Snow falls in northern Arizona but dry spell for Flagstaff continues

PHOENIX — Some snow fell in northern Arizona early Thursday morning, but Flagstaff’s long-running spell without the white stuff continued.

The National Weather Service said Flagstaff received a trace amount of snow but it was not enough to be considered a measurable amount. Grand Canyon National Park, about 75 miles north of Flagstaff, received about an inch.

Here’s a look from our S. Entrance station WebCam. We received less than an inch of snow this morning, not a lot, but it’s creating slippery conditions. Please slow down and stay safe. https://t.co/OrnEbO24m7 #azwx #GrandCanyon #WinterSolstice -mq pic.twitter.com/s34RgXRjAK

— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) December 21, 2017

The wait for snow in Flagstaff is the ninth-longest on record. The latest the city went without snow was Jan. 15 back in 2006.

At this time of year, Flagstaff has typically received about 21 inches of snow. The last time it snowed in Flagstaff was May 18.

Natural Resources Conservation Service spokesman Dino DeSimone said the state’s snowpack was about 90 percent below normal. He said other Arizona winters have started just as dry but ended up just fine.

“We ended up having a normal to wet winter,” he said. “We’re still holding out hope, but we’re not seeing anything in the forecast as far any major storms yet.”

The wintry conditions caused traffic problems, including crashes, on several roads.

“We’ve got a lot of ice on [Interstate] 40 west of Flagstaff,” Arizona Department of Transportation spokesman Garin Groff told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News. “We’ve had multiple collisions in the area as a result of that ice as well as slide-offs.”

Our camera on I-40 near milepost 191 shows the delay because of icy conditions, along with a crash in westbound lanes at milepost 190. #Flagstaff #azwx pic.twitter.com/pZDJk58xfL

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) December 21, 2017

Groff said snowplows were sent out to remove the ice and lay down salt to prevent it from reforming.

Because there are not a lot of options for people wanting to head west out of Flagstaff, Groff recommended people wait to hit the road so traffic can clear up.

KTAR News’ Jim Cross contributed to this report.

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