Does Albuquerque still have snow days?

Buildings still close, but since November 2024 Albuquerque Public Schools treats a closure as an asynchronous learning day with lessons to complete at home. A two-hour delay carries no online work. The meter's number is the chance of the closure itself.

How many remote days can a New Mexico district use for weather?

Four instructional days or 32 hours a year under 6.10.5 NMAC, with at least half of the time synchronous, and the cap applies to emergency use as well as planned use. Going beyond it requires a hardship waiver from the Public Education Department.

Is New Mexico's 180-day rule in force?

It is in the rule, but a district court held it unenforceable because the statute sets hours rather than days, and the department appealed in March 2025. The 1,140-hour requirement is not in dispute, so districts plan to hours.

Why does Santa Fe close when Albuquerque only delays?

Elevation. Santa Fe averages 20.2 inches a season and 2.1 days with 3 inches or more against Albuquerque's 7.9 inches and 0.5 days, and its storms arrive on colder ground. The meter reads the forecast for your own coordinates, so the two cities score differently on the same night.

Snow day calculator New Mexico

Chance of a snow day

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Best time to check

The evening before, after 9 pm: The evening model runs are in by then and the forecast here refreshes every 30 minutes. A number read at 6 pm can move by several inches of snow before midnight.
The morning of, 5 to 7 am: The strip above shades 4 to 7 am. Snow still falling in those hours lands on the commute, so the model counts it extra, and most districts have decided by the time the buses roll at 7.

When districts actually decide

Portland Public Schools, Oregon publishes its closure decision no later than 5 am (read 10 Oct 2026)
Omaha Public Schools announced the 23 January 2026 cold closure at 5:50 pm the evening before (read 10 Oct 2026)
Little Rock School District announced a two-day closure the afternoon before the 9 January 2025 storm (read 10 Oct 2026)
Minnesota e-learning days must be announced at least two hours before the normal start time, by statute (read 10 Oct 2026)

Every district sets its own cut-off; these are published examples, not a rule.

New Mexico schools usually close around 2 inches of overnight snow. Albuquerque delays on a couple of inches; the northern mountains close on more. The meter below opens on Albuquerque; type your ZIP or town and it reads tonight's hourly forecast for your exact spot and scores it against the New Mexico threshold.

How much snow it takes in New Mexico

Albuquerque delays on a couple of inches and closes on a bit more; the mountains close on real snow. The city's airport averages 7.9 inches a season, 2.3 days with an inch or more and 0.5 days with 3 inches or more; Santa Fe, 2,000 feet higher, averages 20.2 inches and 2.1 days with 3 inches or more. December is the snowiest month at both. The model's 2-inch threshold is the Albuquerque number; the northern mountain districts and the high plains around Clayton tolerate more and close for drifting and closed highways.

Albuquerque Public Schools has also changed what a closure means. Since November 2024 its closure days are asynchronous learning days, with lessons to complete at home, while a two-hour delay carries no online work. That fits New Mexico's rule, which caps remote instruction at four days a year, so a district has to spend them carefully.

New Mexico winter by the numbers

Station	Snow per season	Days with 1″+	Days with 3″+	Snowiest month
Albuquerque	7.9″	2.3	0.5	Dec
Santa Fe	20.2″	6.0	2.1	Dec

1991-2020 climate normals for the airport or first-order station in each city, read 2026-10-10 from the NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. “Days with 3″+” is the average number of calendar days a year with at least 3 inches of new snow. Santa Fe's figures are from the Santa Fe 2 co-operative station; the county airport has no published snow normal. NOAA publishes none for Farmington.

How closures are decided in New Mexico

New Mexico's instructional-time rule, 6.10.5 NMAC, took effect on 1 July 2024 and requires 1,140 instructional hours a year, with a full day of at least 5.5 instructional hours and a half day of at least 3.5. The same rule calls for at least 180 instructional days for non-exempt schools, although a district court held that part unenforceable for conflicting with the hours statute, and the Public Education Department appealed in March 2025. After a weather disruption, the department's options are a make-up day, a delay or early release, a full cancellation, a conversion to remote, or added minutes, with the calendar updated with the department promptly.

Remote instruction is capped at four instructional days or 32 hours a year, at least half of it synchronous, and the cap applies whether the remote day is planned or used for an emergency; exceeding it needs a hardship waiver from the department. Remote days must still meet the daily minimums. We found no state rule naming who decides a closure; it is the 89 local districts, with board approval expected before calendar changes.

Minimum school year: 1,140 instructional hours; 5.5-hour full days (6.10.5 NMAC, eff. 1 Jul 2024)
Remote instruction cap: 4 days or 32 hours a year, at least 50 percent synchronous
After a closure: Make-up day, delay, cancellation, remote conversion or added minutes, reported to the department
Regular districts: 89 (NCES, 2021-22)

Questions people ask

Does Albuquerque still have snow days?: Buildings still close, but since November 2024 Albuquerque Public Schools treats a closure as an asynchronous learning day with lessons to complete at home. A two-hour delay carries no online work. The meter's number is the chance of the closure itself.
How many remote days can a New Mexico district use for weather?: Four instructional days or 32 hours a year under 6.10.5 NMAC, with at least half of the time synchronous, and the cap applies to emergency use as well as planned use. Going beyond it requires a hardship waiver from the Public Education Department.
Is New Mexico's 180-day rule in force?: It is in the rule, but a district court held it unenforceable because the statute sets hours rather than days, and the department appealed in March 2025. The 1,140-hour requirement is not in dispute, so districts plan to hours.
Why does Santa Fe close when Albuquerque only delays?: Elevation. Santa Fe averages 20.2 inches a season and 2.1 days with 3 inches or more against Albuquerque's 7.9 inches and 0.5 days, and its storms arrive on colder ground. The meter reads the forecast for your own coordinates, so the two cities score differently on the same night.

Sources

6.10.5 NMAC, instructional time, remote instruction limits (read 2026-10-10)
New Mexico Public Education Department, instructional time presentation to NMSBA, 17 Jul 2026 (read 2026-10-10)
KRQE via AOL, Albuquerque Public Schools asynchronous learning days, 5 Nov 2024 (read 2026-10-10)
Santa Fe New Mexican via Yahoo, court ruling on the 180-day rule, 9 Apr 2025 (read 2026-10-10)
NCES Digest table 214.30, regular school districts by state, 2021-22 (read 2026-10-10)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Albuquerque and Santa Fe (read 2026-10-10)

The closure threshold itself is our model's estimate from typical district practice, not an official figure. Districts, not states, make the call. The model page shows every term.

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