Arizona

Will Arizona see a white Christmas? What the holiday forecast says

Published

3 months ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Will Arizona see a white Christmas? What the holiday forecast says

After a week of persistent warm weather, a storm system is expected to bring rain, not snow, to Arizona for Christmas.
Flagstaff and other high-country areas are also too warm for Christmas snow, with precipitation expected to be mostly rain.
The same weather pattern is bringing heavy rain and potential flooding to Southern California and parts of the Northwest.

Arizonans dreaming of a white Christmas will likely have to settle for rain this year as warm temperatures persist.

A storm system off the West Coast is expected to funnel moisture into the state later this week, giving much of Arizona chances for rain around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The unsettled pattern could bring measurable rainfall, but temperatures are expected to stay too warm for snow, even in the high country. Arizona won’t get the soaking Southern California is expecting from incoming atmospheric rivers slamming the coast, but that same system will push moisture into the Southwest.

“Unfortunately, no white Christmas. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” said Ted Whittock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

In Phoenix, rain chances as temperatures cool from record highs

In Phoenix and the lower deserts, Christmas week will start off unusually warm before gradually cooling as rain chances increase.

Phoenix could break a daily temperature record for the second day in a row on Monday, Dec. 22. The current record is 79 degrees, with a forecast high of 82. A high of 81 degrees on Sunday, Dec. 21, broke the daily record for the third time this month.

But the weather should shift as a low-pressure system moves in from the Pacific.

“We’ll see a strong low-pressure system move in just off the West Coast and bring plenty of moisture into the region starting tomorrow,” Whittock said. “As a result, we’re going to see periodic rain chances this week.”

Forecasters say there will be two main windows for rain: late Tuesday into early Wednesday and again from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day.

Temperatures will start to trend downward midweek, with highs potentially dropping into the 60s and low 70s by the weekend.

Rainfall totals in the Valley could add up to around a half-inch or more in spots.

In Flagstaff, mostly rain early with uncertain snow chances later

Up north, Flagstaff will also see an unsettled and warmer-than-normal Christmas week. But snow lovers may be disappointed.

“It’s very warm for this time of year compared to what it usually is in December, so we’re expecting this week’s events to mainly be rain instead of snow,” said Jacob Lewandowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.

The first chance of rain in the forecast is Tuesday, Dec. 23 in the evening. Snow levels are expected to stay high through midweek, generally between 9,000 and 10,000 feet. That puts Flagstaff below the snow line during the initial rounds of precipitation.

Chances for snow could increase later in the week as cooler air moves in, but confidence drops significantly after Wednesday.

“The chances for snow start increasing by Thursday and Friday, but it’s still a lot of uncertainty with it,” said Lewandowski. “It’s just how warm it is through the week and whether it’s going to be all rain or a little bit of snow mixed in. Most likely not a white Christmas, though. It’s too warm.”

Atmospheric rivers hit the West Coast as much of the U.S. stays warm

The storm system affecting Arizona is part of a broader pattern impacting much of the western United States. Atmospheric rivers, or long plumes of moisture from the Pacific, are expected to bring heavy rain to parts of coastal California this week.

“The atmospheric rivers are going to impact Southern Calfironia, particularly on Wednesday,” Whittock said. “This is an especially impactful system for people that are traveling to and from Southern California, especially coastal areas.”

Forecasts from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles show an extended period of heavy rain expected from Tuesday through Saturday, with 4 to 8 inches of rain likely across coastal and valley areas. Prolonged rainfall could lead to flooding and debris flow concerns, especially in burn scar areas.

Unusual weather isn’t limited to just the West. Much of the United States will have a warmer than normal holiday, with some areas experiencing their warmest Christmases on record.

A northward shift in the jet stream over the middle of the country is allowing warmer air to spread east, causing above-normal temperatures. From the Rockies to parts of the Appalachians, temperatures could reach 15 to 30 degrees above average for Christmas Day.

So whether it’s rainy or warm, much of the country will miss out on a snow globe Christmas this year. In Arizona, that likely means a damp holiday instead of a snowy one.

Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email her with story tips at hayleigh.evans@arizonarepublic.com.

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Arizona

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers live updates. Arizona DH back in the lineup

Published

8 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers live updates. Arizona DH back in the lineup

LOS ANGELES — After tests on his sore elbow revealed no structural damage, Pavin Smith took batting practice and was declared ready to return to the Diamondbacks’ lineup.

Smith, who was a late scratch on Opening Day, was a late addition on Day 2. He will bat fifth and serve as the designated hitter, sending Tim Tawa to the bench.

Smith is a relatively important member of the Diamondbacks lineup as a potential impact hitter against right-handed pitching. Last year, he hit .265/.361/.456 with eight homers against righties in 226 at-bats.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.39)* vs. Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82)*.

At Dodger Stadium: Nelson opened last season in the bullpen but moved into the rotation full time after RHP Corbin Burnes went down with elbow surgery. He was impressive from that point on, putting up a 3.38 ERA across 20 starts from June 1 onward. … Nelson faced the Dodgers three times (two starts) last season, giving up four runs in 13 innings with one walk and 12 strikeouts. … Nelson has solid career numbers against most Dodgers hitters, including 3B Max Muncy, who is 0 for 8 with three walks and five strikeouts. … Sheehan, 26, a sixth-round pick out of Boston College in 2021, returned from Tommy John surgery last year and performed well, logging a 2.82 ERA in 73 1/3 innings. He also logged important innings for the Dodgers out of the bullpen in the postseason. … Sheehan has never faced the Diamondbacks. … Last season, he averaged 95.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also threw a slider and change-up with the occasional curveball.

Coming up

Saturday, March 28: At Los Angeles, 6:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-9, 5.02)* vs. Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (4-3, 3.19)*.

Sunday, March 29: Off.

Monday, March 30: At Chase Field, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka (3-8, 4.52)* vs. Tigers RHP Justin Verlander (4-11, 3.85)*.

Tuesday, March 31: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (13-9, 5.25)* vs. Tigers RHP Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87)*.

* — stats from 2025.

(This story will be updated. Check back soon.)

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Make-A-Wish Arizona creates sea turtle adventure for San Tan Valley boy

Published

20 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Make-A-Wish Arizona creates sea turtle adventure for San Tan Valley boy

Boats, beaches, and buckets of fun! Just the way you’d expect a boy to spend his Florida vacation!

But there was something else 11-year-old Miles Boyd got to do last year when he and his family traveled to Florida. It was a sea turtle adventure that truly became the trip of a lifetime.

“I had never been to the ocean before,” explained Miles. “So see that just wowed me. It was amazing!”

Miles and his family also got to see baby sea turtles on the beach at night.

“The ocean is so mysterious,” says Miles. “It’s such a big place, and the fact that these turtles can move but are so tiny and when they go in the ocean, they get to hundreds of pounds.”

In so many ways, the trip to Palm Beach County, Florida, was a dream vacation for Miles and his family, but it only came after what was a living nightmare.

“I couldn’t imagine losing him,” says Miles’ mom, Natasha.

It was the harsh reality that Natasha had to face after learning her son Miles had a cancerous brain tumor.

“The world just stopped,” Natasha says about the moment she found out the devastating news. “I just sat on the floor and cried.”

Even Miles admits he was scared.

“I’m just a kid, you know what I mean?” he says. “It’s a lot to handle all at once.”

After three brain surgeries, countless hours of therapy and rehab, and having to take a chemo medication twice daily, Miles proved to the world he is a true survivor!

And his trip to Florida, through Make-A-Wish Arizona, proved to be the medication he never knew he needed.

Miles explains that the trip motivated him to keep going.

“It showed me that I made it to this car, and I can keep going,” he says. “I started at the lowest of lows, and now, I’m on a beach – it just gave me confidence and motivated me that I could keep going.”

Last year alone, Make-A-Wish Arizona granted 476 wishes; they’ve also fulfilled more than 8,500 since being founded in 1980.

Across the Globe, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 650,000 wishes since 1980

Miles and Nick Ciletti will co-host Make-A-Wish Arizona’s Wish Ball on Saturday! To learn more about Make-A-Wish Arizona, click here.

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Arizona

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

11 illegal Indian national truck drivers arrested at Arizona border last month

Eleven illegal Indian national truck drivers were arrested at the Arizona border in the month of February.

The Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 11 total Indian national truck drivers in Yuma, Arizona in February 2026.

According to a Facebook post by the Yuma Sector Border Patrol, all 11 truck drivers held commercial drivers licenses from the states of Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and California. All were “found to be present in the United States illegally.”

“Border Patrol remains committed to upholding immigration laws and protecting our communities,” the post continued.

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