More snow, icy roads expected in northeast Arizona

Northern Arizona communities saw roads covered with snow and ice on Tuesday and wind gusts as high as 35 mph, but the region is expected to see some possible warming by Friday.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced that U.S. 60 westbound in Springerville was reopened after a brief closure on Tuesday morning due to winter weather conditions.

It also warned drivers about snowcovered or slick road conditions for state routes 77, 260, 264 and 89A, as well as U.S. 191 and Interstate 17 near Flagstaff.

Snowfall remained in areas with elevation about 4,500 feet or higher on Tuesday with snowfall levels being lower than what was seen on Saturday and Sunday, according to meteorologist Andrew Taylor with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.

The band of snow that hit Flagstaff areas started moving south on Tuesday morning, approaching Sedona and

leaving behind showery conditions in Flagstaff for the rest of Tuesday, Taylor said.

By 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, 9.5 inches of snow had fallen in Tsaile, 5.5 inches in Fort Defiance, 3.5 inches in Grand Canyon Village, and 1 to 2.5 inches in Flagstaff, according to the weather service.

The greatest snow totals were expected in the eastern part of the state on the New Mexico state line, continuing into late Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, according to Taylor.

The winter storm was expected to exit Arizona on Tuesday night, possibly leaving more snow on and around the White Mountains.

Wednesday will bring a little sun with light snow and rain in the area, but temperatures were not expected to be much higher than the low to mid-30s. Any melted snow could refreeze quickly and, as Taylor reports, “there certainly could be some black ice.”

Winds coming from the northwest were expected to gust between 25 and 35 mph, adding decreased visibility to the already slick, snowy road conditions, Taylor warned.

The National Weather Service said morning lows in northern Arizona were expected to stay below 30 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday.

However, temperatures in northern Arizona were expected to warm up Thursday continuing into Friday, according to Taylor.

“Once we get into Friday, then northern Arizona is expected to warm up substantially where we even get a few degrees above normal, seeing some highs in the lower to mid-50s,” Taylor said.