Arizona, 1998

Heavy Snow in Arizona, March 26 to 29, 1998

March 26 to 29, 1998 · NWS FGZ · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

3 heavy snow, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Mogollon Rim

When
March 26, 2:00 AM MST to March 29, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Coordinates
35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong Pacific storm brought heavy snow to much of the high country of northern Arizona and heavy rain to the lower elevations. At the Flagstaff airport, record 24-hour snowfalls were recorded on the 27th (6.6 inches, breaking the record set in 1970) and on the 29th (12.8 inches breaking a record set in 1967). Also at the Flagstaff airport, on the 28th 1.13 inches of precipitation was recorded, breaking a precipitation record set in 1979. This was a warm storm, so much of the snow melted quickly. The highest snow accumulations measured were: Bellemont.............................. 9 inches Hart Prairie (7 N Flagstaff)....... 8 inches Sunrise Ski Area.................... 8 inches Pinetop................................. 7 inches Happy Jack............................ 7 inches Flagstaff................................ 7-8 inches

Heavy Snow, Eastern Mogollon Rim

When
March 26, 2:00 AM MST to March 27, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Coordinates
35.620, -111.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong Pacific storm brought heavy snow to much of the high country of northern Arizona and heavy rain to the lower elevations. Snow totals included: Bellemont.............................. 9 inches Hart Prairie (7 N Flagstaff)....... 8 inches Sunrise Ski Area.................... 8 inches Pinetop................................. 7 inches Happy Jack............................ 7 inches Flagstaff................................ 7-8 inches

Heavy Snow, White Mountains

When
March 26, 2:00 AM MST to March 27, 9:00 AM MST
Where
White Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
35.398, -109.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong Pacific storm brought heavy snow to much of the high country of northern Arizona and heavy rain to the lower elevations. Snow totals included: Bellemont.............................. 9 inches Hart Prairie (7 N Flagstaff)....... 8 inches Sunrise Ski Area.................... 8 inches Pinetop................................. 7 inches Happy Jack............................ 7 inches Flagstaff................................ 7-8 inches

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, March 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5640660, 5640742, 5640743.