FLAGSTAFF — Northern Arizona residents were digging out of a storm Tuesday that left record snowfall, knocked out power to tens of thousands, shut down two major interstates and kept children out of school.
Flagstaff city officials encouraged employees not to rush to work on roads that were snowpacked and icy and delayed the work day for nonessential employees. Coconino County employees also were on a delayed schedule.
The powerful storm that dumped more than 20 inches of snow was at its strongest overnight Monday into Tuesday morning. A rare blizzard warning issued for the mountains of northern Arizona expired Tuesday morning.
Still, stretches of Interstates 17 and 40 were shut down, and some traffic was diverted through Flagstaff.
Fierce winds hit the Phoenix area, and utility crews were busy trying to restore power to thousands because of downed power lines.
