Roads close around Arizona as storms pummel high country, Valley

PHOENIX — For the second time in the new year, the Valley and much of the high country were pounded with rain and snow, respectively, causing road closures around the state.

Flagstaff Airport recorded 17.7 inches of snow as of 8:40 p.m. while Arizona Snowbowl recorded over 15 inches of snow overnight, according to the National Weather Service of Flagstaff.

The snow caused closures to Interstate 40 eastbound at milepost 146 near Ash Fork as well as at the US 93, Interstate 17 northbound at milepost 310 near Munds Park and State Route 64 between milepost 241 and 268 near the Grand Canyon, ADOT said.

Additionally, State Route 89A is closed north of Sedona and the I-17 Sedona exit is closed at State Route 179.

East of Payson, eastbound State Route 260 is closed at milepost 277.

“We have 200 snowplows statewide that are working around the clock to get the roads clear,” ADOT spokesman David Woodfill said.

“Before these storms, we’re always out ahead of time, prepping the roads with de-icing material.”

Flagstaff is expected to have heavy snow through the holiday weekend and into Tuesday.

NOW: Here's a peek of conditions in the northern areas of the state. Avoid traveling if possible. If you must travel, make sure you're prepared for the unexpected by following our recommendations at https://t.co/zDRspYywCl. #aztraffic #azwx pic.twitter.com/sOIgtS3DfH

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) January 15, 2023

Around the Valley, almost all towns have been hit with rain as Glendale received the lion’s share of a quarter of an inch of rain.

Fountain Hills saw .2 inches while Scottsdale, north Phoenix and much of central Phoenix received .12-.2 inches since midnight on Sunday morning.

There are different closures around Phoenix due to the Rock N’ Roll Marathon taking place on Sunday as well.

Phoenix residents can expect rain to continue throughout Sunday and continue into Monday. The rain is predicted to break on Monday, The Weather Channel said.

Head to the website for more information and updates on all road closures.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.