Arizona winter weather: Road closures and record snow in Flagstaff

With forecasts for much of the state beginning to wind down and conditions expected to return to normal averages by the weekend, aside from colder temperatures, here is how much of Arizona is shaping up.

Sunny skies expected after record northern Arizona snow

Much of the winter weather focus has been set on northern Arizona, as the past few weeks have set in motion record-breaking totals already for 2023.

Additionally, snow levels in Flagstaff surpassed their monthly averages for both February and March, with March only taking one day to do so. At the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, 140.1 inches of snow has been recorded since July 1, second only to the 153.9 inches in the July to March timespan in 1948-49.

On the bright side, a long-awaited break from winter conditions seems to be around the corner.

Mostly sunny skies are on tap throughout Flagstaff, with highs slated to be in the low 40s in the next few days.

What closures were in effect in Flagstaff, Phoenix?

As a result of Wednesday's storm, schools across northern Arizona were closed for the day including, the Blue Ridge, Flagstaff, Williams, and Prescott Unified School Districts as well as the mountain campus classes at Northern Arizona University.

Schools weren't the only thing hampered by the snow, as a laundry list of Arizona highways has also experienced their fair share of winter closures.

At its peak, nearly 12 highways had all been closed at once due to Wednesday's barrage, but the list has since been cut down significantly.

Notable closures included:

• US 180 north of Snowbowl (MP 236-248)

• SR 89A both directions between Sedona and Flagstaff (MP 375-398)

• SR 64 near the Grand Canyon National Park East Entrance (MP 244-261)

The Arizona Department of Transportation has also downgraded the snow impact from major to moderate.

Phoenix weekend forecast

Conditions in Phoenix were also slated to get some relief from the recent gloomy skies with the current system heading out toward the east.

"For today, we're gonna see conditions continue to clear out throughout the day. That winter system is now pushing off toward our east away from our area, so temperatures today will be well below normal with highs in the low to mid-50s, a good 15 degrees below normal for this time of year," National Weather Service Phoenix office meteorologist Isaac Smith told The Republic.

That will set the stage for a warming/drying trend to gradually pick up as by Sunday temperatures will re-enter the low 70s with no chances of rain.

How much snow fell in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson?

According to the National Weather Service website, snowfall reports across Arizona have come in all sizes.

Some areas, such as Prescott, had snowfall reports ranging from 11 to 15 inches as of 8 a.m.

In Flagstaff, the region saw areas near Munds Park and Kachina Village report nearly 24 to 30 inches of snow, respectively.

Additionally, the National Weather Service office near Bellemont recorded up to 24.5 inches of snow from Tuesday night through 5 a.m. Thursday.

The Tucson International Airport received around 1 inch of snow Wednesday night, but areas such as Vail and Mescal got up to 7.5 inches.

According to the weather service's Phoenix office, one report in north Scottsdale saw the area record around 2 inches of snow last night.

How much rain fell in Phoenix?

It may have felt like more, but not a lot of rain fell last night.

Only 0.65 inch was recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Wednesday night, with the metro areas receiving around 0.5 to 0.75 inch.

What warnings are in effect in Flagstaff, Phoenix?

Even as conditions begin to clear out in Arizona, some warnings and advisories still remain.

An aerial flood advisory remained in effect for the area of Cave Creek on Thursday, as runoffs from the storm activity have caused some low water crossings to become impassible.

In Tucson, temperatures were expected to be in the lower to upper 20s into Friday morning, making for potential freeze warnings. Those in the area are advised to stay warm, cover their plants, wrap their pipes and bring their pets indoors to avoid the cold.

For northern Arizona, drivers were still advised to travel safely due to closures and winter weather conditions. As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, no winter storm warnings have been issued, according to the National Weather Service Flagstaff office website.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona winter weather: Road closures and record Flagstaff snow