First Alert Weather Day to come Wednesday with rain, snow in northern Arizona

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - We have a First Alert Day scheduled for Wednesday for rain in the deserts and rain on snow in the mountains. Things are changing in Arizona’s weather picture as the atmospheric river starts to make a dip into the desert southwest.

Changes will start throughout the day Wednesday with rain on top of the snow in northern Arizona, resulting in the potential for high runoff and flooding situations. There will also be significant rain throughout the Valley, with a few thunderstorms not out of the question. Unlike the previous storms since the start of the new year, this will be a warm winter storm. Snow levels will start well above 8000 feet and gradually lower to 6000 feet by Thursday morning. However, by then, most of the moisture will have exited the state to the east.

While any high country river or stream could be impacted by this “rain on snow” storm, the focus is on Oak Creek from Sedona to Cornville, Wet Beaver Creek in the vicinity of Rimrock, and the Little Colorado River in the vicinity of Winslow. There are many unbridged crossings on these waterways, and each one is forecasted to reach the flooding stage on Wednesday into Thursday. Right now, the concern is LOW for the burn scars above Flagstaff since most of that area will get snow, and significant runoff is not expected, according to the National Weather Service. Still, anyone near a recent burn scar should be on the First Alert.

On Wednesday, we could see scattered showers beginning by the late morning hours, but we expect the heaviest rain Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning. The latest forecasts are giving the Valley a range of ¼” to ½” of rain, but your neighborhood may see more or less than that. At this point, expect drive time home on Wednesday and drive time Thursday morning to potentially be a wet commute.

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