FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The high country was hit with another round of snow on Tuesday, making January’s snowfall amount the most in over a decade, according to Salt River Project.
There aren’t many days in the immediate forecast where Flagstaff temperatures surpass 40 degrees but when there is substantial sunshine in the high country all the snow will eventually melt and recharge underground aquifers and help fill SRP’s reservoirs.
When SRP did its snow survey at the end of last week, meteorologists like Bo Svoma were pleased with all the winter precipitation they saw from a bird’s eye view.
“(It) was already above average,” said Svoma speaking about what was conducted last Friday.
Since that day, the high country has been in winter’s crosshairs with several more snowstorms rolling through which have dropped 30 inches since Saturday, replenishing reservoirs, and aiding our state’s ongoing drought since 1996.
SRP says this is the biggest mid-January snowpack since 2010.
”When this big snowpack melts in February and march, it’s going to efficiently generate a run-off and fill up the reservoirs on the Verde River,” said Svoma.
The snowpack survey found SRP’s reservoirs are over 70% full - a growing number as snow continues to fall with more in the forecast later this week.
The weather also adds groundwater pulled from wells for those in the high country.
”It’s good for the aquafers in Flag and great for the Salt and Verde reservoirs in Phoenix as we’re getting that water now. It’s hard to tell exactly how this will recharge aquafers in the mountain,” said Svoma.
The National Weather Service in Flagstaff measures just under 70 (69.7) inches has fallen so far this season – surpassing all last season by at least over a foot.
What’s fallen in Flagstaff has turned the town into a postcard everywhere you look.
But where Estevan with Flagstaff Towing and Recovery has been – isn’t very picturesque.
He’s been working “non-stop”, mostly helping stuck drivers in residential areas.
The secondary roads for those plowing hundreds of miles. Flagstaff Public Works is responsible for 700 miles of primary roads, some of which require several trips to ensure safer driving conditions.
“Even though you have four-wheel drive, you can drive fast but you’re not going to stop fast,” said Estevan.
The struggle to navigate snow-covered roads closed NAU again on Wednesday and closed non-essential services for the City of Flagstaff on Tuesday.
That doesn’t mean there still isn’t work to do.
David Stephens is the property owner of one of the historic buildings along Aspen Avenue in Flagstaff. He helped shovel the snow off the roof of some of the buildings that are over a century old.
”After Thanksgiving, you do a little shoveling and you get thin ready for summer,” said Isiah, helping David shovel snow.
SRP says they’ll conduct another snowpack survey again in a couple of weeks.
They hope they’re doing those surveys until early spring as snow continues to fall.
