Snowfall in Arizona breaks century-old record

Schools, public libraries and businesses were expected to be closed for a second day Friday amid a major, record-breaking storm in north-central Arizona.

Snow fell Thursday at 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 centimeters) an hour in what the National Weather Service characterized as “not your average” storm. The heaviest precipitation was pushing further into eastern Arizona before the storm moves out over the weekend, leaving temperatures at or below freezing.

Snowfall at the Flagstaff airport broke an all-time daily record set more than a century ago. The airport had 31.6 inches (80.3 centimeters) of snow as of Thursday evening, a figure that was expected to climb before the day’s end. The record set in 1915 was 31 inches (78.7 centimeters).

“It’s been so busy with so much going on, it’s hard to celebrate,” said meterologist Mark Stubblefield. “But it is an impressive amount of snow for one day.”

The snow and zero visibility forced the closure of the airport’s only runway Thursday morning.

Flagstaff, Prescott and Coconino County declared emergencies. Several roads across Arizona, including portions of Interstate 40 west of Kingman and northbound Interstate 17 from Camp Verde to Flagstaff, were closed.

The Navajo Nation declared an emergency earlier this week in anticipation of the storm and encouraged people to ensure their relatives had enough fuel to stay warm.

State authorities urged people to avoid travel, and drivers mostly seemed to be heeding the warnings. Still, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said it responded to more than 260 reports of vehicles sliding off the road, becoming disabled or colliding in districts north of Phoenix. No one was killed or seriously injured.

The storm doused the central Arizona desert with less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain on average. But it was enough to prompt warnings of minor flooding and cancel the first major league baseball exhibition game of the year between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics.

“We have our feet wet now, literally,” Athletics manager Bob Melvin said.

Farther north, snow plows struggled to keep roadways clear, and officials in Flagstaff and Coconino County said there is “significant concern” about the weight of the snow on rooftops.

Paul Moss and other drivers were chatting about the latest road conditions at a travel center west of Flagstaff, where semi-trailers were stuck waiting to fuel up. Moss said he could drive in the snow but prefers not to do so.

“Sometimes it’s just unsafe. You need to shut down,” said the Los Banos, California, resident, who was hauling a truckload of oranges. “I’ve got a family to go home to. My family is more important than freight.”

The amount of snowfall that ranged from an inch (2.5 centimeters) in Rimrock to 3 feet (0.9 meters) in Kachina Village south of Flagstaff was possible because the ground was already saturated from a recent storm, Stubblefield said.

Prescott had nearly 2 feet (0.6 meters), beating its record of 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) for Feb. 21.

Payson, which averages less than 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow a year, had 17 inches (43.2 centimeters) as of Thursday evening.

Johnny Bravo, front-desk manager at Kohl’s Ranch Lodge about 20 minutes from Payson, said the snow there topped 30 inches (76.2 centimeters). Employees who knew they wouldn’t be able to drive stayed the night, and a tractor and snow plow were ready to clear the roads.

But Bravo said the road leading up to the lodge was closed and the snow seemed never-ending.

“You can’t prepare if it’s just perpetual,” he said.

Cold temperatures that accompanied the storm meant the snow was light and fluffy, a welcoming sight for anyone tasked with removing it from around homes and businesses.

“I love it,” said Richard Henn as he guided a snow blower down the sidewalk along a Flagstaff street. “As long as you get ahead of it, you’re OK.”

For Arianne Nicole Yago, the snow was a fun reprieve. The admissions officer at Northern Arizona University is from Hawaii but spent the past three years in Flagstaff.

“It’s fun from the inside when you’re watching the snow, ’cause it’s such a different experience. For Hawaiian people, this is like a blessing in such a different world. But when you do drive, it is a little scary,” Yago said.