Does It Snow in Phoenix, AZ? How to See and Photograph Snow Near Phoenix
Yes, It Can Snow—But You Have to Know Where to Look
As an Arizona based photographer and self-described desert snow storm chaser, I've spent years watching winter weather reports and heading toward the higher elevations when the right combination of cold air, moisture and elevation creates the possibility of seeing snow falling in the greater Phoenix AZ metro area. The holy grail or goal for me personally is finding and capturing Saguaro cactus being blasted and covered with fresh falling snow live which is always a scene that attracts a lot of attention.
Its all about elevation…
The Phoenix Valley Floor:
With an average elevation of 1,050 feet, its extremely rare to see snow falling much less accumulating in the greater valley floor of the Phoenix metro area. In my 25 years of living in this area I have never personally seen snow at that elevation level here in Arizona
The Surrounding Foothills
As someone who lived in the foothills area in North Scottsdale for 15 years at about 2,500 feet I have seen snow fall and accumulate up to 6 inches at least a half dozen times or more. The main difference being 1,500 feet in elevation gain from the valley floor below.
Why Snow Can Be Falling in the Foot hills and Mountains in the immediate area While Phoenix Gets Rain
The Elevation Temperature Drop: On average, air temperature drops about 3.5°F for every 1,000 feet of elevation gained. This is a well worn and old mountain climbers rule of thumb.
The "Magic" Freezing Threshold: For snow to reach the ground without melting into rain, temperatures in the lower atmosphere need to stay around 32°F to 35°F.
The Phoenix Difference: The Phoenix valley floor sits at roughly 1,050 feet, where winter storm temperatures often linger in the mid-to-upper 40s—producing steady rain. However, climbing just 1,500 to 2,000 feet higher into North Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek, or the Superstition foothills drops the ambient temperature right into the freezing zone, turning that rain into falling snow.
Essentially, winter storms passing over the Valley are often cold enough to produce snow aloft—it just melts before hitting the valley floor, while higher elevations catch the snow before it has a chance to melt.
How a DEsert Snow Storm Chaser Watches for Snow DEveoloping Near Phoenix
This is kind of my process for trying to predict the likelihood of snow falling in the Sonoran desert in the greater Phoenix area and to be prepared to hopefully catch and film the event.
Watch the long term and weekly weather forecasts for dramatic changes and winter storms on the horizon. Winter is in fact the traditional rainy season in the Phoenix area.
Follow the storm track and radar for any colder winter systems approaching the next 24 hours
Try to nail down the falling snow levels, temps, elevations, and best locations on the short range or hourly radar on apps like the Weather channel mobile App
Hit the road or highway early and try to be in position or to intercept the falling snow at the best or most likely locations with easy access and good Saguaro cactus stands. This often means heading out very early in the morning as this when the lowest temps are generally going to happen.
Ultimately, even the best planning requires a little desert magic and luck chasing desert snow storms. You can study the radar models and hit the highway at 4:00 AM, but in the end, you’re generally betting on a tiny window where temperature, elevation, and moisture align to create snow before the storm passes or the temperature rises.
my favorite locations to Look for falling Snow Near Phoenix
This is my go to list of locations within 45-60 minutes or so from where I live in Scottsdale that I will head out to if the weather conditions look favorable:
North Scottsdale: Because this area has lots of easily accessible desert preserves that are above 2k feet elevation this is usually my first choice if conditions look favorable. North Scottsdale in particular is home to the very large McDowell Sonoran desert preserve that hosts multiple trailheads like Pinnacle Peak Park, Browns Ranch, and Toms Thumb that are all above 2k feet in elevation. The challenge the last 5 years or so is if the people who manage these public spaces get wind of a big potential snow storm with snow likely accumulating they will likely close the trailheads as they fear visitors will go off the trails and damage the ecosystem- This is total overzealous BS and I will leave it at that. Even if they do close the trailheads there are plenty of other opportunities to experience snow in this area. I would list them, but I dont want to give anyone or group any ideas about closing them to the public as well if by chance it snows…
Tonto National Forest: My second favorite location is to head up the Beeline Highway (SR 87) about 25 miles North of Mesa and make a right turn onto forest road 143 and slowly climb back into the foothills to gain enough elevation to see snow falling. Be forewarned this is not for everyone. This desert forest road is a rugged unpaved dirt road with some rough sections, dips, and turns so a 4WD high clearance vehicle is highly recommended. I would not drive a passenger vehicle back here and be advised that cell service is spotty at best. The bonus at this location is if the storm passes and the skies clear there is a good chance you can view the iconic Four Peaks range up close and covered with snow- see photos below
Sunflower: My third favorite location is Sunflower a tiny community about 10 miles north of FR 143 right off of highway 87. This small area right of the highway sits about at 3.3k feet elevation and is very good location to catch and see falling snow in the hills off the highway. There are several large pullouts along the highway here but you need to use extreme caution when pulling in and out especially with heavy snowfall. I usually don’t go up a much further North on highway 87 here as Saguaro cactus stop growing and appearing above 3.5k elevation.
Other locations in the Phoenix area that have high enough elevations to generate falling snow are the foothills of the Superstition mountains near Apache Junction and the foot hills in Carefree and Cave Creek areas.
Photography Tips For Filming Snow In The Desert
I have come to the conclusion that this should probably be a separate blog post to cover all the little tricks I have learned filming snow scenes in the desert whether it be with a pro mirrorless camera or a cell phone. But here are few quick ones for capturing compelling video footage with a cell phone:
Try shooting some scenes of falling snow in slow motion to create a more dreamy or atmospheric or vibe. This is very easy to do with a cell phone camera after you make the changes in you camera settings. The important thing to remember is 1 second of shooting footage in slow motion on an I-phone for example is equivalent to 5 seconds of regular footage. You dont have to record very long in slo-motion
Slow Pans: Whether you are shooting in regular speed or slow motion try panning very slowly left to right over a snowy landscape scene instead of just straight ahead which is generally boring.
Stable Footage: Invest in a cheap cell phone tripod to capture more stable footage and compelling action. With a tripod you can lock down your frame or shot while capturing yourself, other people, vehicles, or wildlife moving through the snowy landscape.
Don’t Forget The Cactus! Trust me, people love seeing snow falling over an iconic Saguaro Cactus in the desert.
Chase the snow—not the danger
Falling Snow in the Sonoran Desert is incredible to witness, but icy highway pullouts and slick dirt roads demand respect. Drive smart, pack winter prep gear, and make sure you get home safely with your footage.
Contact Me:
Feel free to contact me if you any questions about chasing snow storms in the desert or have any special requests.
Other Arizona Licensing Collections
At the bottom of the page, include links to my other video clip collections:
Video & Images Below. All the snow themed demonstration photos and video clips below are available for sale and commercial licensing. Please contact me for more info.
Snow covered cactus and large boulders at the Browns Ranch trailhead in 2019 after a significant overnight snow storm in North Scottsdale. Just 350 feet lower in elevation down the road no snow accumulated. This high resolution photo is available for sale and licensing.
Snow blasted Sonoran desert landscape with Saguaro cactus in North Scottsdale desert preserve called Browns Ranch. This image is available for sale and commercial licensing
Heavy snow falling early morning on the Pinnacle Peak Hiking trail In North Scottsdale, Arizona. This “snow in the desert” photo is available for sale and licensing.
The Pinnacle Peak landmark and hiking trail in North Scottsdale after a quick desert snow storm.
Captured in a North Scottsdale Sonoran desert preserve called Browns Ranch in 2019, this high-resolution and wide ratio photo features snow covered Saguaro cactus and other desert plants following a rare winter snow storm. Unique choice for high-quality wall art prints, home decor, desktop wallpapers, or personal web displays.
Now, that’s a unique view! This is a seating ramada at the Browns Ranch trailhead in North Scottsdale after a heavy overnight winter snow storm back in 2019. Great photo for editorial content.
Because of its elevation at 7,700 feet, The Four Peaks range outside Mesa AZ is one of the more likely places in the Phoenix metro area that you can see snow.