Flagstaff, Arizona (azfamily) – Monday snow in northern Arizona was a very welcome sight as popular spots like Flagstaff are on track.
The continuous dryness over the past few months has made firefighters worried about what this means for this year’s fire season.
The numbers looking for this story do not include snowfall on Monday. Since October 1st, Flagstaff has picked up about 11 inches of snow, but it’s usually 70 inches. Put the town in a 59-inch deficit.
“Until today (Monday), this year is ranked fourth on record as a snowy winter winter,” said Robert Ricky, National Weather Science and Operations Officer.
What is known as one of America’s snowiest cities hasn’t reached its name this year.
“We usually make winter recommendations and warnings during the winter,” Ricky said. “We’re working with Adot to make sure people are safe on the roads. We’re talking to schools. When it snows, a lot of schools are closed. I think this just happened this winter.”
Ricky says Flagstaff isn’t alone.
“Prescott only receives 1.5 inches of snow, so he is bound to the winter, the least snowyest on record,” he said. “Pason has only received 1.2 inches of snow, making it the seventh driest winter ever.”
Dry winters encourage fire restrictions much earlier than usual.
Stage 1 fire restrictions have been enabled in Apache and Navajo counties, banning campfires outside of developed sites, smoking outside of designated areas and smoking fireworks.
“We had some small wildfires yesterday,” said Noah Baker, expert at Wildfire Climate and Community Health at Flagstaff Fire. “It’s not something you normally see until April, so it’s pretty ahead of the curve here and it’s really dry.”
Baker explained how wet winters make work easier.
“Fires are generally easier to control because there isn’t much fuel available,” he said.
However, this dry weather allows firefighters to get more prescribed burns in the area.
“We are using this opportunity to strengthen the town and make the forest land more resilient,” he said.
However, he said some residents are worried about what the fire season will look like this year.
“We just know how dry it is and people are worried about it in town, so we try our best to tell people what we can do to reduce our risks and also to tell people about the resources we have,” he said.
Baker urges people driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff not to drag chains from trailers or throw cigarettes out of car windows. He said it is very important to pay attention to fire restrictions.
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