winter

Location:  Southeast of Whiteriver, AZ

Cause: Human caused-under investigation

Percent containment: 82%

Start date: Wednesday 4-11-2018

Size: 26,072 acres

Vegetation: Ponderosa pine and grass understory

Resources: 240 Personnel

With snow forecast Saturday in Arizona’s high country and possibly reaching lower elevations than usual, please don't underestimate the power of a winter storm or overestimate your ability to negotiate highways covered with snow and ice.

Arizona Department of Transportation snowplows will be out in force, but driving conditions are expected to be hazardous during the storm. A highway can close suddenly if enough snow falls in a brief period or if there are crashes, slide-offs or both.

As winter weather conditions approach and the chance for snow increases, the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest will be closing a number of forest roads beginning tomorrow for the safety of visitors and to protect forest roads. 

State routes 261 and 273 in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona will close for the winter on Tuesday, Jan. 2, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. They are among a handful of routes across the state that close for the winter and reopen in the spring.

State Route 67 between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is scheduled to close for the winter season on Tuesday, Dec. 5. 

ADOT doesn’t clear snow from SR 67 during the winter since North Rim visitor accommodations are closed. The highway reopens each spring, usually around mid-May. US 89A remains open during the winter.

ADOT reminds motorists heading into snow country to drive with caution and follow this advice:

Everyone knows spring follows winter, which means mud season follows snow season. Many roads in the Coconino National Forest are still closed until the snowbanks melt and the soil dries out.

This year the Coconino NF has numerous people ignoring closed gates and bypassing or destroying them to access the soft and muddy forest roads. The vandalism of the forest gates is three to four times more this year than in previous years, according to Forest Service law enforcement and local Arizona Game and Fish patrols.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Arizona Snowbowl has conducted two search and rescue missions on the San Francisco Peaks in the last couple of days.

When the snow flies in Northern Arizona, people from all over the state come and play in the Flagstaff area.

Three-day weekends, such as the one upcoming, are weekends when masses of people converge upon northern Arizona and Coconino National Forest to play in the snow. Drivers, visitors and residents will need to have extra patience and be courteous to each other.

Recent snows have brought many visitors to snow play areas along state Route 180, north of Flagstaff, which has caused dangerous conditions as people are parking illegally on the side of SR 180.

With light snow in the forecast heading into a long weekend, winter recreation areas along US 180 near Flagstaff are likely to attract heavy traffic that leads to delays.

Those planning to visit snow-play areas along US 180 over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend should leave prepared to spend extended time in winter weather – and to face traffic backlogs getting back to Flagstaff that increase as the day goes on.