Wind Advisory
from SAT 12:00 PM MST until SAT 10:00 PM MST, Western Pima County including Ajo/Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Tohono O'odham Nation including Sells, Upper Santa Cruz River and Altar Valleys including Nogales, Tucson Metro Area including Tucson/Green Valley/Marana/Vail, South Central Pinal County including Eloy/Picacho Peak State Park, Southeast Pinal County including Kearny/Mammoth/Oracle, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains including Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven, Baboquivari Mountains including Kitt Peak, Kofa, Central La Paz, Aguila Valley, Southeast Yuma County, Gila River Valley, Northwest Valley, Tonopah Desert, Gila Bend, Buckeye/Avondale, Cave Creek/New River, Deer Valley, Central Phoenix, North Phoenix/Glendale, New River Mesa, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Rio Verde/Salt River, East Valley, Fountain Hills/East Mesa, South Mountain/Ahwatukee, Southeast Valley/Queen Creek, Superior, Northwest Pinal County, West Pinal County, Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, Tonto Basin, Mazatzal Mountains, Pinal/Superstition Mountains, Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, San Carlos, Dripping Springs, Globe/Miami, Southeast Gila County

Highway to Grand Canyon's North Rim closed for winter; caution on routes urged

Grand Canyon (National Park Service)

The highway to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is barricaded for winter and authorities urge drivers heading into snow country to be cautious, particularly if GPS or navigation apps recommend taking alternative routes.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced the closure of State Route 67 between Jacob Lake and the North Rim on Wednesday. Several other highways in Arizona’s high country will close by Dec. 31 or sooner depending on the weather.

The department advised taking extra clothing, food, water and other emergency supplies if driving in snow areas and cautioned that taking suggested alternate routes that are unpaved and unplowed "can lead you into danger."

In December 2016, a Pennsylvania woman who was a marathon runner hiked 26 miles (42 kilometers) through backcountry snow to get help after she, her husband and their son got stuck driving on a snowy forest road while trying to reach the North Rim after the highway closed.

Rescuers reached the father and son after the dad was able to climb a ridge and get a cellphone signal. The woman had holed up in a cabin at a closed park entrance and was rescued the next day by rescuers on snowmobiles.

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