Freeze warnings on tap for Phoenix and Tucson; snow shuts down highways in Flagstaff
Multiple state highways and schools have been closed in the high country after a winter storm brought heavy snowfall, strong winds, rain and thunderstorms to areas of high elevation on Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, causing slick roads and dangerous whiteout conditions for drivers.
The Arizona Department of Transportation and the National Weather Service in Flagstaff were urging drivers to avoid travel as the strong winds and heavy snowfall from the winter storm made impact Tuesday afternoon, causing road closures that continued through Wednesday morning.
The following highways are closed due to winter weather and related crashes, according to ADOT:
State Route 273 between mileposts 377-382 near Show Low
State Route 77 between mileposts 154-170 north of Winkleman
Interstate 40 westbound at milepost 289 in Holbrook
US 180 between mileposts 236-248 near Flagstaff
State Route 64 between mileposts 264-240 near the Grand Canyon
The cold winter storm is expected to continue bringing snowfall over high-elevation areas Wednesday morning into the afternoon as it moves across northern Arizona. The weather service in Flagstaff said travel and road conditions will remain difficult throughout Wednesday.
The National Weather Service recommends avoiding driving during a snowstorm but said to be prepared if you must. Before leaving the house, they say you should:
Let someone know where you are going and what route you will take. If something happens, this person will know where to start a search.
Make sure you have a fully charged mobile phone, car charger and an emergency supplies kit in your car including food, water and other necessities.
If your car does get stuck during a storm, The National Weather Service recommends you:
Stay in the vehicle.
If you leave your vehicle, you will become disoriented quickly in wind-driven snow and cold.
Run the motor for about 10 minutes each hour for heat.
While running the motor, open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Clear snow from the exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.
Be visible to rescuers.
Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine.
Tie a bright-colored cloth, preferably red, to your antenna or door.
After snow stops falling, raise the hood to indicate you need help.
Multiple schools in northern and central Arizona will remain closed Feb. 15 after some areas received more than a foot of snow overnight, according to the weather service in Flagstaff.
Flagstaff Unified School District, Prescott Unified School district, Page Unified School District and Williams Unified School District are among those that closed due to the winter weather conditions. The Embry-Riddle Prescott Campus said it would close Feb. 15 due to icy campus roads and parking lots.
The Flagstaff campus at Northern Arizona University closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday ahead of the winter storm but resumed normal class schedules Wednesday morning.
The weather service in Flagstaff said residents can expect light snow showers, not more than an inch or two, throughout Wednesday evening, with drier weather returning Thursday through the weekend.
Very cold temperatures are in store for the high country through Friday before warming up over the weekend, the weather service said in a forecast discussion.
"The main weather concern through the rest of this week will be the cold," said the weather service in Flagstaff.
Daytime Temperatures Wednesday and Thursday will be about 15-20 degrees below normal with northern breezes making temperatures feel even colder, according to the weather service.
NWS Flagstaff is urging residents to take frostbite precautions in the early mornings as dangerously cold overnight lows are expected each morning through Friday.
Wind chill temperatures will range from the teens to below zero in high-elevation areas while low-elevation areas will see wind chill temperatures in the teens to above zero.
Temperatures will warm up over the weekend with clouds and a chance of showers returning by Sunday and lasting through Monday, the weather service in Flagstaff said.
Snow totals from the latest winter storm released Wednesday afternoon showed areas across northern and central Arizona received between 2.5-15.8 inches of snow:
Doney Park: 15.8''
Kachina Village: 14.8''
Vernon: 13.0''
Flagstaff: 12.2''
Bellemont: 11.6''
Show Low: 11.5''
Munds Park: 11.0''
Greer: 10.0''
Heber-Overgaard: 8.7''
Ponderosa Park: 7.8''
Saint Johns: 7.8''
Navajo Nation: 6.9''
Eagar: 6.0''
Payson: 3.0''
Prescott Valley: 3.0''
Snowflake: 3.0''
Prescott: 2.5''
Dewey-Humboldt: 1.0''
Cold weather conditions on tap across southern Arizona
A winter storm made its way through southern Arizona Tuesday and Wednesday, causing light snowfall and near-freezing temperatures in Tucson and across southeastern Arizona, according to the weather service in Tucson.
A snow advisory was put in effect in Tucson Tuesday night as some areas received up to an inch of snow and near-freezing temperatures resulted in icy bridges and hazardous driving conditions.
"There has been a flurry of photos and videos across the metro showing snow accumulating on the ground and on cars," the weather service in Tucson said in a forecast discussion.
The weather service reported 0.6 inches of snow from the roof of their Tucson office Tuesday night.
The winter storm began making its way east Wednesday morning, causing light snow and cold temperatures in Sierra Vista, the Bisbee-Douglas area and the Wilcox and Safford area as it moved toward New Mexico.
The weather service said southern Arizona residents can expect the cold air left by the storm to drop temperatures below freezing on Thursday morning. Residents should look out for pockets of ice from residual snowmelt and valley rain.
A hard freeze warning is in effect for the metro Tucson area Wednesday night through Thursday morning.
"Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold," said the weather service in Tucson. "To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained or allowed to drip slowly."
NWS Tucson also advised draining in-ground sprinkler systems and covering above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.
Gradual warming will start Friday and continue through the early weekend along with some gusty winds from the east. Another winter storm is expected to hit late this weekend and persist into early next week.
Thursday will have a high of 56 degrees with a low around 33 degrees and winds between 10 to 14 mph. Friday and Saturday will be mostly sunny with highs of 62 on Friday and 73 on Saturday. Friday will see winds in the 15-23 mph range with a nighttime low around 38 degrees. Saturday will see lows around 48 degrees.
Sunday will bring clouds and a 30 percent chance of rain showers that will persist through Tuesday next week as the next winter storm rolls in.
Rain and strong winds for the Valley and metro Phoenix
Cold temperatures are expected through the end of the work week in the Valley, with freezing temperatures expected on Thursday and Friday morning, according to the weather service in Phoenix.
Tuesday night's strong winds, rain, thunder and winter weather advisories in the metro Phoenix area were followed by temperatures well below normal Wednesday and a hard freeze warning that will go into effect midnight Wednesday through 9 a.m. MST Thursday.
"The bigger concern though will be temperatures tonight and Thursday," the weather service said in a forecast discussion, citing high potential for a late-season freeze event.
The weather service is advising Phoenix residents to dress warm Thursday and Friday morning and to prepare for the cold by checking the "4 P's":
People
Pets
Plants
Pipes
These are most vulnerable to hard freezes, the weather service said. Protecting outdoor pipes and plants, bringing pets indoors, dressing in warm layers and checking on elderly friends and family members are all recommended freeze practices according to the weather service in Phoenix.
The projected low temperatures in the Valley and metro Phoenix for the remainder of the week are:
Phoenix: 36 degrees Thursday, 40 degrees Friday, 45 degrees Saturday and 48 degrees Sunday
Scottsdale: 32 degrees Thursday, 36 degrees Friday, 41 degrees Saturday and 43 degrees Sunday
Glendale: 34 degrees Thursday, 38 degrees Friday, 44 degrees Saturday and 46 degrees Sunday
Mesa: 33 degrees Thursday, 37 degrees Friday, 44 degrees Saturday and 45 degrees Sunday
Apache Junction: 33 degrees Thursday, 38 degrees Friday, 46 degrees Saturday and 48 degrees Sunday
A warming trend will raise temperatures starting Friday with a possible return to above-normal temperatures by Saturday. Temperatures in the Valley are expected to remain within 5 degrees of seasonal normals through early next week.
Thursday will be mostly sunny with a high of 60 and lows of 40 with a morning freeze warning in metro Phoenix. Friday will be partly cloudy with 10-25 mph winds and a high of 68 degrees with a low of 45 degrees. Saturday and Sunday will be mostly sunny with highs of 75 on Saturday and 72 on Sunday and lows of 48 on Saturday and 50 on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Freeze warnings in Arizona, snow shuts down highways in Flagstaff
