Heavy Snow — Western Mogollon Rim, Arizona

2010-12-29 to 2010-12-30 · Western Mogollon Rim, Arizona

Event narrative

Heavy snow, strong winds, and blowing snow moved across the western Mogollon Rim from early morning on December 29th through much of the day on the 30th. Some snowfall totals include: 4 miles south of Williams 30 inches, 12 miles north of Parks 24 inches, Munds Park 19.5 inches, Bellmont 18.8 inches, Williams 18 inches, Flagstaff Airport 17.2 inches, Kachina Village 16 inches, and 15 inches in north Fort Valley. Over 150 motorist needed emergency assistance in the Flagstaff area with roll overs, slide offs, and wrecks. Both I-17 and Highway 89 south of Flagstaff were closed due to the dangerous conditions.

Wider weather episode

A strong and extremely cold Pacific storm system moved across Arizona December 29th and 30th. Heavy snow and strong winds produced hazardous weather conditions across much of northern Arizona.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 273409. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.