Heavy Snow in Arizona, February 6 to 9, 2024

Name: Heavy Snow in Arizona, February 6 to 9, 2024
Start: 2024-02-06T06:30
End: 2024-02-09T18:30
Location: Arizona

February 6 to 9, 2024 · NWS FGZ · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A series of winter storms moved over northern Arizona with nearly continuous snow in some of the higher elevations for several days. The snow level started around 7000 feet then dropped to as low as 3,500 by late in the event.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
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Fire, smoke and dust
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS FGZ wrote it up.

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 Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 2:50 PM MST, 15 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 2:50 PM MST, 15 hours 40 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Mogollon Rim

When: February 6, 6:30 AM MST to February 8, 10:30 PM MST
Where: Western Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started falling across the Western Mogollon Rim around 630 AM on February 6. By 730 PM, Parks had received 8.5 inches of snow. The snow continued to fall into the evening of February 9th. Here are some of the three day snowfall totals in inches: Parks 36.0, Flagstaff 32 to 36.1, Williams 30.0, areas surrounding Flagstaff 11.6 to 28.9, and Munds Park 28.6. A location 3 miles south of Mormon Lake received 14 inches of snow by 900 AM on February 7. Schools were closed in the area. Many tree branches and trees fell in the Flagstaff under the weight of the snow. There were spotty power outages as well.

Heavy Snow, Kaibab Plateau

When: February 6, 7:00 AM MST to February 8, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Kaibab Plateau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started falling over the Kaibab Plateau during the morning of February 6. By 0800 on the 7th, eight inches had fallen at the North Rim. Over 21 inches (21.5) of new snow fell at the North Rim by 1100 AM on the 9th.

Heavy Snow, Grand Canyon Country

When: February 6, 8:00 AM MST to February 8, 8:30 PM MST
Where: Grand Canyon Country forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.839, -111.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started falling over the Grand Canyon Country during the morning of February 6. By 0800 on the 7th, eight inches had fallen at the North Rim. Over 21 inches (21.5) of new snow fell at the North Rim by 1100 AM on the 9th. The South Rim had 10.7 by the time the snow stopped.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Mogollon Rim

When: February 6, 8:00 AM MST to February 8, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Mogollon Rim forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.620, -111.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three feet of new snow fell in Forest Lakes in less than three days. Eleven inches of snow fell in Heber. Just over nine inches (9.2) fell 4 miles south-southwest of Shumway by 400 PM on February 7.

Heavy Snow, White Mountains

When: February 6, 8:30 AM MST to February 8, 7:00 PM MST
Where: White Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.398, -109.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started to fall around 800 AM on February 6 across the White Mountains. McNary picked up 8 inches of snow by 800 AM on the 7th and 14 inches by 800 PM. The Pinetop-Lakeside area received 10 to 15 inches of new snow by 800 PM on the 7th. Sunrise Ski Park received 29 inches of new snow over 3 days. Nutrioso had a three day total of 7.3 inches.

Heavy Snow, Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County

When: February 6, 6:00 PM MST to February 8, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Little Colorado River Valley in Coconino County forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.620, -111.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Twelve inches of snow fell 3 miles east of Gray Mountain by 830 AM on February 7.

Heavy Snow, Yavapai County Mountains

When: February 6, 6:30 PM MST to February 9, 6:30 PM MST
Where: Yavapai County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.600, -112.554 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell across the greater Prescott area over a three day period. Snow started falling during the evening of February 6. By 300 AM, some locations above 5000 feet received 8 inches of snow. Snow totals for the three day event ranged from 5 inches north of (lower than Prescott) to over 20 inches northwest of (higher than) Prescott. Groom Creek received 10.3 inches of new snow by 900 AM on the 7th. Crown King received 9 inches by 8 PM on the 7th.

Heavy Snow, Northern Gila County

When: February 6, 11:00 PM MST to February 9, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Northern Gila County forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow started falling in Washington Park (5,400 feet) at 1100 PM on February 6. Twenty-nine inches fell by the time the snow stopped late morning on February 9th. Strawberry received 24 inches and Pine received 14 inches of snow over 3 days. A location 4 miles south of Washington Park received 15.5 inches of snow in 2 days (by the afternoon of the 8th).

Heavy Snow, Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons

When: February 8, 12:00 PM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where: Oak Creek and Sycamore Canyons forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.220, -112.162 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several snow squalls produced 4.2 inches of snow at about 4,500 feet elevation in Sedona.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arizona in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Arizona, February 2024

Sources

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: 1153344, 1159192, 1154229, 1154249, 1154254, 1159550, 1159189, 1154252, 1160341.