It regularly snows at the North and South Rims of Grand Canyon National Park during the winter.
At 8,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level, respectively, it’s fairly easy to see why.
The same can’t be said for lower elevations.
The Phantom Ranch, which lies along The Colorado River, sits at an elevation of just 2,460 feet. That’s about 4,800 feet below the South Rim, and 5,800 feet below the North Rim.
The drastic change in elevation usually means that while temps plunge at The Rims, the area around The Phantom Ranch stays relatively mild throughout the winter.
The photos and videos below show the result of a freak cold front that actually brought cumulating snowfall to The Phantom Ranch and the surrounding area.
Check out the beautiful scenes:
Here’s more information about snowfall in Grand Canyon National Park from The National Parks Service:
“Winter precipitation usually falls as snow on the rims, but melts to rain before reaching the canyon floor.
The North Rim receives the heaviest snowfall, averaging 142” per year, with a record snowfall of 272.8” (almost 23 feet) in 1978.
The South Rim averages 58” of snow, and Phantom Ranch less than 1”. Moisture for these winter storms generally comes from the North Pacific.”