Arizona Airport, Highways Shut Down; Flagstaff Receives Record Snow From Winter Storm Quiana

““Winter Storm Quiana continued to dump heavy snow on parts of Arizona Friday, prompting emergency declarations, closing schools across the region, shutting down interstates and bringing record snow to the Flagstaff area.

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport remained closed Friday morning, a day after reduced visibility forced its closure, KTAR reported. More than 38 inches of snow fell at the airport Wednesday into Friday, covering the runway.

With more than 35 inches of snow on Thursday alone, it was the snowiest single day on record for the city of Flagstaff. The heavy snowfall prompted city officials to declare a state of emergency.

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More than 300 flights were canceled Thursday at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, according to FlightAware.

Traffic on southbound Interstate 15 was being directed off the highway at Pimm, Nevada, because the road was closed from the state line to Bakersfield, California, until shortly after 3 p.m. local time.

The Nevada Highway Patrol said southbound U.S. 95, the other major route from Las Vegas to California, also closed because of hazardous road conditions and stuck vehicles. Traffic was being diverted back to Las Vegas at mile marker 35.

I-11 was closed at mile marker 2 south of Henderson because of the heavy snow.

Las Vegas saw its first measurable snowfall in more than a decade. Eight-tenths of an inch of accumulating snow was recorded Thursday at McCarran Airport, making it the fifth day this month the city has received some snow. Thursday was also the first time Vegas has received measurable snow since Dec. 17, 2008.

The last time Las Vegas received five days of snow in February was 1949, according to the National Weather Service.””
     — Pam Wright and Ron Brackett

Tags: clipping ∙ guest content ∙ Pam Wright ∙ Ron Brackett ∙ Flagstaff ∙ Las Vegas ∙ Winter Storm Quiana ∙ Arizona ∙ Nevada ∙ snow ∙ Pulliam Airport ∙ McCarran International Airport ∙ 1949 ∙ National Weather Service