Winter Storm — Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, Arizona

2023-02-22 · Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, Arizona

Event narrative

Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common across the Santa Catalina Mountains along with a storm total of 12 to 14 inches of snow with blizzard-like conditions at times. Several trees and power poles were down on Mt, Lemmon prompting Ski Valley to close down their slopes the following day to assess repairs.

Wider weather episode

An anomalously intense low pressure system for February caused very strong winds across southeast Arizona resulting in damage such as roof damage, downed trees, power poles and communication antennas. The Tucson International Airport recorded its strongest February wind gust (51 MPH) in at least the past 50 years. Elsewhere, especially across Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee Counties, wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common in valleys with gusts higher than 70 mph at higher elevations. A 92 mph gust was recorded at the Guthrie RAWS. The combination of the strong winds and snow (6 to 12 in the mountains) resulted in blizzard-like conditions at times above 7000 feet.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1071325. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.