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The snow, along with a two-vehicle crash contributed to the
backup, Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart
Graves said.
"We could not clear it quick enough to get traffic moving again
because of the adverse snow conditions, he said.
An injury was reported in the crash but no deaths were reported
around the region as a result of the storm, Graves said.
One driver got out of a vehicle and threw snowballs, while
others nearby hooked a tow strap to a four-wheel drive vehicle
to pull another vehicle out of deep snow.
The storm was the biggest of the winter season so far and
followed a dry stretch that left Flagstaff and numerous other
cities across the West well below normal for precipitation to
date. They'll likely stay there despite the snow and rain.
The snowfall ranged from a few inches in lower elevations to
more than a foot (30 centimeters) in places like Flagstaff and
Munds Park. Williams, west of Flagstaff, got more than 2 feet
(60 centimeters) of snow, according to the National Weather
Service.
The Arizona Snowbowl ski resort joked on X that Miracle March
was in full effect.
“This weekend is bound to be epic,” it wrote in a post.
Parts of other roadways were closed at times during the storm,
including Interstate 17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix. Traffic
was clogged on U.S. 89 north of Flagstaff, with multiple
slide-offs and motorists parked over the icy road.
The storm was expected to move east out of the state on
Saturday, the weather service said.
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