2/27/14 – Today expect a weather disturbance passing near the Arizona/Utah border to bring increased winds along with light showers and perhaps a thunderstorm along and north of the Mogollon Rim. Wind Gusts of 30-45 MPH are possible with the highest gusts north of the Mogollon Rim.

Friday through Sunday a stronger Pacific storm system will impact Arizona bringing wet, windy and colder weather. Moderate to locally heavy precipitation will develop from Friday through Saturday with rain and high elevation snow. While widespread flooding is not expected localized minor flooding of poorly drained areas is possible as well as rises on creeks and rivers along and south of the Mogollon Rim. At this time snow levels are forecast to remain above 7500 feet through early Saturday morning then fall to around 6000 feet by Saturday afternoon. Snow accumulations from Saturday to Sunday morning between 6000 to 8000 foot elevation will range from 1 to 5 inches with much heavier snow amounts expected over the highest mountain peaks.

2/26/14 –  Thursday a weather disturbance passing near the Arizona/Utah border will bring increased winds on Thursday along with a chance of showers. Wind gusts of 30-40 MPH are possible along and north of the Mogollon Rim.

Friday and into the weekend a stronger Pacific storm system will impact Arizona beginning Friday and through the coming weekend bringing wet, windy and colder weather. Confidence is high that a moderate to locally heavy precipitation event will develop from Friday night through Saturday with rain and high elevation Snow. At this time snow levels are forcast to remain above 7500-8000 feet through early Saturday morning then fall to 6500-7000 feet by Saturday afternoon. Snow accumulations in the 6500-7500 foot elevation range are currently expected to remain light with heavier snow possible over the higher mountains.

Details regarding snow levels and snow amounts are still somewhat uncertain so stay tuned for updates. More weather information can also be found at www.weather.gov/flagstaff.

The following press release has been issued by the US Forest Service-Coconino National Forest. In case you are traveling that direction smoke will be visible on the Interstate.

Prescribed burn planned for Wednesday south of Little America Hotel

Flagstaff, AZ – Pending favorable conditions tomorrow, Feb 26, fire managers on the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest are planning to conduct a prescribed burn approximately 2 miles south of Flagstaff and the Little America Hotel, off Harold Ranch Road. Crews plan to burn 225 acres, in increments of 100. Winds in the forecast will help disperse smoke to the east and northeast. Some smoke may be noticeable on Interstate 40 and in southeast Flagstaff including Harold Ranch, Walnut Canyon, and Country Club areas.

The forest depends on low-intensity fire to reduce accumulated vegetation, enhance wildlife habitat, and recycle valuable nutrients into the soil. “Fire is a natural part of this ecosystem,” says Vic Morfin, Coconino National Forest Fuels Management Officer. “It reduces the likelihood of severe fire behavior, creating safer conditions for the community and firefighters.”

Prescribed burns are termed such because they are conducted within a “prescription” that defines the fuel moisture levels, air temperatures, wind conditions, and relative humidity levels that are appropriate for each project.

All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and ventilation, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).

Fire managers strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community by working closely with ADEQ, partners in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, as well as neighboring forests to monitor air quality. In addition, fire managers try to burn when winds and other atmospheric conditions will push the majority of smoke away from homes, and try to burn larger sections at a time to ultimately limit the number of days smoke is in the air.

The public can register to receive regular email notifications by choosing the “Southwestern Region” option at http://www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription. Information can also be obtained via the Prescribed Fire Hotline at 928-226-4607, our website, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF.

Wednesday’s burn is part of the Eastside Project. Map below shows general location.

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