CNS –
According to the Arizona Weatherman, this upcoming week will experience a change in the monotony from warmer and dry conditions to windy and snowy. Will the entire state be impacted? No, but it will be a welcome change and feel a bit more like winter.
The longwave pattern at 300mb will see the upper-level ridging give way to troughing, causing a pronounced change to the state’s overall weather pattern. By the end of the week, a cut-off low will also develop to the southwest of the state. The impact of this feature is still developing. What it is looking like is strong gusty surface winds for Saturday, 4 Jan 2025, and by Tuesday and Wednesday, 7-8 Jan 2025, increasing chances for snow on the Mogollon Rim.
Texas Prepares for Arctic Cold: Polar Vortex Expected to Bring Freezing Weather
For this upcoming Saturday, expect 35-45 mph wind gusts on the Mogollon Rim, particularly from Flagstaff eastward in the northern part of the state. This is where the surface gradient will be the strongest and also impacted by the terrain. Furthermore, this will impact travel on I-40 during the day, especially for high-clearance vehicles and RVs moving along the roadway. For the Southeastern part of the state, expect 25-35 mph winds on Saturday.
Moving into next Tuesday and Wednesday, the models are in agreement on the potential for snow on the Mogollon Rim. The amount of snow will not be substantial as moisture availability is on the lower side of the spectrum. However, higher elevations could get over two inches, but most locations will get less than an inch of snow. Coconino, Apache, Navajo, and Northern Greenlee Counties will most likely get the snow.
Southern Arizona will still be too warm, and there will not be enough moisture to bring in any snow. The most significant impact will be upstate, but I’m not expecting much snow overall with this system. These temperatures and lack of precipitation align with my long-term forecast for the state.
Source: The Arizona Weatherman, a seasoned meteorologist with over 25 years of experience in aviation meteorology with the United States Air Force, government contracting, and private practice, provides this forecast. His experience training Special Operations Weather Technicians (SOWT) in weather techniques and his state certification as a STEM teacher further underscore his expertise. His weather predictions are trustworthy.