Arizona gets rain and snow. Phoenix should prepare for a cold week ahead
Metro Phoenix residents may need to pack an extra sweater as they return back to work after the holiday break.
The National Weather Service is forecasting high temperatures only in the upper 50s with evening temperatures in the mid to low 30s through Tuesday evening.
Weather Service meteorologist Mark O’Malley suggests people take specific precautions to protect vegetation and their homes.
“For any outdoor piping, you want to drain the water out, and protect those. Your plants, you need to cover any non-native vegetation, but some of the areas that get very cold, even that won’t be sufficient because this is a very cold air mass," he said.
O’Malley says the temperatures are below average for this time of year.
Seeing numerous reports of small hail/graupel around the Valley this afternoon. Use caution while driving as roadways may become slick. #azwx https://t.co/J1yOTJm1qt
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) January 7, 2024
On Sunday, much of the Valley got rain, and there were reports of hail/graupel in north Phoenix. According to the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, "graupel are soft, small pellets formed when supercooled water droplets (at a temperature below 32°F) freeze onto a snow crystal." Hail, which can grow to a much larger size as is harder, forms when water freezes onto a hailstone's surface.
Arizona transportation officials said Sunday several highways in the state's northern reaches — including Interstate 40 near Williams and State Route 64 near Grand Canyon National Park — were closed Sunday afternoon due to weather-related crashes and slide-offs from snowfall.
The National Weather Service said Flagstaff was expected to get 4 to 8 inches of snow by Sunday night, with Window Rock forecast to receive 3 to 5 inches.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Metro Phoenix forecast
Sunday: Clear, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday: Widespread frost between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 52. West wind around 5 mph. At night, widespread frost, mainly after 4 a.m. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 32. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Widespread frost before 10 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 55. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 34. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Widespread frost, mainly before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 58. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 37. South wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast in the evening.
Thursday: A 20% chance of showers before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 36. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast in the evening.
Source: National Weather Service
