Drifting snow, icy roads and gusting winds caused several car accidents, closed schools and chased area residents indoors as a major storm system passed over Sedona on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 9 and 10.
Less than an inch of precipitation accumulated across Greater Sedona, with Oak Creek Canyon reporting the most. Three-quarters of an inch fell in the canyon during the 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m., Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Roughly a half inch was reported in other areas from Cornville to the Village of Oak Creek.
Temperatures dropped into the low 20s early Tuesday morning with gusts of up to 20 mph recorded in some areas, according to NWS.
At least three accidents, including a rollover that sent one man to the hospital, were reported on Highway 89A between Sedona and Cottonwood during morning rush hour traffic Tuesday, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Icy conditions on the Spring Creek bridge apparently contributed to the rollover, DPS reported.
The Sedona Fire District responded to five calls up Oak Creek Canyon Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Trees downed by winter weather blocked Highway 89A and became tangled in power lines, but were cut back and removed before causing further damage. A Toyota minivan struck a guardrail near Manzanita Campground, but no one was injured, SFD reported.
All three schools in the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District were closed due to the weather, according to the district’s official Web site. Practice for Springtime sports at Sedona Red Rock High were also canceled.
“We want to make sure kids are safe,” said John Parks, SRRHS athletic director. “If it’s not safe to drive to school, then it’s not safe for athletics and games.”
Yavapai County road crews started plowing and sanding as soon as snow began to accumulate Monday night, according to Yavapai Country Road Supervisor Verl Cook.
With only one plow truck headquartered on the north side of Mingus Mountain, county crews had a big job ahead of them, Cook said.
The county can get graders out to assist if needed, he said.
Brewer Brothers Contracting, a firm hired by Sedona to perform city road maintenance, also hit the streets shortly after 5 p.m. Monday night, City Manager Alison Zelms said. Brewer Brothers has held the city contract for road maintenance for the last 20 years, Zelms said.
An intergovernmental agreement with the state of Arizona requires Sedona to plow Highway 179 and 89A within city limits, according to Dan Neimy, Sedona Streets superintendent.
Brewer Brothers started sanding and plowing major arteries Monday night, then started working on major collector streets from Dry Creek Road in West Sedona to Jordan Road in Uptown, Neimy said. Plows were making their way onto less traveled neighborhood streets by Tuesday morning, he said.
“They were still at it this morning,” Neimy said.
Sedona skies should be sunny today, becoming partly cloudy by tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 11, the National Weather Service predicted.
A slight chance of rain is forecast for Thursday, Feb. 12, with skies clearing again by the weekend, NWS reported. Clear skies and a high of 49 is predicted for Friday, Feb. 13.
Trista Steers, Brian Bergner and Alison Ecklund contributed to this report.
