PHOENIX -- With high clouds over the Valley Tuesday, we were still seeing temperatures above average. A couple of metro Phoenix locations got to 80 and we expect temperatures in about the same range on Wednesday. Wednesday will feature more sunshine. After that, we'll start seeing some changes.
On Thursday, we'll see winds picking up around the state as a cold front approaches from the northwest. Then as the storm makes its way into Arizona, we're expecting widespread rain and snow across northern Arizona with scattered showers, and a few thunderstorms, in the deserts of our state.
Around metro Phoenix, we're expecting rain by late in the day Friday through Saturday. At this point, we're expecting about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of rain. Some areas may get more than that.
In the mountains, the latest snow forecast from the National Weather Service through Saturday morning reads like this:
Flagstaff......3-6 Inches
Forest Lakes...6-9 inches
Grand Canyon...3-5 inches
Payson, Sedona and Prescott........about an inch.
Show Low.......3-5 inches
Springerville....1-3 inches
Whiteriver.....1-3 inches
Window Rock.....1-3 inches.
Overall, the snow level is expected to start at about 6,000 feet on Friday and drop to 4,000 feet on Saturday. No alerts have been posted yet, but it’s likely we'll see Winter Weather Advisories issued later in the week.
