PHOENIX (AZFamily) — As Arizona faces a growing shortage of OB-GYNs, a new federal policy could make it even harder for women to access care across the state.

Women’s health provider MomDoc, which operates clinics throughout Arizona, says it may now be forced to pay up to $100,000 per doctor to keep some of its physicians.

The change stems from new guidance under the Trump administration affecting the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers, including doctors in specialty occupations.

Under the revised policy, healthcare providers must now pay a substantial fee to continue sponsoring foreign-trained physicians. “It will impact access to care in Arizona and in other states that are barely making it today,” said Nick Goodman, CEO of MomDoc.

Currently in Arizona, fewer than 400 OB-GYNs deliver approximately 78,000 babies annually. According to Goodman, a major reason for the shortage is a decades-old freeze on funding for medical residency programs, which has prevented the training of enough new OB-GYNs in the U.S.

To fill the gap, MomDoc and other healthcare providers rely heavily on international doctors. Goodman says roughly 75% of their applicants are H-1B visa holders.

“Healthcare is already a very low-margin business,” Goodman said. “Adding a $100,000 fee makes it go from barely profitable to unprofitable.”

Experts warn the policy could further limit access to care, especially in rural or underserved areas where OB-GYN shortages are already severe.

However, there may be some relief. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently clarified that the fee does not apply to individuals who are already in the U.S. and are changing their visa status. Such as medical residents transitioning to full-time positions, as long as they have received USCIS approval.

In the meantime, clinics like MomDoc are pursuing fee exemptions, hoping the new rule won’t apply to their current physicians. But Goodman warns that unless the policy is revised or rescinded, it could have lasting consequences.

“When you’re talking about the number of OB-GYN’s practicing in the state going down, which is already happening prior to this fee, it makes it harder and harder for women in Arizona,” he said.

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• NOAA predicts a warm and dry winter for Arizona during the 2025-2026 season.
• AccuWeather forecasts historically higher temperatures and a dry season, with potential for late-season rainfall in January.
• The Old Farmer’s Almanac anticipates a warm winter but with rain and above-average mountain snow in some areas.

Winter starts Dec. 21, and as those colder months creep closer, Arizonans want to know what they should anticipate.

Before you start breaking out your sweaters and making your northern Arizona ski trip plans, you need to know what this winter has in store.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, AccuWeather and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have released their predictions for what the following winter months should bring, including snowfall, rain and temperatures.

To best understand what Arizona weather should bring for this winter season, 2025 to 2026, here’s everything to know about the Old Farmer’s Almanac, AccuWeather and the NOAA predictions.

When is the first day of winter 2025?

Winter starts on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.

When will it snow in Flagstaff? Here’s what weather experts predict for snow in Flagstaff and northern Arizona

NOAA predicts winter will be dry and warm

NOAA predicts that most of Arizona will be 60-70% above normal temperatures for the months of November, and December. Although the southwest corner of Arizona shows it will be 40-50% above normal temperatures.

For the months of January, February and March, central and southern Arizona shows the temperature would be 40-50% above normal, while northern parts of Arizona would be 33-40% above normal temperatures.

For the months of November and December, precipitation for the western half of the state was expected to be 33-40% lower than usual according to NOAA. While the eastern part of Arizona similarly shows a 40-50% lower than normal precipitation prediction.

January, February, and March precipitation predictions remain similar, with the central and southern parts of Arizona having 40-50% lower-than-normal precipitation and the northern part predicted to have 33-40% lower-than-normal precipitation, according to NOAA.

This will make for a dry winter with little snow due to the lack of moisture in the air and warm temperatures.

AccuWeather predicts a warmer winter with late season rainfall

The Southwest’s temperatures should run historically higher than usual due to warmth in the Pacific Ocean. According to AccuWeather’s map, central and southern Arizona’s temperatures will run at about three degrees or more above average based on historical temperatures in this region.

The warmth from the Southwest will also create a drier-than-usual season with precipitation expected to be 50-74% lower than usual, making out-of-season wildfires possible, according to AccuWeather.

Yet, January will most likely bring rainfall for the Southwest. However, come February, Arizona will return to being warm and dry, potentially bringing near-record temperature highs for February.

Lower than average snow was also expected in northern Arizona, according to AccuWeather. However, an early burst of winter storms was expected, with a lull of snow in the mid-winter season, then a resurgence in the late months of winter.

Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts warm winter with rain, snow in mountains

Phoenix and Tucson should expect warmer winter weather. The coldest temperatures were expected mid-November to early January, according to the almanac, with rain and mountain snow hitting various areas.

High elevation areas should prepare for snow in early December and January.

Snowfall was predicted to be above average in eastern parts of the desert Southwest region such as Show Low, with the snowiest periods being early December to mid-January, according to the almanac.

Flagstaff also should expect above normal snowfall and temperatures, and slightly-above-normal precipitation. According to the almanac the snowiest periods were set for late January to late March.

PHOENIX (AZFamily/CNN) — A few weeks removed from the University of Arizona being asked to accept the White House’s agenda in order to get more funding access, another Arizona school is also getting the request.

The Trump administration sent the same letter to Arizona State University that the U of A and eight other schools also received earlier this month, according to CNN.

The letter asks the universities to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” committing them to adopt the White House’s vision for America’s campuses. It asks them to accept the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, student discipline and college affordability, among other topics.

An initial list of schools that received the letter included Vanderbilt University, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas, University of Arizona, Brown University and University of Virginia.

Since then, ASU, the University of Kansas and Washington University in St. Louis were also asked to join the agreement.

It’s not clear how or why these schools were selected, or whether similar offers might go out to additional colleges. The letter indicates a deadline of Nov. 21 for schools to decide.

The University of Virginia, USC, Penn, Brown University, Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have all also rejected the proposal, and no school has yet accepted it.

On Friday, Tucson City Council voted 7-0 to pass a resolution calling on the U of A to reject compliance with the letter. School officials have said they are reviewing the compact, and U of A President Suresh Garimella said the “proposal has generated a wide range of reactions and perspectives.” The school has not indicated if it intends to agree to the letter or not.

Arizona’s Family has reached out to ASU for a statement on the White House’s proposal.

CNN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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