A powerful storm system hit northern Arizona with strong winds on Christmas Day.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 powerful storm system hit northern Arizona with strong winds on Christmas 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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 8:38 PM MST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 838 PM MST THU DEC 24 2015 .SYNOPSIS...BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT...A VERY COLD WINTER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO CROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA BRINGING A GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN AND SNOW INTO SATURDAY. SATURDAY PROMISES TO BE EXTREMELY COLD AND WINDY WITH SNOW REMAINING A POSSIBILITY FROM FLAGSTAFF EASTWARD. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY IMPROVE ON SUNDAY FROM WEST TO EAST. && .UPDATE... A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE AHEAD OF AND WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE OVERNIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. HAVE ALSO ADJUSTED SKY... POPS... AND QPF TO BETTER ACCOUNT FOR THE CLEARING AHEAD OF THE FRONT CURRENTLY SEEN ON IR SATELLITE. && .PREV DISCUSSION /306 PM MST/...FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY...EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS PRIMARILY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SWEEP ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA FROM THE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. EXPECT RAPIDLY FALLING SNOW LEVELS BEHIND THE FRONT...FALLING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS OVER THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE TO JUST BELOW 4000 FT IN CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL BE DURING THE MORNING HOURS WITH AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO POSSIBLE OVER MOST AREAS ABOVE 6000 FEET AND LESS THAN 2 INCHES BELOW 6000 FEET. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE ALONG THE KAIBAB PLATEAU...WHERE 3 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL OCCUR ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT LEADING TO POOR VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...A CLOSED LOW IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP AND SHIFT INTO SOUTHEAST ARIZONA. MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LOW WILL BRING A CONTINUATION OF SNOW ESPECIALLY TO THE WHITE MTNS AND A CHANCE FARTHER WEST TO THE FLAGSTAFF AREA. SNOWFALL POTENTIAL IN THESE SITUATIONS IS FOCUSED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND PLACES LIKE GREER...VERNON...EAGAR- SPRINGERVILLE COULD SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW. THE OTHER STORY SATURDAY WILL BE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS. MORNING WIND CHILLS IN THE FLAGSTAFF AREA SHOULD BE NEAR -10F...AND AREAS ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN ARE LIKELY TO SEE WIND CHILLS REMAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ALL DAY. ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20+ DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON SATURDAY. SUNDAY AND MONDAY...EXPECT BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW LINGERING NEAR THE WHITE MOUNTAINS ON SUNDAY. MODEL DATA SUGGESTS THAT NORTHERN ARIZONA MAY BE AFFECTED BY ANOTHER WINTER WEATHER SYSTEM AROUND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 06Z PACKAGE...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD DECREASE DRAMATICALLY OVERNIGHT WITH STRONG GUSTY AND SHIFTING WINDS AT MOST LOCATIONS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. CEILINGS SHOULD DROP TO MVFR AND IFR WITH SOME BRIEF INTRUSIONS INTO LIFR WITH THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. FLIGHT CATEGORIES SHOULD GENERALLY IMPROVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY..WITH SOME LINGERING SHOWERS POSSIBLE. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS AT MOST LOCATIONS. SUK && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ005>008-011>017-039- 040. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR AZZ004. && PUBLIC...SUK AVIATION...SUK FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 606 PM MST THU DEC 24 2015 AZZ004>018-037>040-250215- 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- 606 PM MST THU DEC 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO... NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND WINDS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE KAIBAB PLATEAU WHERE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA'S HIGHER TERRAIN SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AREAS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW ARE LIKELY FRIDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHLAND. SNOW LEVELS SHOULD FALL TO 2000 FEET OR EVEN LOWER. SATURDAY WILL SEE SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING ACROSS NAVAJO AND APACHE COUNTIES...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS ELSEWHERE. EXPECT VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS AROUND 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. NORTHERLY WIND SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL BRING BRISK WIND CHILLS. GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM...WITH WINDS CHILLS BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE RIM COUNTRY. ON SUNDAY...A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. DRY BUT COLD CONDITIONS EXPECTED MONDAY...THEN ANOTHER COLD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS TUESDAY. PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Flagstaff Airport ASOS reported wind gusts of 60 MPH between 202 AM and 206 AM MST.
The Show Low Airport ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 61 MPH at 1135 AM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, December 2015
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: 605783, 605785.