A strong Pacific storm system brought heavy snow to much of northern Arizona March 8 and 9. The heaviest snow fell above 6000 where most of the precipitation through the event was snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 Pacific storm system brought heavy snow to much of northern Arizona March 8 and 9. The heaviest snow fell above 6000 where most of the precipitation through the event was snow. Between 4000 feet and 6000 feet, the precipitation started out as rain and then changed to snow as the main part of the storm moved over Arizona. Accumulating snow was reported as low as 3800 feet before the storm moved east. Snowfall amounts ranged from around an inch in Sedona, Show Low, and Ganado to around two feet in Forest Lakes, Sunrise Ski Park, and Arizona Snowbowl.
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 Mar 7, 9:15 PM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 915 PM MST THU MAR 7 2013 .SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SOUTHWEST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...PRODUCING MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES WITH WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. DRIER WEATHER AND A WARMING TREND WILL TAKE PLACE SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...FORECASTS REMAIN GENERALLY ON TRACK REGARDING THE UPCOMING WINTER STORM...SET TO BEGIN BY MORNING. WE HAVE MADE FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECASTS AND WARNING/ADVISORY PRODUCTS OVERALL. THE MAIN CHANGES WERE TO INCREASE PRECIP CHANCES AND RAIN/SNOW AMOUNTS FOR THE EARLY MORNING HOURS FRIDAY ACROSS NRN GILA AND THE EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM AS MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A DEEP MOISTURE PLUME OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN LOW AFFECTING THIS AREA. SATELLITE DERIVED PW INDICATES A PLUME APPROACHING THIS AREA...AND IR IMAGES ARE STARTING TO SHOW SOME LOWER CLOUD DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AZ AS WELL. FLAGSTAFF IS ON THE WESTERN FRINGE OF THIS PLUME IN MOST MODELS SO THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN MORNING SNOW INTENSITY THERE. OTHERWISE...WE ARE STILL EXPECTING THE GREATEST IMPACTS FROM THIS STORM TO ARRIVE DURING THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING TIME FRAME...WITH LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS FOR SATURDAY. FORECAST UPDATES WERE SENT A SHORT TIME AGO. .PREV DISCUSSION...(345 PM MST)...THE STORM SYSTEM IS STILL OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE CENTER OF THE LOW AROUND 127W/36N. SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA PICKED UP TODAY WITH GUSTS IN THE 20-30 MPH RANGE. MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE PUSHING INTO WESTERN ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN WESTERN ARIZONA AROUND MIDNIGHT AND SPREAD EASTWARD TO A PAYSON-PAGE LINE BY DAYLIGHT FRIDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL BEGIN AROUND 6000 FEET WITH THE ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION AND WILL LOWER THROUGH THE DAY AND EVENING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CURRENT TIMING HAS THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION ARRIVING SEVERAL HOURS EITHER SIDE OF 11 AM IN FAR WESTERN YAVAPAI AND COCONINO COUNTIES...SEVERAL HOURS EITHER SIDE OF 5 PM ALONG THE I-17 CORRIDOR TO PAGE...AND SEVERAL HOURS EITHER SIDE OF 11 PM MST IN APACHE COUNTY. THE SNOW LEVEL COULD DROP TO BETWEEN 3500 AND 4000 FEET BY SATURDAY MORNING. ISOLATED LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE STATE. COLD MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. A TRAILING DISTURBANCE SATURDAY AFTERNOON WILL CONTINUE THE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK. QUITE COLD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL WARM SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 06Z PACKAGE...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN AZ ON FRIDAY. TIL 10Z FRI...BKN-OVC CLOUDS BASES AOA 15 KFT MSL. AFT 10Z...SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH MVFR / LCL IFR CONDITIONS DEVELOP WEST OF A LINE FROM FREDONIA-PAYSON AND SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THE MORNING. AFT 17Z FRIDAY...PRECIP COVERAGE INCREASES AND INTENSIFIES FROM WEST TO EAST AS A SFC COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NORTHLAND. EXPECT WIDESPREAD IFR IN HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SNOW LEVELS FROM 3500 FEET IN WESTERN AZ TO 5000 FT ALONG THE NEW MEXICO LINE BY SUNSET. SFC WINDS FRIDAY...GENERALLY SW 10-25G30KT. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ004-006-007 FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ008-015-016-018-038 FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ017 ABOVE 6000 FEET. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ018-038 FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ037 FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ004-006-007 FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT MST SATURDAY NIGHT FOR AZZ011-039. && PUBLIC.........JJ/MAS AVIATION.......DL FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 430 AM MST THU MAR 7 2013 AZZ004>018-037>040-081200- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS-OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS- MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-KAIBAB PLATEAU-COCONINO PLATEAU- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- CHINLE VALLEY-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- BLACK MESA AREA-LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN GILA COUNTY- 430 AM MST THU MAR 7 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO WEATHER HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS ARIZONA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW TO THE REGION. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW FROM MID DAY FRIDAY TO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW SHOWERS ON SATURDAY WILL BRING ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WITH SNOW LEVELS FALLING TO AROUND 4000 FEET. WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FROM EARLY FRIDAY THROUGH LATE SATURDAY FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. SEE PRODUCT PHXWSWFGZ FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals (in inches) include: Forest Lakes 26 and Heber-Overgaard 6-9. Power outages were reported in Heber-Overgaard because of the heavy wet snow.
Snowfall totals (in inches) include: Arizona Snowbowl 21, Flagstaff 16, Flagstaff Airport 15.2, Williams 6, Kachina Village 12, Bellemont 12, and Munds Park 10.8. The Department of Public Safety reported at least 60 slide offs, 20 collisions, 14 motorist assists, and three injuries.
Pine and Payson both received 6 inches of snow. An area 15 miles northeast of Payson received 10 inches of snow.
Pinetop-Lakeside received 12 inches of snow. Sunrise Ski Park received 23 inches of snow.
Nine inches of snow fell around Jacob Lake.
Thirteen inches of snow fell at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Prescott Valley (4880 feet) received 2 inches of snow.
Six inches of snow fell in an area 3 miles north of Sedona at an elevation of 5000 feet. 5.2 inches of snow fell in Oak Creek Canyon at the Junipine Resort at an elevation of 5075 feet. It rained for several hours before the snow level lowered to below 5000 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, March 2013
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: 442950, 442962, 442960, 442965, 442953, 442956, 442966, 442961.