Winter Storm — Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, Arizona

2018-12-27 to 2018-12-28 · Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, Arizona

Event narrative

Heavy snow fell in the Catalinas with Summerhaven and Mount Lemmon Ski Valley reporting more than 15 inches of snow. A semi-tractor trailer jackknifed in the snowy conditions on Mount Lemmon Highway, blocking both lanes of traffic. The road closure resulted in about twenty people whose vehicles were farther up mountain having to spend the night in a shelter.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm impacted southeast Arizona overnight on December 27 into the morning hours of December 28. Heavy snow fell on the mountain tops and the snow level reached down to 4000 feet impacting lower elevation areas.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 796657. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.