Snow in the Desert

My husband and I woke New Year's day to snow in our Tucson neighborhood and in the surrounding desert. I went outside while the street lights were still on and the sun still dim to capture the snow with my camera. I knew it wouldn’t last long where we live. Snow in our neighborhood and in the surrounding desert is an unusual occurrence.

The last time snow fell in the city was in February 2013.
Photo by Amy Gaiennie.

After breakfast, we went for a hike in the mountains at Saguaro National Park East. The landscape sparkled with fresh snow. By the time we got back to the trailhead three hours later, much of the snow had melted from the saguaros growing at the base of the foothills.

A young saguaro develops beneath its nurse plant and is protected from the snow.
Photo by Amy Gaiennie.

When we got home, I was surprised to see that some snow still lingered on the banks of the wash that runs through our neighborhood. But most of it was gone.

Tucson Winter Temps and Snow

• The most recent snowfall to blanket the city was on February 20, 2014.
• Tucson averages 26.4 days with lows at or below the freezing mark.
• The average high temperature in the month of January is 66 degrees F.
• The average low temperature in the month of January is 42 degrees F.

Snows in the Top 10 Weather Events List for Tucson

Note: These records for the 20th century were compiled by the Tucson staff of the National Weather Service. Click here. 

• On November 16, 1958, 6.4 inches of snow in the Tucson area caused widespread damage, including auto accidents, downed power lines, and telephone service outages.  Highways were closed as well as the Tucson airport. Tragically, three boy scouts stranded in the snow in the mountains south of Tucson died during this snowstorm.

• On December 8, 1971. 6.8 inches of snow fell in Tucson—the most ever recorded.  The storm downed power lines, halted traffic, closed the airport, and damaged or destroyed  3,000 trees. (The Tucson staff of the National Weather  Service reports that the airport did not own a snow plow at this time!)

• On December 25, 1987, up to three inches of snow  brought the first white Christmas to Tucson since 1916, when four inches of snow fell.

On January 7, 1913, the coldest temperature officially recorded in Tucson was 6 degrees. Some areas reported even lower temperatures.

Snow powders the Rincon Mountains in Saguaro National Park East. Photo by Amy Gaiennie.