A strong storm system moved across northern Arizona on January 27 and 28th. The storm brought periods of moderate to heavy rain and higher elevation snow along with gusty winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS FGZ wrote it up.
A strong storm system moved across northern Arizona on January 27 and 28th. The storm brought periods of moderate to heavy rain and higher elevation snow along with gusty winds. Snow levels started out between 7000 and 8000 feet then dropped to around 5000 feet.
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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 3:45 AM MST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 551 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 AZZ004>018-037>040-280700- KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY- COCONINO PLATEAU-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD-CHINLE VALLEY- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN GILA COUNTY-YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS- OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS-BLACK MESA AREA- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- 551 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTHEAST ARIZONA AND WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO ARIZONA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL TAP INTO A WARM SUBTROPICAL AIRMASS WHICH WILL LEAD TO SNOW LEVELS AROUND 7500 TO 8000 FEET INITIALLY WITH THIS STORM TODAY...ALTHOUGH SNOW LEVELS COULD BRIEFLY LOWER TO AROUND 7000 FEET THIS MORNING. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE KAIBAB PLATEAU THROUGH MONDAY. WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY WITH THE HIGHEST PRECIPITATION TOTALS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM INCLUDING NORTHERN GILA AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ALONG SOUTHWEST FACING TERRAIN. PEOPLE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE URGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS SITUATION. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT WHICH WILL BRING STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO THE REGION AND ALSO CAUSE SNOW LEVELS TO LOWER TO 5500 TO 6500 FEET OVER COCONINO AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES...AND 7500 FEET FOR THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOGOLLON RIM AND WHITE MOUNTAINS WHERE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. A PERIOD OF SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH THE FRONT...WITH SEVERAL INCHES POSSIBLE FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM NORTHWARD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. JJ
The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:57 UTC.
2 heavy rain, 1 winter weather, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain caused rock slides on Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon closing the road from Flagstaff to Sedona.
Heavy rain (nearly 4 inches) on Jan 27 and 28th forced the evacuation of at least 60 people from the east side of Tonto Creek near Jakes Corner. Other residents were stranded on the east side of Tonto Creek until the water subsided. The rising water washed out three power poles and about 2,300 customers without power.
Snow and strong winds created traffic problems and road closures across the Western Mogollon Rim. Wind gusts to 37 MPH blew the 3 to 6 inches of fresh snow into drifts. Law Enforcement agencies in the area reported 33 traffic accidents and 50 slide-offs/motorist assists. Several area roads were closed due to blowing and drifting snow.
Heavy rain caused Silver Creek to flood. A woman driving on a street had to be rescued when her car got stuck in the rising flood water.
Show Low Creek ran up to the bottom of a bridge became a lake. Show Low Public Works closely surveyed the situation but, did not have to close the bridge. Show Low Lake filled and was running uncontrolled over the spillway 30 inches deep.
Water flowing over the earthen spillway of Bootleg Lake into Corduroy Creek prompted the evacuation of several homes downstream in the town of Carrizo.
The Three Pipes land bridge in the town of White River was breached and a foot bridge was washed away. Some families in the area were evacuated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, January 2008
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 86462, 86464, 111373, 86461.