FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Snow and rain soaked parts of northern and central Arizona on Sunday, while a storm in California began to drift into the state's southern region.
Flagstaff and Coconino County residents awoke to streets blanketed in snow, which has since begun to melt. According to the National Weather Service, between 3 and 8 inches of snow fell overnight in Flagstaff in areas above 6,500 feet. Another 2 to 4 inches of snow was possible later in the day followed by rain.
Some snow in Flagstaff had melted already, giving way to slushy roads and somewhat flooded streets. Some were taking advantage of the snow day by cross-country skiing in downtown streets. Drivers opted to ride with chains on their tires.
The weather also created some inconveniences. Roughly 4,300 Arizona Public Service Co. customers in Coconino County were left without power. APS spokeswoman Anna Haberlein said the accumulation of snow caused utility lines to sag and jostle each other. As of 9:30 p.m., 300 customers remained without power.
The outage also forced skiers and snowboarders to abandon any plans to head to the Arizona Snowbowl. The ski resort decided to close for the day after losing power.
Meanwhile, heavy rain and snow continue to fall in Prescott and northeast Arizona, including the western Mogollon Rim. Heavy rain was also reported northwest of Kingman. The state Department of Transportation advised motorists to drive with caution.
A storm system in Southern California was expected to bring rain to southwestern Arizona and Phoenix by the late afternoon.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for midnight through 8 p.m. Monday for parts of east-central and south-central Arizona, including metropolitan Phoenix. According to the advisory, between 0.75 and 1.25 inches of rain is anticipated to start falling in northern Maricopa and southern Gila counties overnight but ease up by Monday evening.
The potential runoff could cause minor flooding in areas such as New River and Cave Creek.
Southern Arizona also will see widespread rain and snow on Monday. The snow is expected to stay relegated to the mountains above 8,000 feet.