Big winter storm slams metro Phoenix, bringing rain, snow, hail

PHOENIX — Wet and wintry conditions are having an effect on traffic and vaccine operations in metro Phoenix on Monday.

Wind gusts of up to 60 mph and pea-sized hail were pelting the West Valley starting at about 2 p.m., the National Weather Service in Phoenix said.

Snow started to fall in Cave Creek at about 2:30 p.m., NWS added.

NWS said that there was a possibility of a tornado forming in relation to the expected West Valley storm.

Snow in Cave Creek! Storms continue to wreak havoc across the Valley on Monday. Tune to 92.3 FM, our app or online for the latest.https://t.co/WVFzj3NZ5Z pic.twitter.com/dF1qQ9kBLw

— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) January 25, 2021

Hail and major wind in Peoria right now! #AZWX @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/jV4UIhPtWg

— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) January 25, 2021

A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for parts of metro Phoenix until 2:45 p.m.

The Arizona Department of Health Services paused its COVID-19 vaccination appointments at State Farm Stadium for about two hours due to lightning in the area.

At about 1:30 p.m., pea-sized hail started to fall at the stadium, according to NWS.

The 24-hour operation at the home of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale is the state’s largest, vaccinating up to 6,000 individuals per day.

Our #COVID19 vaccination site at State Farm Stadium is back in operation after pause due to severe weather. If you had to leave during the delay, we'll honor your appointment throughout the week. Thanks for your patience.

— AZ Dept of Health (@AZDHS) January 25, 2021

Maricopa County shut down operations at its points of distribution Monday, citing safety concerns due to the storms.

Due to severe weather conditions⚠️and for the safety of our registrants and volunteers, we are stopping operations at our regional PODs today. We will make notifications soon on rescheduling and apologize for any inconvenience. For updates: https://t.co/O07kgtuI0c pic.twitter.com/T6h5Th2wgy

— Public Health (@Maricopahealth) January 25, 2021

With rush hour looming, the Arizona Department of Transportation urged drivers to use caution on metro Phoenix freeways as some areas started to get soaked by by the rain, hail and snow.

Rain is continuing to come down across the #Phoenix metro area; we're getting lots of reports of crashes and spinouts, as well as debris from high winds.

Please slow down on wet pavement. #AZWX #Phoenix #aztraffic #phxtraffic pic.twitter.com/hEITyVLeTc

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) January 25, 2021

Some highways, including Interstate 17, were closed Monday due to the storms.

❄ REMINDER – WINTER-WEATHER-RELATED ROAD CLOSURES ❄

This is the current list of roads closed due to winter weather. We're encouraging everyone to stay home through tomorrow (more snow is forecast tonight). pic.twitter.com/1gL5LwpRNF

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) January 26, 2021

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