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Flagstaff, Arizona is a city with a population of about 60,000 in the northern part of the state. It is the largest city in the region and a two and a half hour drive north from Phoenix. The city started out as a railroad, timber, and ranching town in the 19th century but has become a regional center, is home to Northern Arizona University, and is the county seat for Coconino County.

Flagstaff is also a popular tourist destination. It is situated at the base of the scenic San Francisco Peaks and is one and a half hour drive from Grand Canyon Village in Grand Canyon National Park. Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona Snowbowl ski area, meteor crater, and all located near Flagstaff. Historic route 66 also passes through the city.

A rainy day in Flagstaff, Arizona

While many people do not associate snow with Arizona (hot, dry deserts more likely come to mind), Flagstaff is one of the snowiest U.S. cities receiving an average of 100” of snow each year. Flagstaff is located on the Colorado plateau at an elevation of 6,900 feet. It is just southeast of Humphreys Peak, Arizona’s tallest mountain at 12,633 feet. With its elevation, location, and proximity to the San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff receives a lot of snow. The city receives an average of 31” more snow annually than Williams, Arizona, which is located 35 miles to the west at 6,700 feet. Average snowfall data for Williams can be found at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azwilm.

Believe it or not, Flagstaff actually receives more snowfall on average than Buffalo, New York. However, its climate is very different. Flagstaff is located in America’s largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest and is much drier than you might expect considering all its snowfall. Its total annual precipitation is just 23”, compared to 40” in Buffalo.

In the summer, Flagstaff is a welcome respite from the heat from residents who live in the Phoenix, Tucson, or Las Vegas areas. Flagstaff’s high temperatures in the summer are typically about 80 degrees, about 25 degrees cooler than the average high temperatures in Phoenix. The Arizona Cardinals professional football team conducts their summer training camp in Flagstaff.

Through February 2011 for the winter season, Flagstaff has received 63.6 inches of snow, which puts it just slightly below average. January 2011 was a very dry month with just 1.2” of snow but December 2010 and February 2011 each were months with more than 2 feet of snowfall.

Flagstaff is one of the snowiest U.S. cities. However, one big advantage of its location in the southwest at 35 degrees latitude is that the city is warmer during the day than many other snowy cities. High temperatures in the winter are typically in the 40s. Low temperatures typically dip into the teens in the winter. Flagstaff also receives significantly more sunshine than many cities. In fact, according to NOAA, Flagstaff is also one of the sunniest cities in the U.S with sunshine 78% of the time. However, if you live in Flagstaff, due to the amount of snowfall it receives having snowblowers is a very good idea.

Flagstaff’s snowfall is fairly evenly distributed during the winter season. According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (“NOAA”), Flagstaff received the following monthly average snowfall totals in inches over a 44-year period:

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