Heavy Snow — Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

2007-01-21 to 2007-01-22 · Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

Event narrative

Up to 10 inches of snow fell in the Safford area causing many highways to be blocked off and the nearby Morenci mine to temporarily close.

Wider weather episode

A strong and cold upper level low pressure moved into Southeast Arizona bringing with it rare accumulating snow to the lower desert elevations including the Tucson metro area. This was the first significant snowfall in Tucson since January 30, 2002. The heaviest snow with this event fell in Southeast Pinal, Graham and Cochise Counties with numerous locations above 4000 feet experiencing six inches or more of snow. This storm had a significant impact on Southeast Arizona causing many schools and highways to be closed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 10220. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.