Most highway closures lifted but northern Arizona bracing for another round of winter weather
Feb 9, 2024, 12:00 PM
PHOENIX — The highways in northern Arizona were mostly reopened Friday after the region was pummeled by winter weather this week, but another round of disruptive storms was expected heading into the weekend.
State Route 64 east of Grand Canyon National Park (mileposts 242-276), which hasn’t been open since Tuesday, was the only highway closed as of noon on Friday.
A day earlier, four other high country highways had closures due to hazardous driving conditions caused by winter weather.
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Road conditions could be poor heading into the weekend with more storms in the forecast, Jeremy Mazon, a meteorologist with NWS Flagstaff, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.
“I’m sure all of those folks are going to be working hard to clear those areas, but it could take several days before travel conditions are back to 100%,” Mazon said.
“We definitely want to message that Friday afternoon through Saturday is not going to be a great time for traveling with snow showers pushing across much of Northern Arizona.”
How much snow has northern Arizona received this week?
The storm expected to move into the area Friday afternoon into Saturday morning could drop an additional 3-5 inches of snow in an already blanketed Flagstaff, Mazon said.
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, which the National Weather Service uses for its officials readings, accumulated 10.6 inches of snow on Tuesday, 13.1 inches on Wednesday and another 12.4 inches on Thursday.
“We are expecting there is going to be a break in the winter weather but by the afternoon, another system that’s going to push across the state will bring snow to a good portion of northern Arizona with snow levels dropping down much lower than we’ve seen,” Mazon said.
High temperatures in Flagstaff are forecast to be in the mid-30s through the weekend with lows dropping into the single digits by the weekend, NWS said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation advises motorists to stay clear of its snowplows, which are expected to be on roadways all weekend with the impending storms.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jim Cross contributed to this report.
