Santa Fe to Flagstaff and Las Vegas in January

[Graham]

My brother and I are travelling across the US this month (we're from the UK), and we're wondering about travelling up to Santa Fe, and then across to Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon and then on to Las Vegas.

The weather in all of these locations looks fine, but we're concerned about the trip over the Rockies on I-40 - it looks very cold even during the day, and there's a strong chance of light or heavy snow while we're driving. Is it sensible to do this at this time of year, and are there any specific precautions we should be taking?

Thanks,
Graham

[howard]

Is it sensible to do this at this time of year?

Most of the time – yes. Today through Saturday and possibly Sunday – no.

From New Years through last weekend, the weather in Northern AZ and NM was pretty good. This week it’s a different story altogether. About three feet of snow has fallen in Flagstaff since Monday, with another 1-2 feet of snowfall expected tonight through Saturday. Interstate 40 is closed most of the way across Arizona tonight, and several municipalities, including Flagstaff, have declared a state of emergency.

This snowstorm will also affect western and northern NM tomorrow through Saturday. The roads are expected to be a mess, and travel is being discouraged. The weather is expected to clear somewhat from Sunday until Tuesday. The best precaution you can take is to be well aware of the weather and road conditions, and stay off the roads if the weather gets too bad.

Links:
Arizona DOT
National Weather Service – Flagstaff, AZ
New Mexico DOT Home
National Weather Service – Albuquerque, NM

[Graham]

Thanks very much for the advice. We'd be travelling on Monday at the earliest, but we'll keep an eye on weather and travel warnings, and delay our trip if necessary.

Graham.

[howard]

Another storm will be moving through the Southwest late Tuesday through Thursday, and it looks like there will be more snow at the Grand Canyon. You can check on weather and road conditions at the Grand Canyon NP website. All the roads in the park are snow-packed right now, and they recommend 4-wheel drive or tire chains.

The series of storms that hit Flagstaff this past week resulted in the third highest 5-day snowfall on record.

NWS Flagstaff, AZ Snowfall Totals Jan. 18-22, 2010

60 to 70 inches of snow in the San Juan Mtns. of Colorado

Jan. 21-22, 2010 Four Corners region snowfall


Jan. 22-23, 2010 Four Corners region snowfall


Southwest Utah snowfall


Las Vegas, NV rain and snowfall totals