thank you for your well wishes…I am doing great, thanks.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Elaine,
Happy to hear all is well your way! We usually get a light dusting of snow each winter (in my part of the state), but it’s a rare site to see it build beyond two or three inches. I remember a storm back in ’92 in which we received about 13 inches, but that’s the most I can recall in years.
When we lived in Maine, one winter, we received 274 inches, but I’ve grown accustomed to being in the desert southwest for too long now to start having to wear snowshoes again.
December 11th, 2009 at 5:06 am
I remember snow during the balloon fiesta once. And one year, DD and friends bundled up in red and green and sang Christmas carols instead of yelling “Trick or Treat!” ABQ has funky weather, for sure!
One Sunday morning, when I worked the day shift at Pres, I had to leave for work really early due to the snow. I almost missed the exit because in addition to the snow, the fog wouldn’t let me see 20 feet ahead of me. I swear it felt like I was driving off the edge of the world or into a Stephen King novel. Truly creepy.
December 11th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Stephanie,
I remember snow falling on Halloween day one year, too. I believe it was Halloween of 1991.
Glad you arrived safely at work in that snow/fog. Fifteen-years ago, I had a similar experience heading north on I-25, around Isleta, however, for me, it was rain. Right through that low area, as you go over Coors Road, I hit a humongous downpour and could barely see out the windshield. I slowed down to maybe 15 MPH and was gonna pull over, but I couldn’t even see the white lines or guard rail! It was intense.