A cold front brought snow and lower elevation rain across northern Arizona December 11-13. Very cold and dry air was left over the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 cold front brought snow and lower elevation rain across northern Arizona December 11-13. Very cold and dry air was left over the area.
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 13, 1:36 PM MST, 6 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Flagstaff AZ 136 PM MST Tue Dec 13 2022 .SYNOPSIS...Scattered snow showers will continue today before diminishing this evening. These snow showers may result in quick snow accumulations and hazardous driving conditions on a highly localized scale. Otherwise, the main theme will be unseasonably cold conditions, with widespread single digit temperatures for morning lows on Wednesday. Cool but dry weather will continue through the week. && .DISCUSSION...A shortwave feature embedded within a longwave trough is currently moving through northern Arizona this afternoon. This has brought a redevelopment of scattered snow showers to much of the high country, especially from I-40 southward. Mostly light snow has been observed with a few areas of moderate snowfall. The cold pool aloft associated with the shortwave moving overhead this afternoon, combined with sufficient instability and low level moisture is expected to bring additional showers through the afternoon hours. A few snow squalls, or locally heavy snow bands with quick accumulations, are possible and would cause very hazardous driving conditions. The threat for showers will decrease from west to east this evening, coming to an end overnight. Clearing skies tonight will facilitate efficient radiational cooling and cold overnight low temperatures. Single digits to teens are forecast for most of northern Arizona. Northern Arizona will remain under the influence of the long wave trough the end of the work week keeping a dry but cool pattern in place. Another, weaker shortwave, is forecast to track through the Four Corners area on Friday. This is a dry trajectory and current forecast guidance supports keeping things dry but cool. There are no big pattern changes anticipated in the extended forecast. Generally dry and near to cooler than average temperatures will continue into next week. This morning's operational model runs suggest a weak shortwave passage in the Sunday timeframe. This will likely bring additional cloud cover with little in the way of precipitation, but something to keep an eye on. && .AVIATION...For the 00Z TAF package...Scattered snow showers will cause periods of IFR/LIFR conditions through this evening. Convective snow squalls may rapidly reduce visibility and lower cloud ceilings. Expect highest snow shower coverage along and south of a KGCN-KSOW line. Westerly winds Tuesday between 10-15 kts will weaken overnight. Precipitation will quickly diminish by 04Z Wed. Otherwise, expect VFR conditions. Fair skies and light northwesterly breezes dominate Wednesday. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments. && .FIRE WEATHER...Temperatures stay broadly 5-10 degrees below average. Expect fair skies Wednesday and Thursday with mostly light northwesterly winds. Friday through Sunday...Dry weather is forecast with temperatures warming closer to average. Light winds transition from northerly on Friday to southwesterly by Sunday. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC...MCT AVIATION...BAJ FIRE WEATHER...BAJ For Northern Arizona weather information visit weather.gov/flagstaff
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ
234 PM MST TUE DEC 13 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 PM SNOW 1 N VILLAGE AT OAK CREE 34.80N 111.77W
12/12/2022 E3.0 INCH YAVAPAI AZ NWS EMPLOYEE
STILL SNOWING AT TIME OF OBSERVATION.
&&
JJMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Cold temperatures were felt across The Western Mogollon Rim including: Mormon Lake -14 F, Happy Jack -9 F, 2.5 N Doney Park -6 F, Baderville -4 F, and Williams -2 F.
The Grand Canyon Airport had a morning low of -8 F and Tusayan had a low of -2 F.
Nutrioso had a low of -3 F and Greer had a low of -1 F.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, December 2022
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: 1065613, 1065614, 1065615.