Flagstaff, Arizona – Northern Arizona and New Mexico are entering a prolonged period of elevated winter weather concern as lingering cold across the Southwest keeps the potential for additional snowstorms in play through mid-February, following one of the most expansive winter systems of the season.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, temperatures across higher elevations of Arizona and New Mexico are expected to remain below normal through the Feb. 7–20 period. With cold air firmly entrenched and a steady stream of Pacific systems crossing the Southwest, forecasters indicate there is roughly a 50–50 chance that one or more storms could bring accumulating snow to the region during this window.
The renewed concern follows Winter Storm Fern, a massive system that swept from Texas to Maine and reinforced a cold-dominated pattern across much of the country. While Fern’s heaviest snow focused farther east, the storm helped lock in conditions favorable for additional systems to produce snow across the Mogollon Rim, the Kaibab Plateau, the San Francisco Peaks, and the high terrain of northern and central New Mexico.
If additional storms develop, communities from Flagstaff, Williams, and Show Low to Gallup, Farmington, Santa Fe, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains could see rapidly deteriorating travel conditions. Snow-covered roadways and reduced visibility are most likely along Interstates 40 and 25, as well as U.S. 180 and U.S. 64 through higher terrain.
Arizona Department of Transportation and New Mexico DOT officials are urging residents and travelers to prepare now by reviewing winter travel plans, carrying cold-weather supplies, and monitoring updates closely. While no single storm is guaranteed, forecasters stress that the overall pattern supports continued winter threats. Additional advisories and warnings may be issued as confidence increases, with cold air and the potential for impactful mountain snow remaining a concern across northern Arizona and New Mexico through mid-February.
