Storm brings snowfall in Northern Arizona, rain in Phoenix
Mar 2, 2015, 3:24 PM | Updated: Mar 9, 2015, 2:58 pm
PHOENIX — A winter storm brought some much-needed precipitation to Arizona on Monday, though it fell short of predictions.
Snowfall forced school closures in the Flagstaff area, where students and non-essential workers were sent home about 2 p.m. About three inches of fresh snow fell in the area on Monday, with forecasts calling for as much as seven inches.
Arizona Snowbowl, closed Sunday because of a loss of power, said it received a whopping 43 inches from the storm.
The storm created winter driving conditions on both Interstate 17 and Interstate 40. Drivers were urged to use chains.
In the Phoenix area, commuters were met with wet conditions as rain fell around the city. Rainfall varied between one-fifth and almost one-half of an inch.
Some people in homes along Oak Creek, near Sedona, couldn’t leave or return after
low-water crossings became flooded, said Robert Rowley, director of emergency
management for Coconino County. Sandbags were available for residents of other
areas on the outskirts of Flagstaff that had some street flooding, he said.
Wind gusts as high as 46 mph were recorded around the state.
The storm moved into Arizona on Sunday, when Flagstaff and Coconino County residents awoke to streets blanketed in snow. According to the National Weather Service,
between three and eight inches of snow fell overnight in Flagstaff in areas above 6,500
feet. Another two to four inches of snow was possible later in the day followed by
rain.
The weather also created some inconveniences over the weekend. Roughly 4,300 Arizona Public
Service Co. customers in Coconino County were left without power. APS
spokeswoman Anna Haberlein said the accumulation of snow caused utility lines to
sag and jostle each other.
The storm is expected to move out of the state on Tuesday, with chances of precipitation slipping to 20 percent by evening.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.