Flood waters rush down Campbell near US 89, taken from Chevron parking lot. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)– Rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour caused yet another round of flooding and road closures in the Schultz Burn area a few miles northeast of Flagstaff.

Washes quickly filled with runoff, and soon overflowed into neighborhood streets including Campbell Way and Kevin’s Way.  Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies and Department of Public Safety officers quickly closed those roads and closed the outside southbound lanes of US 89 in several spots so that ADOT and  Coconino County crews could clear debris from the intersections.

Part of Kevin’s Way at US 89 is washed out, erroded away from water in the street flowing into a drainage culvert.

Flood waters flow onto the Chevron gas station property at Campbell/US 89. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

At the Chevron gas station on US 89 and Campbell, flood waters rushed down drainage ditches and overflowed into the gas pump area.  Water was backing up as there was too much to pass through culverts under the highway.

Speeds are reduced to 35 miles per hour for a few miles on US 89 while crews continue to clean up debris washed onto area roads.

More rainfall is possible this afternoon.

Elsewhere, at the Grand Canyon, a Flash Flood Warning has been issued until 6 pm.  The National Weather Service says that radar indicates 2-3 inches of rain has fallen over the area, with additional thunderstorms moving though the area for the rest of the day.  Supai and nearby areas are included in the warning

An ADOT grader clears debris from the outside southbound lane on US 89 south of Kevin's Way. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

DPS and CCSO block off Kevin's Way, which was partially washed-out by flood waters. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

A CCSO deputy surveys the damage from flood waters coming off of Kevin's Way. (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

An excavator pulls dirt back from the cement barrier after a loader cleared the roadway (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

PAYSON (NAZ Today)– Monsoon storms and mud caused delays on an already backed-up Sunday for drivers heading along a central Arizona highway.

Loose dirt from a highway widening project on State Route 260 east of Payson gave way in the afternoon after the area was hit by a line of thunderstorms earlier in the day. National Weather Service radar estimates show 1-3 inches of rain fell in the area Sunday, with some isolated areas receiving 4 inches of rain within a mile of the rockslides, at mile post 265. A flood advisory for the area expired at 6:30 pm Sunday evening.

Patrick Walker/NAZ Today

The mud caused delays in the west-bound lane of traffic on the two-lane portion of the roadway.  The short section of road between Little Green Valley and Tonto Village, where the slide occurred, is one of the last two-lane sections of SR 260 between Forest Lakes and Payson, and is currently under construction.

The road was closed for a few minutes while crews quickly cleared debris from the roadway and worked to prevent additional dirt from falling over cement construction barriers onto the highway.

Estimated rainfall of 2-3 inches (red) and 4 inches (pink) over SR 260 12 miles east of Payson (Radar courtesy: NWS Flagstaff)

The slide backed up weekend traffic returning to the Phoenix area.  SR 260 is a popular route for vacationers during the summer months as a connector between the Metro Phoenix area and the Mogollon Rim.  Traffic counts by the Town of Payson and ADOT on State Route 260 in Payson show that 20,000 vehicles pass through the area per day during the weekend (Friday-Sunday).

The Arizona Department of Transportation will close the road between mile posts 264 and 265 Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3 pm for blasting operations, unrelated to the mudslide.

Rain falling over the mudslide area, looking east from Payson Sunday evening (Patrick Walker/NAZ Today)

The National Weather Service is predicting southwest winds from 20-25 m.p.h. gusting to near 40 m.p.h. along the I-40 corridor. Flagstaff’s predicted high temperature Monday is 78 degrees, with 81 degrees in the Doney Park area.  74 degrees is predicted for the Eagle Rock Fire area north of Parks.

Relative humidities are predicted to be very low, meaning the air will be very dry again Monday.

**FILE PHOTO** In this April 28, 2010 photo, strong winds blew over a boat trailer. I-40 has been closed numerous times due to wind since April 1st. (Photo: Chad Black/APSN.us)

Sunday Evening Update:  ADOT is reporting that I-40 is beginning to reopen between Flagstaff and Winslow. Officials are also saying that some delays can be expected as backed up traffic begins to enter into the area.

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)– ADOT has once again closed Interstate 40 due to high winds and blowing dust.

At around 11:15 this morning, ADOT announced that the highway between Flagstaff and Winslow is closed.

The Arizona Department of Transportation closed I-40 yesterday due to the blowing dust stemming from a low pressure system that has caused high winds out ahead of the storm front.  The highway was reopened yesterday evening, but crews closed the road again this morning between milepost 219 and milepost 252 (Winslow) due to deteroriating conditions.

An automated weather station on I-40 at Two Guns is reporting 55 mile-per-hour wind gusts this morning. The National Weather Service in Flagstaff has issued a Dust Storm Warning for much of northern Arizona, and a High Wind Warning is also in effect for the closure area between Winona and Winslow.

State Route 99 from Winslow south is also closed due to the dust storm.

Officials have not announced when they plan to reopen the Interstate.  DPS is turning vehicles around at the closure sites.

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ADOT Road Closure Info:  www.az511.gov or dial 5-1-1 on your mobile phone.

State Route 87 runs from Coolidge north through Fountain Hills, continuing to Payson and north to Winslow before terminating on the Navajo Reservation at Second Mesa (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

SUNFLOWER, Ariz. (NAZ Today)– A state highway that has been plagued with rockslides is once again closed this evening due to a rock/mudslide from heavy rains in the Slate Creek area.

ADOT is recommending US 60 to Globe, and then northbound on SR 188 through Roosevelt back to SR 87 if motorists need to drive from the Valley to the Payson area.  Thursday evening, ADOT engineers determined that the road was “too unstable to maintain traffic,” so the road was closed to norhbound traffic at the Bush Highway turnoff.  ADOT has also closed the road southbound at the Roosevelt turnoff (SR 188), 15 miles south of Payson.  Cars are being detoured to Globe or turned around at both turnoffs (Bush Hwy. and SR 188).

ADOT and DPS are advising that drivers use caution on the SR 188 portion of the detour, as there is still standing water on the road, just north of Globe at mile post 219.

Northbound SR 87 was temporarily closed Thursday afternoon after rocks and mud fell onto the road deck.  Crews were able to clear and reopen one lane for traffic for a short time before ADOT engineers requested crews to again close the road.

Back in March 2008, southbound SR 87 was closed for several weeks due to a rock slide a few miles north of the area that both covered the roadway and eroded out from under the road deck, buckeling the pavement.  The northbound lanes were converted to two-way traffic during the closure. ADOT crews have been reconstructing the hillside and putting up barriers to prevent rock slides in the area since that time.

ADOT has not announced when a northbound traffic will be allowed back on portions of SR 87.

Heavy snowfall and gusty winds, which are expected as the work week progresses, often close this portion of Lake Mary Road (FH-3)  because county snow removal crews have a difficult time keeping up with blowing and drifting snow on the roadway, which skirts the eastern side of Mormon Lake.

County officials have not said when the closed portion of Lake Mary Road will reopen.  No other county roads have been reported as closed or delayed at this time.

The National Weather Service in Flagstaff issued a Blizzard Warning for the Eastern Mogollon Rim and Western Mogollon Rim including Flagstaff, Heber, Happy Jack, and Williams (Photo Courtesy: NWS Flagstaff)

FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today)– The Blizzard Warning for Flagstaff has been allowed to expire by the National Weather Service.

High winds and heavy snowfall caused dangerous traveling conditions on area roadways.  The NWS and DPS say that travel should be limited due to icy and snow-packed road conditions.

A Winter Storm Warning was in affect for much of the higher elevations of northern Arizona, including Grand Canyon Village, the Navajo Nation, northern Gila County (including Payson), and I-40 from Holbrook eastward.

A Winter Storm Watch was in effect for the Little Colorado River Valley including Winslow and along parts of US 89 from Grey Mountain northward to the Tuba City turnoff.

The NWS says that over two feet of snow has fallen in the Flagstaff area, winds were sustained at 50 mph overnight, with gusts in the 70-75 mph range.

Snow and ice are still a problem on the roads Tuesday, with city, county, and state crews working to plow and de-ice.  If you have to travel, plan on leaving well ahead of time and notifying other people of your plans.  Travel with additional clothing.

For the latest information on this significant weather event, visit the National Weather Service Flagstaff Forecast Office Homepage at www.weather.gov/flagstaff.