Saguaro Snow

Photograph Story | Saguaro Snow

Snow covered saguaros in Arizona is a rare and beautiful sight.

I woke up relatively late one Saturday morning. As I slowly walked to my bedroom window to open the blinds and let some light in, I saw what appeared to be snow. Not a little dusting of snow, but a proper snowfall. As I flung the blinds open, I could see snow covering everything in sight. The yard was full of white goodness and the Rincon Mountain peaks were beautifully snow capped.

I suddenly had a little pep in my step walking away from the window, realizing if my yard was covered in snow, the saguaros at the same elevation as my home would also be covered in snow.

The pep in my step moved to a full on hustle to pile on layers, gather camera gear, grab a snack and drive to Saguaro National Park. I was tripping over my own feet trying to get out the door because I was so excited. I also knew the snow was melting quickly, since I had slept in and it was already late morning. The Arizona warmth was melting away the white goodness.

Luckily, I only had to drive a few miles to reach saguaros and the mountains. I was welcomed by cloudy skies with just enough sun peeking through to add a beautiful glow to the saguaros and snow. And there was still enough snow on the arms to capture photographs of this rare and magnificent occurrence.

As I stood beneath the saguaros, capturing photographs, clumps of snow were falling off and landing on my head, feet and back as I tried to dodge them. It was quite comical.

Capturing this photograph is one of my favorite Arizona memories.