Snow, ice create trouble on road up north but Phoenix weather set for sunny

PHOENIX — Light snow and ice on a northern Arizona freeway caused a number of accidents early Friday morning, but Phoenix was well on its way to another sunny day.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety reported troopers worked collision wrecks along Interstate 40 near Flagstaff.

Troopers have responded to several collisions along I-40 between Flagstaff and Williams this morning. Please drive with care. #azwx pic.twitter.com/prxhw2zNzs

— Dept. Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) March 31, 2017

I-40 WB now has one lane open 20 miles west of #Flagstaff, milepost 173. Expect delays because of ice and several crashes in the area. pic.twitter.com/aXZiswYAYY

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) March 31, 2017

Westbound lanes had to be shut down for a while. Later, lane restrictions were in place.

The icy roads were likely to stay that way at least for the morning. The National Weather Service expected snowy showers to keep falling between Flagstaff and Williams through Saturday.

6AM – A cold and showery pattern will bring some light snowfall to the higher elevations through Saturday. #azwx pic.twitter.com/a6pmhMtbKF

— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) March 31, 2017

Meanwhile, Phoenix took a dip in temperatures, too.

After a high of 90 degrees the day before, weather experts predicted a high of 70 for Friday before warming up again.

It's going to get much cooler over the deserts today; how about a high around 70 in Phoenix? That's 20 degrees cooler than Thursday! #azwx pic.twitter.com/ccbkMXPFS9

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) March 31, 2017

The warmer weather starts Saturday, just in time for the NCAA Final Four men’s basketball tournament in Glendale and all the tournament-related events, including concerts at at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix.

Country singer Keith Urban will close out the Friday party under mostly clear skies. The low was to be around 53 degrees.

Saturday’s high should be 75 degrees or so, mostly under sunny skies when Capital Cities start the show in the afternoon. The overnight temperature will drop to 55 degrees.

Sunny Sunday could reach 82 degrees, with mostly clear skies for Aerosmith’s evening show.

Championship game day on Monday could top out at 84 degrees, with evening lows under 60 degrees.

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