It comes down to warmer air temperatures, said Carter Humphreys of the National Weather Service (NWS) station in Flagstaff. Warmer air freezes snow less effectively, allowing it to remain wet and dense rather than become light, fluffy powder. “As opposed to the rest of the country where a lot of the air is coming in from Canada — which is going to be that drier, colder air,” Humphreys said. The current trend of above-average air temperatures means precipitation could likely start as rain, then turn to snow when the sun goes down. For those planning to engage in New Year’s revelry in Flagstaff, be prepared, you may get doused in more than champagne.

Source: Daily Sun December 30, 2022 23:41 UTC