Kay_nyc

I have a ticket to PHX over NYEs and I'm looking for some advice on what region to visit. I think the sensible thing would be to head to southern Arizona and hang out in Tuscon, Bisbee, Tombstone, and do some hiking. What I really want to do is head north and see Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, and Antelope Canyon. It sounds like it gets pretty cold in northern AZ during that part of the year, and roads can get pretty slippery. I'm trying to weight seeing the places I've wanted to see for a long time against doing the sensible thing and heading fo safer weather.

Any advice?

DELee

Rent a car, keep an eye out for weather coming in from the Pacific and go enjoy yourself. Winter weather in AZ is driven by activity coming in from the west and the Pacific so you'll know in advance when/if a snow or ice storm will arrive.

David

aztimm

To echo what DELee said, along with almost always knowing about winter storms in advance, they do a pretty good job of cleaning up the roads right after. So long as you're not driving right in the thick of the storm, you should be fine.

One time I drove Phoenix to Flagstaff and there were signs near the Sedona turnoff warning of, "winter weather ahead." Roads were passable, but speeds went down to about 20 mph.
On the way back the next day, the roads were clear and was able to travel at speed limit the whole way.

djp98374

Do southern arizona when the weather is ideal and save Antelope and grand canyon for another time.

Grand canyon is pure winter weather where temps are going to be in the teens and 20s. Antelope dye to low sun angles isn't the same as in spring thru fall. It also is cold there to so the water is out.

kale73

I've lived in northern Arizona for 10 years. The weeks before and after New Years have generally been the coldest of the year. One sunny and clear NYD the low temp was -24F, but it's usually in the low teens, or single digits above.

ADOT actually is pretty good about plowing the major highways, but major storms, especially around Flagstaff, can leave some fairly large drifts. I will say that Flagstaff and the region (esp. north, west, and south) are absolutely beautiful after a moderate to heavy snowfall. If you're into winter sports, there's a ski resort just outside of Flagstaff as well as some cross country ski areas on both sides of the Grand Canyon. If you're traveling with kids (or are a kid at heart), the Grand Canyon Railway runs a "Polar Express" special train from November and into the first week of January. There are also often special events at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock between Christmas and New Years including traditional winter games.