Arizona’s desert, normally revered for its warm, dry climate, was covered in snow recently as cold temperatures moved in.
Arizona desert covered in snow
The snow, which blanketed much of the state in white powder, appeared as far south as Nogales, which sits on the Mexican border, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Further north, snow-coated street signs and frozen tree branches in North Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Fire Department tweeted.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Snow in North Scottsdale at Fire Station 616. Drive slowly. Always drive at a slower speed to account for slippery conditions and lower traction when driving on snow or ice. Try not to be in a hurry and give yourself plenty of time to come to a complete stop. <a href=”https://t.co/MJfy757d5B”>pic.twitter.com/MJfy757d5B</a></p>— Scottsdale Fire Department (@ScottsdaleFire) <a href=”https://twitter.com/ScottsdaleFire/status/1631303306919448576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>March 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
“After all the rain & snow throughout the state, please use extreme caution if you must travel today,” the Public Safety Department tweeted along with the type of winter wonderland images no one would expect to see in the desert.
By Friday (March 3), temperatures had started to warm up in Phoenix but still hovered at 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degree Celsius), according to The Weather Channel. Temperatures were expected to reach into the high 60s and low 70s (around 20 degrees Celsius) through the weekend and into next week.
But the cold spell wasn’t over yet and low temperatures were expected to range from the mid-30s to lower 40s (1-5 degrees Celsius), the National Weather Service Phoenix noted.
While snow in Arizona may be surprising (and is unusual in the southern part of the state), it’s actually somewhat common in Flagstaff. In fact, the town has an average annual snowfall of more than 100 inches, according to the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. It’s even possible to ski there at the Arizona Snowbowl, which sits at a base elevation of 9,200 feet and features 777 skiable acres, according to the mountain.
This year, the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport has reported 47 consecutive days where the snow depth was 10 inches or more, according to the National Weather Service Flagstaff.
The Arizona snowfall comes just days after California’s Yosemite National Park was forced to close following a dumping that resulted in up to 15 feet of snow in parts.
This story first appeared on www.travelandleisure.com
Main and Feature Image Credit: @ScottsdaleFire/Twitter
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Alison Fox
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