Catalina Hwy closed, 2 feet of snow expected this week

Snowy conditions forced the closure of Catalina Highway on Monday afternoon. 

Only Mt. Lemmon residents and employees of businesses on the mountain who use chains or four-wheel drive are allowed past milepost zero on Catalina Highway, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said at 1:50 p.m. 

About two feet of snow is expected to fall on Mt. Lemmon this week as three different weather systems sweep through Tucson, according to the National Weather Service in Tucson. 

Although no snow is forecast for the metro area, rain was falling Monday afternoon in Tucson. The weather service said Tucsonans should see about an inch of rain and cooler temperatures over the course of the week.

A low-pressure system centered on the northern Gulf of California should hit Tucson Monday afternoon, followed by a second system blowing in from the Pacific Ocean west of Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. A third system originating in the Gulf of Alaska should arrive in Tucson on Friday.

The largest snowfall, 17 inches, is expected for the Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley between Tuesday and Thursday night, with slightly lower amounts at Summerhaven and other locales in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The third weather system should bring another five to 10 inches on Friday and Saturday, the weather service said.

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Temperatures in Tucson are expected to decline steadily through the week. Monday’s high temperature of 60 degrees will dip to 52 degrees by Saturday. The low temperatures will drop from 47 degrees on Monday to 33 degrees on Saturday.

Rainfall in Tucson will vary depending on location, the weather service said. Monday afternoon saw showers and there is a 60 percent chance the rain will continue into the night. The chance of rain lessens Tuesday, with only a 30 percent chance during the day and a 60 percent chance at night, the weather service said.

Wednesday should see a 60 percent chance of rain during the day and a 40 percent chance at night, followed by a 50 percent chance during the day Thursday and a 30 percent chance at night. Friday should see a 50 percent chance of rain during the day and a 30 percent chance at night.

The NWS forecast a zero percent chance of rain on Saturday.

The Pima County road closure hotline can be reached at (520) 547-7510.