FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — It’s like Arizona’s High Country was inside a snow globe and Mother Nature kept shaking it all day.
That’s what it was like in Flagstaff on Monday, where for most of the day, snow accumulations were two to three inches every hour.
The weekend two-storm-event dumped a couple of feet of snow, causing closures and heavy-packed roads.
The wintery conditions forced a Phoenix family to extend their weekend stay.
“We saw an F-150 flipped over into the ditch,” said Tim Auer, a Phoenix resident. “That’s when we were like, OK, maybe we shouldn’t keep on driving.”
Auer’s one-year-old son, Jack, doesn’t mind the extra days in Flagstaff though. After fearlessly testing out his skills on a snowboard for the first time, the messy road conditions mean more practice, as the family won’t return home until Wednesday.
Flagstaff’s Public Works Department is operating with all hands on deck, with crews working 12-hour shifts clearing the main roads, but neighborhood streets won’t be touched until late Tuesday.
“It will be very well into next weekend before we see any melting,” said Scott Overton, Public Works Director. “This snow is going to stick around, and roads are going to stay snow-packed and icy for a few days this week.”
The Flagstaff Unified School District canceled in-person and online-learning classes on Monday and Tuesday.
Coconino Community College COVID-19 testing site on Lone Tree operated for a couple of hours and saw more than 100 people.
Snow flurries expected to continue overnight into Tuesday.
The day was one for the books or the “gram” in this case, right here in the Valley for all of us who have been waiting for winter weather to get here.
That includes 7-year old Isabella who admits the last time she saw snow it was brought in on a dump truck. Of course, she's referring to a trip to a valley museum but like most kids couldn't believe her eyes after school on Monday.
"Technically, it’s all I think it’s our first time at least my first time to see snow that’s actually not brought in by something," she said.
The winter storm brought every type of precipitation to the valley. Hail in some parts, snow and rain in others.
Even sleet to certain areas but enough to create fun for the whole family, including your four-legged friends.
