Stories - AZPM

A skier cruises down Snowmass ski area, where January brought heavy snow to the mountains that supply the majority of the Colorado River's water. Scientists say this could provide a temporary boost to shrinking reservoirs.

The Rockies are having a snowy winter, but not all of that water will make it to the Colorado River

A snowy January is not enough to overcome conditions caused by years of below-average moisture in the region.

Fresh snowfall in Saguaro National Park, East, near Tucson, Arizona.

The Buzz: Arizona and snow

While non-rain precipitation is rare in the deserts, it's not uncommon for the mountains to get feet of snow each year.

An attendee learns to ride a snowboard on Mount Lemmon Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. Ski Valley offers lessons throughout the day.

Ski Valley opens for snowboarding and skiing

Almost 250 people attended and worked Ski Valley's opening day.

Rare desert winter snow on saguaro cactus in the Catalina Mountains.

Winter solstice: Why isn't the shortest day of the year in the deepest part of winter?

It may be the day with the fewest hours of sunshine for the global north, but there is another source of heat to consider.

Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

The Buzz: Looking back on 2022

Newsworthy interviews and topics that we addressed this year.

2022 "Monsoon Madness" names a decisive winner

The victor successfully predicted rainfall totals during another active season.

Heat-related illnesses during the Southern Arizona summers can be dangerous and even deadly. Salvation Army Cooling Centers or “Heat Refuges” are open to all, and provide a climate-controlled space to eat, relax, and re-hydrate.

A vacant lot is used as a place to stack and assemble sandbags for use by residents whose properties are at risk of flooding.

The Buzz: A strong monsoon brings road closures and floods

Why does some infrastructure get overwhelmed by above-average summer rain?

Monsoon madness reaches final weeks

Amateur forecasters are predicting Southwest rainfall totals for the second straight year.

This photo provided by Caltrans shows a washed-out section of Interstate 10 near Desert Center, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. Eastbound traffic on Interstate 10 in the Southern California desert was blocked Thursday after flash floods washed out the roadway. The latest round of flooding caused by monsoonal thunderstorms hit Wednesday evening and also impacted other desert highways.

Washout repair completed on I-10

A section of highway near the Arizona-California border was washed away in a flash flood.

A saguaro cactus in the Grand Canyon National Park is in full bloom, displaying beautiful pink flowers.

Arizona Spotlight for August 11th, 2022

Native plants return to Hermosillo's urban landscape; Tucsonan John Rhodes tells about his family's rodeo history; Meet the new CEO of The Western National Parks Association; and a short story by Aurelie Sheehan.

Forest "greenup" could lead to increased mountain wildfire danger

Monsoon-assisted growth is expected to dry out and may provide fuel for potential fires.

Pima County tourism saw strong rebound in 2021

Report commissioned by local tourism bureau says visitor spending up 77 percent

Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

What will Arizona do as its share of Colorado River water diminishes?

We hear about efforts to reassess state allocations and what may come of a billion-dollar fund established this summer.

Looking east towards downtown Tucson from Tumamoc Hill. From January 2022.

Pima County Issues Ground-Level Ozone Advisory

Thursday marks the second consecutive day of an advisory.

A screenshot from "Godzilla vs. Moguera" (A Short Stop motion battle), produced by Jurassic studios (aka Tobias).

Young Arizona filmmaker makes epics in miniature.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Making Tucson more accessible for those with visual impairments; Neighbors come together and transform their alleyway as a means of coping with grief; and a look at the rarely enforced "Stupid motorist" law.

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