White Christmas: Northern Arizona to see heavy snowfall over holiday weekend
Dec 24, 2016, 7:32 AM
Northern Arizona University freshman Paxton Gyves sleds down a hill on the Flagstaff, Ariz., campus on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, during the city's first snowfall of the season. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
(AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
PHOENIX — It’s going to be a white Christmas for northern Arizona residents: Cities including Flagstaff and Williams could see up to a foot of snow starting Saturday morning.
Thanks to a cold front moving in from the Pacific, northern Arizona is expected to be hit with heavy snowfall starting 10 a.m. on Saturday, but weather officials warned that snow could start falling before dawn.
National Weather Service forecasters said strong winds could create drifting snow, making for hazardous travel conditions.
“Drivers shouldn’t even be attempting to travel [Saturday] afternoon because they could get stuck on the road,” said Darren McCollum with the National Weather Service. “Whiteout conditions and gusty winds [are] expected on Interstate 17, Interstate 40 and the state highways.”
A winter storm watch was issued for Flagstaff, Grand Canyon Village and nearby parts of northern Arizona. It said snowfall would become heavy midday, with total accumulations of 8 to 12 inches between 6,000 and 8,000 feet and 10 to 20 inches above 8,000 feet.
The Phoenix and Tucson areas likely will get rain and wind Saturday afternoon, and snow may fall late Saturday on mountains overlooking Tucson, the weather service said.
Arizona Department of Transportation officials say they have 200 snowplows at the ready to roll out on 12-hour shifts.
“The important thing about plows is to keep your distance,” Garin Groff said. “Stay at least four car lengths behind plows. Never pass them. Once you pass, you’ll be on an unplowed road.”
Northern Arizona is a popular destination in the winter months, due to popular snow-play areas and other attractions.
ADOT said traffic will likely be going slow in popular snow-play areas along U.S. 180 northwest of Flagstaff and elsewhere over Christmas and New Year’s weekends.
“At day’s end, when people start heading home on U.S. 180, it can take 90 minutes or longer to get back to Flagstaff,” ADOT said in a statement.
The agency advised motorists to dress for the cold, keep gas tanks half to three-quarters full and take a fully charged cellphone, water and snacks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
