The first significant snow storm of the season hit the Verde Valley on Monday, Jan. 25, continuing into Tuesday. I-17 closed in both directions north of State Route 179, as did State Route 89A north of Sedona, making it nearly impossible to reach Flagstaff from the Verde Valley. State Route 89A also closed down between Clarkdale and Jerome.
In total, Verde Valley communities varied in snow accumulation between Sedona, which received 6-8 inches of snow, and Camp Verde, which received 2-3. While the valley received its fair share of snow, it was dwarfed by Flagstaff, which received 15-25 inches.
All of the school districts in the Verde Valley closed down for in-person learning on Tuesday, Jan. 26, though Mingus Union High School District had already been in remote-learning due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and therefore did not close. Camp Verde High School cancelled its administration of the PSATs on Tuesday.
Clarkdale-Jerome School District announced on Tuesday afternoon that the district would have a delayed start on Wednesday due to the snow.
“As we continue to work through the inclement weather, Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary School will be on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Wednesday, January 27th,” CJSD Superintendent Danny Brown wrote in a press release. “School will begin at 10:15 am and busses will run two hours later than their normal time. This includes a delay for our Onsite Learning Opportunities students. The District has also decided to cancel our scheduled early-release and will hold school for the entire day with dismissal at 2:25, our normal time. We worry about roads freezing in the morning and this allows for our bus drivers to transport students safely and still have a meaningful day of instruction. We thank our families for their patience and flexibility.”
Clarkdale-Jerome School District and Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District had each only been open for a week for in-person learning, having opened up on Tuesday, Jan. 19 after teacher vaccinations. Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District was able to make the decision Monday afternoon and therefor give students take-home packets for a day of remote-learning on Tuesday.
This is the first time that schools in the Verde Valley have been closed due to snow since February 2019, when they were closed for two days in a row due to a massive storm that accumulated up to 8 inches in the lower Verde Valley.
