Tag Archives: Williams

Kaibab National Forest plans pile burns on all districts this week

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WILLIAMS — Fire managers plan to burn piles on each of the three ranger districts of the Kaibab National Forest starting tomorrow and continuing through Friday. The piles are the result of forest restoration efforts, and the goal of burning them is to further reduce fuels that could feed high-intensity wildfire.

North Kaibab Ranger District
North Zone fire managers plan to burn piles scattered within a 100-acre area between Tuesday and Friday just north of Jacob Lake. The piles are small and should consume quickly. Fire managers plan to ignite piles within 25-acre areas each day of the four days scheduled for burning. No significant smoke impacts are anticipated, as prevailing winds should push smoke north/northeast away from Highway 89A. No road or trail closures are expected. However, visitors should use caution and be aware of emergency vehicles in the area.

Tusayan Ranger District
Tusayan Ranger District fire managers plan to burn piles scattered within a 15-acre area Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday about a mile northwest of Grand Canyon Airport. The small piles have cured over the last two years and are expected to consume quickly. Fire managers plan to ignite piles within 5-acre areas early on each of the three mornings to allow plenty of time for good consumption and smoke dissipation during the day. They anticipate little to no smoke impacts to the Town of Tusayan, Grand Canyon Airport and Highway 64. No road or trail closures are expected.

Williams Ranger District
Williams Ranger District fire managers plan to burn piles scattered within a 37-acre area on one day between Tuesday and Friday near Cougar Park, which is about 5 miles south of Williams and just north of Coleman Knoll. Fire managers are monitoring weather conditions to determine which day will be most appropriate for completing ignitions on these piles. Some smoke may settle into the area immediately surrounding the pile burn in Cougar Park and Barney Flat. It may also be visible from County Road 73. No road or trail closures are expected.

Implementation of any particular prescribed fire, including a pile burn, is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke. All prescribed fires are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit http://www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management.

In the interest of safety, visitors are always reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires, as firefighters, fire-related traffic and smoke may all be present.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fires are provided regularly throughout the season. Members of the public can find this information through the following sources:

Kaibab National Forest invites citizen scientists to participate in year-long biodiversity project

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WILLIAMS — Forest managers are excited to announce a citizen science project to identify and document the biodiversity of the Kaibab National Forest that will begin January 1 and continue through all of 2017. During the year-long project, forest visitors will be encouraged to explore the Kaibab National Forest and report their discoveries of plants and animals to help improve forest managers’ understanding of the abundance and distribution of species.

It’s easy and fun! Visitors who capture a photo of any plant or animal with their smartphone can share them with the “Kaibab NF 2017 Citizen Science Project” on the free online platform iNaturalist.org and receive expert feedback on their discoveries. iNaturalist offers apps for both the iPhone and Android, which make uploading observations easy. There are even how-to videos on the iNaturalist website. Kaibab National Forest biologists will also help participants identify or confirm findings.

“See, snap and share! There’s really nothing more to it,” said Natasha Kline, forest biologist for the Kaibab National Forest. “It’s a great way to explore the forest, contribute to our knowledge of biodiversity in the area, and experience the awesome flora and fauna that the Kaibab National Forest has to offer!”

The following rules are in place for the “Kaibab NF 2017 Citizen Science Project”:

  • Observation must be made between January 1 and December 31, 2017.
  • Observation must have photo or audio sound connected to the observation to be valid.
  • Observation must happen within the boundary of Kaibab National Forest.

If someone isn’t clear on the boundaries of the forest, the project will seek out any observation meeting these criteria and add them to the project.

“We are excited to get members of the public involved in making observations out in the field,” said Mark Christiano, geographic information specialist for the Kaibab National Forest. “Throughout the year, we hope to also offer events at which forest employees and members of the public join forces to capture images of specific plants and wildlife for this project. It’s a great way to connect with people and places while enjoying our beautiful northern Arizona landscape.”

To participate, visit the “Kaibab NF 2017 Citizen Science Project” on iNaturalist.org.

Clouds, but no snow in sight.

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WILLIAMS — Last night Williams may have received a small amount of rain. Clouds moved in overhead in the early morning hours, but should clear off and remain mostly sunny the rest of the week. Winds are expected to be about 6 to 9-mph through Friday. Temperatures will reach the 50s during the day dropping to the mid-to-low 20s overnight.

Flagstaff has a 10% chance of snow before 11 a.m., but otherwise the weather pattern is expected to be about the same as Williams.

City Council to swear in for new term

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williams-city-logoWILLIAMS — The Council Meeting will be held this Thursday, December 8 at 7 p.m. at City Hall on First Street. They will begin with a canvass of votes from the general election held November 8, 2016, and approve Resolution No. 1338 adopting the results. After approval of the Resolution, they will adjourn to swear in the Mayor and council members for the new term. A Vice-Mayor will be appointed along with a representative for the Theme Park Tax District.

The council will continue with public participation followed by considering the following items:

  1. Council may adopt Resolution No.1339 prescribing of revised standards of financial disclosure for local elected officials effective January 1, 2017.
  2. Discussion and decision on waiver of fees for Habitat for Humanity.
  3. Williams’ Folklorico Dancers will request a monetary donation ($500).
  4. Discussion and possible decision for a contract to apply chip sealing on Airport Road.
  5. Discussion and possible decision on choice of vendor to paint the interior of Forrest Service building.
  6. Discussion and decision on a contract agreement between the City of Williams and Robert Krombeen, City Magistrate.
  7. Discussion and possible decision regarding rental facilities rate increase.
  8. Council may recommend approval of the issuance of a bingo license to Vern McElwain of the Veterans of Foreign Wars from the Arizona Department of Revenue.
  9. Discussion and possible action to arrange payments to APS for the Garland Prairie Project.
  10. Discussion and possible direction of staff regarding electrical conversion projects.

Bearizona Winter Wonderland begins tonight

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Bearizona photo

WILLIAMS — Bearizona is hosting their second annual Wild Wonderland event which starts this weekend. Patrons to Wild Wonderland are sure to get in Christmas spirit while enjoying the magic of Bearizona at night.

This family friendly event allows visitors to enter the park after normal operating hours and takes place in the Fort Bearizona walk through portion of the park only.

Snow makes the animals more active and light show more spectacular. - Bearizona photo

Snow makes the animals more active and light show more spectacular. – Bearizona photo

Guests will enjoy the lights and sounds of the season while strolling through the beautifully lit pine trees that are synchronized to traditional Christmas music. This merry light show occurs every half hour. Other festivities include a nightly visit from Mrs. Claus for a special Storytime, plenty of photo ops, and a couple of the park’s sturdier critters stay up late to enjoy the cooler nights and will even get the chance to open their Christmas presents early! Bearizona’s program animals are eager to participate in the season’s festivities as well, and will be out for all to meet.

Guests can stay warm by the outdoor fire pit while roasting s’mores, or purchase a Christmas goodie or seasonal beverage while they peruse the gift shop filled with plenty of gifts ideas to finish off your Christmas shopping.

Wild Wonderland is held every Friday Saturday and Sunday evening in December. Then beginning December. 19 it runs every night through the 31, but is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

More information can be found at www.bearizona.com and make sure to get your 50% discount tickets on Groupon.

Snow likely over the weekend

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WILLIAMS — We were alerted to the possibility of some hazardous snow conditions over the weekend, so we cut our Thanksgiving Day a little short. A cold front is moving across northern Arizona which could bring snow and ice over the weekend. NOAA issued a hazardous weather warning which reads:

Friday through Wednesday

A cold winter system will bring snowfall to northern Arizona on Sunday and Monday. Snow levels will quickly fall to around 4500 Feet elevation late Saturday night and Sunday. The most intense Snowfall is expected from sunset Sunday night to sunrise Monday morning. This may very will impact the Monday morning commute for the higher elevations.

Stay tuned to the weather forecast if you have travel plans in the high country this weekend. Expect winter driving conditions on Sunday and Monday.

The chance of snow and rain begins Saturday night, but the highs over this period and through Tuesday are not expected to break 40-degrees. On Saturday it may be just over 50-degrees, but winds as high as 17-mph with gusts up to 28 will probably make it feel cooler.

A 30% chance of snow is predicted over Saturday night raising to 50% on Sunday morning and an 80% chance over Sunday night. Less than a half-inch of accumulation is expected over Saturday. New snow accumulation of up to 4-inches is possible over Sunday.

There is a chance of snow Monday and Tuesday which could cause problems commuting to Flagstaff. Expect icy conditions over the weekend and through to Tuesday when the weather clears.

Wet weather in Williams

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weather16-11-21-01Winter is starting to hit Williams with an overnight heavy rain and hail this morning. The weather cleared about 12:30 with scattered clouds still rolling overhead as of 1 p.m.weather16-11-21-02There is a 100% chance of snow this afternoon with less than an inch accumulation expected. There is a 50% chance of snow overnight with less than 1/2-inch accumulation expected.weather16-11-21-03The weather is expected to clear through the Thanksgiving weekend. The days should hover around 50-degrees with the nights dropping down to the lower 20s. The winds are expected to be relatively calm so it should be a beautiful Thanksgiving. The weather will continue to be nice through the weekend for the tree lighting event and parade.

Prepare for cold night tonight

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Clouds blank out the sun in Williams.

High winds are bringing clouds and cold temperatures into Williams and Flagstaff over night tonight and through tomorrow. A warming trend will return through the weekend, but chilly nights will remain and our spring weather during the day are disappearing.800-landsnow161116-03In Williams the temperature is expected to drop to 25 tonight and as low as 16 tomorrow night. The wind chill might make the temperatures seem much lower. There is a 10% chance of snow Thursday morning. The high tomorrow is expected to be around 46. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will warm up with cooler temperatures and chance of showers returning Monday. The weather in Flagstaff is expected to be about the same with slightly higher temperatures.800-port-161116-04

Costume meeting for Christmas Nativity Thursday

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WILLIAMS — The costume meeting for the Community Christmas Nativity Pageant will be Thursday, November 17th at 1pm. The meeting will be held at Williams Wear, 117 W. Route 66 in the mall. It is the first suite to the right as you enter from the front. The mall is next to Old Smokey’s Restaurant.

Kerry-Lynn asks that you notify her to let her know if you can make it to the meeting or not.

Tree street closed in Williams

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800-2nd-002WILLIAMS — 2nd Street between Bill Williams Avenue (Route 66) and Grant Street was closed by City of Williams Public Works department apparently in preparation for the annual arrival of the city Christmas tree. The section of 2nd street closed is between Colors of the West and the Grand Canyon Hotel.