Arizona, 2022Cold in Arizona, February 2 to 3, 2022
February 2 to 3, 2022 · NWS TWC · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
Several inches of snow fell across the Pinaleno and Chiricahua mountains during the afternoon and evening hours of February 2. The snow was accompanied by wind chill temperatures around 10 degrees.
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.
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- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Several inches of snow fell across the Pinaleno and Chiricahua mountains during the afternoon and evening hours of February 2. The snow was accompanied by wind chill temperatures around 10 degrees. After the snow ended, air temperatures dropped into the single digits with wind chills near 5 below zero by sunrise on February 3. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that hypothermia was the primary cause of death for two individuals in the mountains.
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 Tucson, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 2, 3:03 AM MST, 8 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 3:03 AM MST, 8 hours 57 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tucson AZ
303 AM MST Wed Feb 2 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
A storm system will bring gusty winds and mainly light
valley rain and mountain snow chances later today, primarily east
of Tucson. Much cooler temperatures are forecast for the second
half of the week. Expect cold mornings into the weekend,
especially Thursday morning with another round of gusty winds
possible Friday afternoon.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
A deep trough through the intermountain west will bring us gusty
winds and a few light showers today. Relatively limited moisture
with upslope influence unlikely to do much more than virga and
sprinkles in the warm sector ahead of the cold front. FROPA
through SE AZ later today, with best chance of precip just ahead
of and with the front, and mainly east of Tucson later this
afternoon.
A very dry and cold airmass behind the front, with surface
dewpoints crashing by late afternoon or early evening hours. This
will combine with the clearing and lighter winds overnight to drop
early morning lows to around 15 degrees below average. Not quite
record levels, but worthy of a Hard Freeze Warning as far west as
Metro Tucson tomorrow morning. Areas west of Tucson not quite as
cold, but still near and below freezing. Elsewhere, the colder
valleys south and east of Tucson will drop into the teens in some
locations.
After a chilly end to the week, temperatures will bounce back to
climo next weekend with a broad ridge trying to spread in from the
eastern Pacific. Still looking at 5 day height anomalies that
suggest the pattern may not make a full transition back to a less
consolidated flow, so warmer and dry is a safer bet early next
week before phasing back into a new mean trough position by the
middle of the month.
&&
.AVIATION...Valid through 03/12Z.
Clouds SCT-BKN 10-15k ft MSL BKN-OVC 180-200. ISOLD -SHRA with
SCT mountain -SHSN after 02/15Z. SW winds 8-10 kts increasing to
SW-W 11-20 kts with gusts to 30 kt after 02/17Z, diminishing
overnight. Aviation discussion not updated for TAF amendments.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...West to southwesterly winds become breezy today
as a weather system brings a chance for valley rain and mountain
snow, favoring areas east of Tucson. Rain and snow accumulations
are expected to be on the light side. Cold and dry weather settles
in behind this system on Thursday, with another bout of strong
winds on Friday, this time from an easterly direction.
&&
.TWC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Hard Freeze Warning from 11 PM this evening to 9 AM MST Thursday
for AZZ504.
Freeze Warning from 11 PM this evening to 9 AM MST Thursday for
AZZ501-502-505.
&&
Meyer
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Cold/Wind Chill, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains
- When
- February 2, 12:00 PM MST to February 3, 9:00 AM MST
- Where
- Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 32.572, -110.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A man hiking in the Pinaleno Mountains became lost on February 1. Several inches of snow fell on February 2 and coincided with wind chills around 10 degrees. Air temperatures dropped into the single digits overnight. Search teams were able to follow tracks in the snow but found the man deceased. The Pima County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was hypothermia.
Cold/Wind Chill, Chiricahua Mountains
- When
- February 2, 12:00 PM MST to February 3, 9:00 AM MST
- Where
- Chiricahua Mountains forecast zone
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 31.880, -109.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A migrant became lost while traversing the Chiricahua Mountains February 2. Several inches of snow fell late in the day and coincided with wind chills around 10 degrees. Wind chill temperatures dropped to as low as 5 below zero overnight. The Pima County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death for this female was hypothermia.
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Storm in Texas, February 2 to 3, 20223 deaths · $70,000 · 22 events
- Winter Storm and Sleet in Texas, February 2 to 3, 20221 death · 6 injured · 22 events
- Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Texas, February 2 to 4, 20221 death · 16 events
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Kentucky, February 2 to 3, 2022$275,000 · 22 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Arkansas, February 2 to 4, 202240 events
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 2 to 4, 202239 events
- Heavy Rain in American Samoa, February 2 to 3, 2022$50,000 · 1 event
- Strong Wind in Arizona, February 2, 2022$50,000 · 1 event
- Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Ohio, February 2 to 4, 202232 events
- Winter Storm in Ohio, February 2 to 4, 202229 events
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 2 to 3, 2022$25,000 · 6 events
- Winter Storm in Oklahoma, February 2 to 4, 202225 events
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: 1010838, 1010841.