For those who thought warm spring weather had settled into northern Arizona, Mother Nature has one phrase: April Fools!

Prescott could see a smattering of snow on April Fools' Day Thursday as a strong Pacific storm system sweeps through Arizona.

The snow level in northern Arizona could drop to 4,500 feet.

Higher-elevation areas such as the Arizona Snowbowl near Flagstaff could get six inches of the white stuff, prompting the ski area to announce it will stay open through April 11 (although it will be closed April 5-8).
While the National Weather Service expects snow accumulation to be less than an inch in Prescott, the accompanying wind could do some real damage.

The possibility of wind gusts reaching 50 mph throughout Yavapai County has prompted the Weather Service to issue a wind advisory from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today.

It also will get cold enough to damage some flowering plants, down to a low of 27 degrees Thursday night.

The daily high could drop nearly 20 degrees between today and Thursday, from 62 to 43 degrees.

The storm should move in tonight behind the strong winds, with rain showers likely after 11 p.m.

The rain is likely to turn to snow after 11 a.m. on April Fools' Day, according to the Weather Service. Most of the precipitation - which could add up to 1/4 inch - should fall by 11 p.m. Thursday.

Temperatures will rapidly climb back up to 53 degrees by Friday and 63 degrees by Saturday, when the snow will be only a memory. Joanna Dodder Nellans