Weather
Arizona Weather: 42 Inches of Snow Once Buried Flagstaff Area
Flagstaff, AZ – Arizona may be famous for its desert heat, but historical snowfall records reveal a dramatically different side of the state. Some communities have experienced more than 3 feet of snow
By Cameron Hayes · 2026-10-21T13:17:23.734Z
Flagstaff, AZ – Arizona may be famous for its desert heat, but historical snowfall records reveal a dramatically different side of the state. Some communities have experienced more than 3 feet of snow in a single day, including one extraordinary measurement near Flagstaff that reached 42 inches.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information, a weather station 1.4 miles west of Flagstaff in Coconino County recorded 42 inches of snowfall on Jan. 21, 2010, the highest measurement in the supplied Arizona county level one day snowfall records.
Arizona's Top 10 Historical One Day Snowfall Records The following are the 10 highest county level measurements shown in NOAA's database, ranked by accumulation.
42.0 inches — Coconino County: Flagstaff 1.4 W, Jan. 21, 2010. 40.0 inches — Apache County: Sunrise Mountain, Nov. 30, 1975. 38.0 inches — Greenlee County: Alpine 18 SW, Feb. 25, 1987. 38.0 inches — Navajo County: Heber Black Mesa RS, Dec. 14, 1967. 36.0 inches — Yavapai County: Prescott 2.6 E, Jan. 26, 2021. 32.0 inches — Gila County: Pleasant Valley, March 11, 2006. 30.0 inches — Cochise County: Paradise, Jan. 20, 1916. 30.0 inches — Pima County: Palisade RS, Dec. 17, 1965. 23.0 inches — Santa Cruz County: Canelo 1 NW, Jan. 20, 1916. 16.5 inches — Pinal County: Superior 2 ENE, Feb. 26, 1987. Some Arizona Snowfall Records Date Back Over 100 Years One of the most remarkable entries comes from January 1916, when Cochise County recorded 30 inches and Santa Cruz County recorded 23 inches on the same day.
More recently, Yavapai County registered 36 inches near Prescott on Jan. 26, 2021, demonstrating that extreme snowfall remains possible in Arizona.
Could Arizona Experience Another Historic Snowstorm? Flagstaff, the White Mountains and higher elevations across northern and eastern Arizona remain vulnerable to powerful winter storms.
Heavy snowfall can disrupt travel along Interstate 17, Interstate 40 and mountain highways, particularly when temperatures drop below freezing.
These historical records do not predict conditions for the 2026 27 winter season, but they highlight Arizona's potential for significant winter weather.
Residents and travelers should monitor National Weather Service forecasts for winter storm watches, warnings and road conditions.