Rain and Snow Forecast to Hit the Interior Southwest by End of Weekend

Posted: January 14, 2023 10:48 am

While California has been dealing with massive amounts of moisture over the last several weeks, the bulk of the precipitation has dissipated by the time that it moved out of the Golden State. However, this next round of storms is forecast to move farther inland, bringing rain and snow to the drought-stricken interior Southwest by early next week. How much moisture should you expect and when will it hit? Read on for all of the details of this upcoming weather maker.

Four Corners Region to Feel Impacts of Storms by Late Saturday

It could be a soggy week for the Southwest as the parade of storms from the Pacific Ocean travels farther to the east than the past systems did. This will translate to snowfall measured in feet over the higher terrains with rain across the lower elevations.

The initial system is predicted to move into the Four Corners region by the end of the day Saturday and into early Sunday. A second storm is setting up to track across the area late Monday and into Tuesday.

The major cities of Las Vegas and Phoenix are in the bullseye for significant amounts of rain to start the week. In fact, forecasters are warning that these metro areas could see about a month’s worth of rain over just a few days thanks to the heavy moisture associated with these storms.

Phoenix is forecast to pick up at least 1 inch of rain by Wednesday, compared to its January average of 0.87 of an inch. Las Vegas is predicted to see about a half of an inch of rain, stacking up against its monthly average of 0.56 of an inch for this time of the year.

The college town of Tucson, Arizona may also approach its January average of 0.84 of an inch of rain in just a matter of days. Motorists will want to exercise caution when heading out on the roadways. The first rounds of rain could create slippery conditions as the oil residue is washed away.

Although the heavy rain in these normally sunny locations may be a bummer to vacationers, the precipitation will be welcome for residents that have been dealing with the ongoing drought.

Heavy Snow Also on Tap

The same weather system bringing rain to the desert areas will pump in snow to the higher terrains of the interior Southwest. Heavy snow is in the cards in a stretch of mountains from the Wasatch Range in Utah and into northern Arizona, the northwestern corner of New Mexico, and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Flagstaff, Arizona is likely to be hammered with over a foot of snow. The snow will really start to pick up by the end of the week and continue through early next week.

Salt Lake City may be battling a messy commute on Monday morning after Sunday’s anticipated snowfall. The snow flurries are likely to continue through the day Monday and Tuesday. After a brief break on Wednesday, there is more snow on tap for the rest of the week.

Travel may be difficult across some of the mountain passes across the interior West. Long stretches of Interstate 70 in Utah and Colorado may pick up disruptive levels of snow with Interstate 40 in Arizona and New Mexico also preparing for the impacts of the wintry precipitation.

Hopeful for Drought Relief

The Colorado River basin will be the beneficiary of much of this precipitation. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 80% of this river basin is under the designation of abnormally dry conditions.

The state of Utah could also use some relief from the drought. Almost half of the state is under some level of drought designation ranging from moderate to extreme.

Forecasters will be carefully monitoring the movement and intensity of this storm as it ejects out of the Rockies. This storm is expected to move into the nation’s heartland by the middle of the week. This track could bring measurable snow to a large area of the Plains and the Midwest by Wednesday. This same weather maker will also have the potential of igniting another round of severe weather across across the South and beyond.

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