Winter storm warning issued for northern Arizona; hazardous travel conditions expected - The Arizona Republic

A wintertime tempest informing was issued for regions of precocious elevation successful Arizona arsenic the authorities prepared for the archetypal of 2 wintertime storms opening Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Northern Arizona done the White Mountains and regions supra 5,000 feet successful elevation were among those affected by the tempest warning. A precocious upwind informing volition instrumentality effect successful the White Mountains astatine 11 p.m. Saturday and volition past until 8 a.m. Sunday.

About 8 to 12 inches of snowfall were expected successful areas on the precocious state betwixt Saturday evening and Sunday. Snow levels volition scope 6,000 to 6,500 feet Saturday nighttime earlier falling to 5,000 to 6,000 feet connected Sunday.

Flagstaff tin expect betwixt 2 and 3 feet of snowfall to accumulate by Tuesday evening, according to estimates from the National Weather Service.

A wintertime tempest informing was successful effect successful Flagstaff connected Saturday, and wintertime upwind advisories were issued successful the Coconino Plateau, Yavapai County Mountains, Northern Gila County, White Mountains and the Chuska Mountains.

Hazardous question conditions were expected to commencement Saturday nighttime and past done Tuesday successful the precocious bluish and eastbound parts of the state, with imaginable whiteout conditions expected done midday Sunday, according to the National Weather Service successful Flagstaff.

“The impacts we’re truly focusing connected for this upcoming wintertime upwind is hazardous question Saturday done Tuesday, with peculiarly hard driving the precocious Saturday information done aboriginal Sunday,” said Paige Swenson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service successful Flagstaff.

Snow absorption volition beryllium hard arsenic snowfall continuously compounds arsenic a effect of fewer breaks betwixt periods of snowfall, according to Swenson.

“It volition beryllium tricky to support everything plowed,” Swenson said.

Swenson besides warned spotty powerfulness outages could effect from the wintertime storms successful the bluish and eastbound parts of the state.

Broken histrion limbs and the imaginable for rockslides successful highly prone areas astir Oak Creek Canyon, Highway 89 and southbound of Black Canyon City were besides issues of concern, according to Swenson.

The National Weather Service successful Flagstaff urged travelers to enactment location this weekend.

“Be prepared for further dense snow, gusty winds, precise acold temperatures and periods of hard to intolerable travel,” the upwind work said successful a Saturday day tweet.

A operation of beardown winds and snowfall could pb to blowing snowfall and falling histrion branches, causing adjacent much hazardous conditions for question passim the play and into aboriginal adjacent week, Swenson said.

The National Weather Service recommended residents “winterize” their vehicle, battalion an exigency proviso kit and debar each nonessential question during the high-impact wintertime tempest periods, which volition hap Saturday done Tuesday.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety recommended keeping the pursuing items successful a wintertime upwind exigency proviso kit:

• Cellphone and charger
• Water
• Winter clothing/blankets
• Prescribed medication
• First-aid kit
• Flashlight with other batteries
• Ice scraper
• A tiny container of soil oregon feline litter for instrumentality traction
• Compact shovel for snowfall removal
• Travel instrumentality kit and artillery cables
• Safety flares
• Nonperishable snacks
• Road map

Conditions were expected to amended starting Wednesday and Thursday of adjacent week, but lingering showers could instrumentality astir done the extremity of the week, according to the upwind service.

Rain, cooler temperatures connected platform for Phoenix, confederate Arizona

Southern Arizona and Phoenix tin expect rainfall and below-average temperatures passim the weekend, persisting connected and disconnected done Wednesday.

Residents successful little godforsaken regions tin expect to spot h2o flowing successful usually adust washes and the imaginable flooding of debased roads, according to Swenson.

“This tin decidedly inactive pb to hard traveling conditions, particularly if you’re connected immoderate ungraded roads oregon unpaved roads successful general,” Swenson said.

Residents tin notation to the Arizona Department of Transportation's information tips for champion practices erstwhile driving successful the rain.

The 2nd wintertime storm, acceptable to deed connected Monday, volition bring cooler temperatures to Phoenix and Tucson passim the play continuing done Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service successful Phoenix.

“Most little godforsaken locations volition person highs successful the 50s connected Tuesday,” said the upwind service.

Dry conditions are expected to instrumentality to the little godforsaken regions starting Thursday, but temperatures volition stay cool, according to the upwind service. Low temperatures were expected to beryllium colder than past week with lows successful the 30s.