A slow moving winter storm delivered heavy snow to the mountains of southeast Arizona January 15 through 17. Snow amounts in the high terrain above 7000 ft totaled 1 to 2 feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 slow moving winter storm delivered heavy snow to the mountains of southeast Arizona January 15 through 17. Snow amounts in the high terrain above 7000 ft totaled 1 to 2 feet. Rain amounts totaled 1 to 3 inches below 5000 feet with some locations in eastern Pima County receiving more than 4 inches of rain. The resultant runoff filled larger stream channels leading to rescues of several individuals caught in the flowing water.
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 Jan 14, 2:51 PM MST, 14 hours 9 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 heavy snow, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
About 19 inches of snow occurred in the Summerhaven region of Mt. Lemmon.
Mount Graham observatory reported 12 to 24 inches of snow on the summit of Mount Graham.
The SNOTEL near Hanngan Meadow recorded about 18 of snow.
Satellite estimates (in line with other mountain ranges) indicated that greater than 12 of snow occurred at the higher peaks of the Huachuca Mountains.
Satellite estimates (in line with other mountain ranges) indicated that greater than 12 of snow occurred at the higher peaks of the Chiricahua Mountains.
A prolonged rain event on Jan 15 and 16 produced 1 to 3 inches of rain across the Tucson Metro area and adjacent foothills. Rising waters caused the closure of numerous roads at low water crossings. Water rescues from flowing channels occurred including one in Arroyo Chico near Kino Parkway and another in the Santa Cruz River near Prince Rd. About 300 campers were stranded in Catalina St. Park when their egress from the park was cut off by flood waters.
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1068576, 1068577, 1068578, 1068580, 1068579, 1077848.