A long wave trough moved across Arizona on on New Year's Day with bringing widespread precipitation. Snow levels were initially relatively high for this time of the year.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 long wave trough moved across Arizona on on New Year's Day with bringing widespread precipitation. Snow levels were initially relatively high for this time of the year. The snow levels dropped rapidly as a cold front associated with the trough moved across the area. The heavy rain and rain on snow caused flooding in the lower elevations.
The Flagstaff radar (KFSX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:00 UTC.
6 heavy snow, 1 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall reports across Yavapai county include (in inches): Walker 8.5, 1 ESE Prescott Courthouse 6.0, and 3 S Prescott Valley 4.0.
Twenty inches of new snow fell in Forest Lakes.
Oak Creek began to rise at the river gauge in Sedona 1100 AM on January 1 (550 CFS), crested at over 4,500 CFC at around 500 PM (a 4 foot rise), and then returned to near normal by 1100 AM on January 2. The Oak Creek gauge near Cornville began to rise at 400 PM on January 1 (440 CFS), crested at over 4,000 CFC in the action stage at around 900 PM (a 4.9 foot rise), and then returned to near normal after 500 PM on January 2. A video on social media showed flooding of low water crossings on Oak Creek near Rainbow Mobile Home Park and The Rainbow Trout Farm.
Eight inches of snow fell in Kachina Village between 300 PM and 1000 PM. Other snow totals across the Western Mogollon Rim include (in inches): Kachina Village 12.5, Flagstaff Airport 12.1, Munds Park 12.0, Williams 11.0, Bellemont (NWS Flagstaff) |10.8, 5 WSW Parks 9.5, and 5 E Mountainaire 9.0.
Ten inches of new snow fell at the South Rim of The Grand Canyon.
Ten inches of snow fell near McNary by 800 PM. Eight inches of snow fell in Show Low by 800 on January 2. Pinetop-Lakeside received 16 inches of snow.
A video on social media showed flash flooding on Wet Beaver Creek between Rim Rock and Lake Montezuma.
Just over 4 inches (4.3) of snow fell near the Payson Airport at an elevation of 5,100 feet. A spotter 4 miles southeast of Washington Park reported 8 inches of snow by 730 AM on January 2.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, January 2023
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1074324, 1074322, 1069657, 1069659, 1074323, 1069658, 1069656, 1069660.