Motorists Brave Whiteout Conditions During Blizzard in Central Arizona

A major snowstorm brought whiteout conditions to roads in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday, February 22.

Video captured John Michels shows strong winds creating whiteout conditions on roads in front of his home.

Michels told Storyful that he ventured outside after losing power at home and had to keep his eyes closed while recording the video.

“The wind was enough to make my face sting for the rest of the day and almost took my phone with it a couple times. Somehow I remained steady enough to later see what I missed after needing to keep my eyes closed most of the time the video was shot.”

Arizona Department of Transportation urged residents to avoid travelling during storm conditions.

“Watching the traffic go past my apartment in such conditions was a little nerve wracking and I kept praying I wouldn’t capture anything tragic,” Michel added.

Damaging winds and falling snow would continue throughout Wednesday and impact travel in the area, the National Weather Service said. Credit: John Michels via Storyful

Video transcript

[NO SPEECH]