Heavy Snow in Arizona, December 24 to 25, 2016

Name: Heavy Snow in Arizona, December 24 to 25, 2016
Start: 2016-12-24T10:20
End: 2016-12-25T23:00
Location: Arizona

December 24 to 25, 2016 · NWS FGZ · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong area of low pressure and cold front moved across Arizona over the Christmas Holiday weekend. The storm brought heavy rain and heavy snow to much of northern Arizona creating difficult travel conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 7

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 FGZ wrote it up.

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 3:31 PM MST, 18 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 3:31 PM MST, 18 hours 49 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 2:12 PM MST, 20 hours 8 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Mogollon Rim

When: December 24, 10:20 AM MST to December 25, 6:20 PM MST
Where: Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started falling by 1030 AM Christmas Eve and increased through the afternoon and evening. Light snow continued through much of Christmas Day. Some of the snowfall amounts across the Western Mogollon Rim include (in inches): Munds Park 18.5, Flagstaff 14-16.0, Mountainaire 14.8, Williams 12-13.5, Kachina Village 12.2, Parks 12.0, Bellemont (NWS Flagstaff) 11.6, and Doney Park 8.0.

Heavy Snow, Northern Gila County

When: December 24, 4:00 PM MST to December 25, 11:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Gila County forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell across northern Gila County Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Some snow amounts include (from around 5000 feet to 6600 feet elevation) in inches: Washington Park area 8.0, Kohls Ranch 6.0, Payson 5.4, and Star Valley 4.9.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Mogollon Rim

When: December 24, 5:00 PM MST to December 25, 7:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.620, -111.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around eight inches of snow fell across the Eastern Mogollon Rim.

Heavy Snow, Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons

When: December 24, 5:00 PM MST to December 25, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.220, -112.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow fell across the area Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Sedona is between 4400 and 4800 feet. Sedona received between 2 and 4.5 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, White Mountains

When: December 24, 6:00 PM MST to December 25, 8:00 PM MST
Where: White Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.398, -109.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Five to eight inches of snow fell across the White Mountains Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Heavy Snow, Yavapai County Mountains

When: December 24, 6:30 PM MST to December 25, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Yavapai County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.600, -112.554 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell across the mountains of Yavapai County. Iron Springs at around 6200 feet elevation received 15 inches of snow. The Prescott area received 5 to 8 inches of snow from about 5000 feet up to around 5600 feet. Jerome received 8 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Yavapai County Valleys and Basins

When: December 24, 7:00 PM MST to December 25, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Yavapai County Valleys and Basins forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.600, -112.554 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow (for this elevation) fell across the Valleys and Basins of Yavapai County. Some snowfall reports include (in inches): Jerome 8, Wilhoit 7.1, Bagdad (area) 5 to 8, and Dewey 3.0.

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

Every storm in Arizona in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, December 2016

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 673899, 673984, 673915, 673955, 673917, 673951, 673953.