Flagstaff sets all-time daily snow record, Payson receives yearly snow amount in a day, Arizona
A powerful winter storm dumped record-breaking amounts of snow on Arizona this week, forcing the closure of roads, schools and government offices.
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport in Flagstaff, Arizona recorded 911.8 mm (35.9 inches) of snow on February 21, 2019, setting the new all-time 24-hour snow record for the city. The previous record was 787.4 mm (31 inches) set on December 30, 1915.
The storm dumped a total of 1 023.6 mm (40.3 inches) of snow, 40% of its annual snowfall.
The amount of snow Flagstaff received on Thursday also shattered February's all-time daily snowfall record of 609.6 mm (24 inches) set on February 2, 1901, and was just 76.2 mm (3 inches) short of setting a new one-day state of Arizona record. Record-keeping in Flagstaff goes back to 1893.
On the same day, Payson received 609 mm (24 inches) of snow, more than it usually receives in a year.
Wondering what this snow storm looked like but only have 20 seconds? Yup! We’ve been working on this for the last few days, and there are still some showers out there. Here is a time lapse of the 2/20-2/22 storm from our office in Bellemont. #azwx pic.twitter.com/f3lrqVp3Cd
— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) February 22, 2019
New single-day snowfall record has been set in Flagstaff, AZ. Officially, 35.9" of snow was measured at the Flagstaff Airport yesterday (Feb 21). #azwx pic.twitter.com/wc1Cvzw4JJ
— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) February 22, 2019
Payson received nearly two feet of snow today and it's not over yet! Here are some photos from the area. #azwx pic.twitter.com/ZDwJMg7v1c
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) February 22, 2019
"This was a very cold and highly unusual event for northern Arizona," said Brian Klimowski, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff. "We had record snowfall in several locations — certainly a historical event."
"The storm pretty much came as forecast, but was a little bit heavier in the Flagstaff area," he said.
The storm closed numerous roads, including nearly a 31 km (50 miles) stretch of Interstate 17.
There were a few record low temperatures this morning. Some other lows were Flagstaff 1 degree, Window Rock 5, and Grand Canyon Airport at a frigid -20 degrees. #azwx pic.twitter.com/4M4WvFh8Je
— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) February 23, 2019
Want another way to view the snowfall the last few days? With clearing skies we got a great look from our #GOES satellite. Yep, look at all that snow, with only a few clouds over the eastern Mogollon Rim and White Mountains, with the storm exiting New Mexico. #azwx pic.twitter.com/snny9HTrje
— NWS Flagstaff (@NWSFlagstaff) February 23, 2019
Featured image credit: Arizona DOT
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.