Arizona, 2006

Heavy Snow in Arizona, March 11 to 12, 2006

March 11 to 12, 2006 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong and cold Pacific storm system moved down the west coast and into Southern Arizona, bringing the first significant winter storm to the Desert Southwest. As the system moved through Southeast Arizona it brought significant snowfall to the mountains as well as some much needed precipitation to the valley's.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TWC wrote it up.

A strong and cold Pacific storm system moved down the west coast and into Southern Arizona, bringing the first significant winter storm to the Desert Southwest. As the system moved through Southeast Arizona it brought significant snowfall to the mountains as well as some much needed precipitation to the valley's. Reports of a quarter inch to over an inch of rainfall were reported throughout Southeast Arizona, with the Tucson International Airport reporting 0.22 inch for storm total rainfall. Most other locations reported more than a quarter inch of rainfall with several stations reporting over an inch. Many locations reported snowfall, with only two stations reporting heavy snow criteria amounts. Hannagan Meadow Lodge (9100 feet) in Greenlee county reported a storm total snowfall amount of 24 inches while Mt. Lemmon Ski Lodge (8200 feet) in Eastern Pima County reported 18 inches of storm total snowfall. Several lower elevations also reported some snowfall with the Town of Vail (3500 feet) receiving 3 inches, the City of Oracle (4500 feet) receiving 3 inches and Kitt Peak Observatory (7000 feet) reporting 8 inches. Snow levels from the Tucson area and south dropped quite low, with the lowest accumulation appearing to be near 3500 feet.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 11, 2:55 AM MST, 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 11, 2:55 AM MST, 5 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 10, 4:11 PM MST, 10 hours 49 minutes before
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Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, E Pima

When
March 11, 3:00 AM MST to March 12, 4:00 AM MST
Where
E Pima forecast zone
Reported by
COOP STATION

Heavy Snow, Northern Greenlee

When
March 11, 4:00 AM MST to March 12, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Greenlee forecast zone
Reported by
COOP STATION

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 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, March 2006

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: 5494620, 5494619.