The Great Blizzard Of 1967 Dumped 103 Inches Of Snow On Arizona
Winter storms certainly aren’t uncommon here in Arizona, at least not in our northern latitudes. That said, some years are more brutal than others, and 1967 was one of them. On a fateful day that December, just two weeks before Christmas, a deluge of nonstop rain and snow fell in the Flagstaff area for eight straight days. With nearly 103 inches recorded in some spots, it was the worst blizzard the Grand Canyon State has ever seen.
Author’s Note: There are surprisingly few photos from the 1967 blizzard, so we’ve used a few stand-in photos from other snowy years in Arizona for illustrative purposes.
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Arizona's northern and southern halves may as well be two different worlds in the winter, what with their nearly opposite climates.
In December of 1967, while the desert lowland stayed—for the most part—high and dry, Flagstaff was buried under a whopping 86 inches of snow.
December 12th started off just like any other northern Arizona winter day: with a light snowfall that filled the hearts of young and old with holiday cheer.
Both the high-altitude temperatures and barometric pressure were the lowest since January of 1949, when a monster blizzard dumped almost 70 inches of snow on Flagstaff.
By the 16th of December, 50 inches had fallen with no end in sight.
A cost only fitting for the worst winter storm Arizona has ever seen.
Some even speculate the accumulated snowfall total was even higher, citing human error for the discrepancy. What do you think? Were you alive to experience the blizzard? Tell us your thoughts and/or personal anecdotes in the comments below, and check out our previous article to learn about another winter storm that took Arizona by surprise.
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Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
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