As of early Friday morning, the Arizona Department of Transportation said portions of Interstate 40 and Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff had been closed in both directions in northern Arizona because of the heavy snowfall at the higher elevations.
I-40 was closed from US 93 to Winslow both east and westbound. No word on when it will reopen to public traffic. I-17 was closed 40 miles south of Flagstaff to the city limits early Friday.
You can find up to the moment highway travel conditions at ADOT’s website at AZ511.gov.
A number of other northern Arizona roads are now closed due to winter weather, according to ADOT.
These are the closed roads:
SR 89-A from mileposts 386-397 (just past Sedona to Flagstaff)
SR 87 NB from Payson to Winslow (both directions)
SR 260 EB from Camp Verde to SR 87 (both directions)
Travelers are encouraged to wait out the winter storm, which is expected to leave northern Arizona late night Friday into midday Saturday.
As a result of the winter storm impacting Northern Arizona, Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments will be closed Friday.
UPDATED WEATHER FORECAST FOR FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND:
Friday will be another stormy day across northern Arizona with scattered downpours of rain and snow showers expected to continue through the afternoon hours. There are continuing concerns about the potential for flooding at existing waterways at the lower elevations.
Heavy snow accumulations are also a concern for the higher elevations. We’ve been talking about a few inches of fresh snow to a foot or two before this system moves out of the state. The snow came a little later than predicted but its here now and travel conditions could be hazardous or impossible in areas where the snow plows are doing their best to keep the roads and highways cleared but there may be icy spots and blowing snow that could make for dangerous conditions while driving today.
The storm will move out of our area Friday night through mid-morning Saturday.
Saturday afternoon will bring sunshine and drier conditions. Look for today’s highs in the upper 20’s to the lower 40’s. Saturday and Sunday highs will be in the 30’s to the 50’s.
Overnight lows the next few nights will dip to the teens and 20s to the 30’s in our listening areas.
Another storm is expected to bring additional rain and snow showers Tuesday night and Wednesday…possibly on Thursday across northern Arizona.