OK, Albuquerque, do you know what today is?
Yes, it’s #GivingTuesday (an important day in a nonprofit newsroom) but it’s also Tumbleweed Tuesday, the day the Tumbleweed Snowman claims his holiday perch alongside the busy westbound lanes of I-40 next to the AMAFCA offices near the “Big I.”
This year is also the icon’s 30-year birthday so we took a look back at how he’s changed — for better and worse — since 1995.
What is the Tumbleweed Snowman made of?
According to the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, the snowman has grown over the years. Today he is 12-14 feet tall and about 8 feet wide, depending on how big his tumbleweeds blow in before the big day.
“The eyes, mouth and buttons are made from scrap metal, his nose is a broken ax handle, his hands are old work gloves, and his hat is a 55-gallon drum. His scarf is knitted by the mother-in-law of one of our maintenance crew,” AMAFCA says.
The snowman hasn’t always looked the same, however, mainly because the tumbleweeds are sourced new each year.
Judging by the photos of snowmen in years past, clearly there is such a thing as a good and bad tumbleweed year in Albuquerque.
See how the Tumbleweed Snowman has changed over the years
The original 2001 snowman 
The 2006 version was, well, struggling 
In 2010, the three distinct tumbleweeds looked more like one big blob 
In 2018, the snowman traded in his red scarf for a turquoise one made by the mom of an AMAFCA worker 
2020’s version wore a mask, like all of us 
The 2024 Tumbleweed Snowman
All photos are courtesy of AMAFCA