A fairly slow moving storm system moved across the region on Presidents day weekend resulting in significant snow in the mountains above 7500 feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 TWC wrote it up.
A fairly slow moving storm system moved across the region on Presidents day weekend resulting in significant snow in the mountains above 7500 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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 18, 2:21 PM MST, 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Tucson AZ 221 PM MST Sat Feb 18 2017 .SYNOPSIS...A slow moving storm will continue to spread valley showers and mountain snow across southern Arizona through Sunday evening with blustery conditions into this evening. Dry and quickly warming weather will return Monday through Wednesday before a system passing to the north cools temperatures again late in the week. && .DISCUSSION...The bulk of the precipitation thus far has occurred well west of our area with over 2/3rds of an inch in Yuma through noon. Elsewhere, scattered light showers with snow observed at the highest peaks including Mt Lemmon where some light snow appeared on web cams last hour. The area of precipitation over Pima, Santa Cruz and western Cochise counties is expected to fill in over the next few hours where low level convergence and upper level divergence have come together as the system approaches. This trend should continue into the evening hours. In the meantime it has been rather breezy today with plenty of gusts well into the 30s and a few 40+ mph. That will also continue for a few more hours before easing back. By Sunday morning model consensus has the upper low near Casa Grande and slowly shifting to the east as it opens up. This will leave our area in a slightly unstable regime with breaks of sunshine and scattered showers, more numerous over the mountains and with lower snow levels should see snow showers down to around 6,000 ft with accumulations mostly limited to above 7,000 ft. Current forecast of 10-16 inches for storm totals today though Sunday evening above 7,500 ft may be a touch on the high side but in the ballpark so won't tweak significantly at this time. If current timing holds the trough axis will be moving east of the New Mexico border Sunday afternoon so would expect a general decrease in the showers in the afternoon from west to east with a rapid decrease after sunset with the loss of heating and a short wave ridge quickly building in from the west. With some clouds, scattered showers and cool air mass in place high temperatures should peak a few degrees cooler than average for February 19th. As mentioned, drying will kick in Sunday night with dry weather expected through the coming week with the possible exception of a stray shower northern areas as a system passes by to the north Wednesday night. It will warm quickly Monday through Wednesday with high temps around or a bit above 80 from Tucson westward Tuesday and Wednesday. Temps will be forced back down to more normal levels Thursday and Friday thanks to the previously mentioned system passing by Wednesday night. There is some suggestion of another system passing by or through the area late next weekend. Time will tell how that plays out. && .AVIATION...Valid through 20/00Z. SCT-NUMEROUS valley SHRA and higher terrain SHSN into Sunday. ISOLD TSRA are possible for the remainder of this afternoon and early evening, mainly from KTUS south and west. MVFR and occasional IFR conditions possible in and near heavier pcpn. Cloud decks mainly between 4-8k ft AGL. Gusty SLY/SELY SFC wind 15-25 kts with gusts of 35-40 kts possibly into early this evening. Speeds will lessen to less than 15 kts late this evening into Sunday morning. SFC wind Sunday generally SWLY at 8-12 kts with pcpn decreasing from west to east throughout the day. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Widespread valley rain and mountain snow will continue into Sunday in association with a strong Pacific storm system. Gusty south to southeast 20-foot winds will continue into this evening, with speeds diminishing tonight. Expect some southwest breeziness on Sunday as precip ends from west to east. Dry conditions, a warming trend and normal diurnal wind patterns will then occur Monday through the middle of next week. && .TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM MST Sunday for AZZ510-511-514. Wind Advisory until 4 PM MST this afternoon for AZZ502>504-507- 508-512>515. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Sunday for AZZ512. && PUBLIC...Cerniglia AVIATION....French FIRE WEATHER...French Visit us on Facebook...Twitter...YouTube...and at weather.gov/Tucson
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The higher elevations of Mt. Lemmon received about 12-18 of snow.
The higher elevations of Graham and Northern Greenlee County received in excess of 12 of snow based on area reports.
The higher elevations of the Pinaleno Mountains including Mt. Graham received in excess of 12 of snow.
The higher elevations of the Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains received in excess of 12 of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, February 2017
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: 670468, 670465, 670466, 670467.