Tourists enjoy Flagstaff's winter wonderland as entire state finally cools off

A quick change in temperatures across the Valley meant the high country woke up to a blanket of snow overnight.

It’s no secret the mountains are packed with snow after weekend storms, but they're also packed with families, kids, hikers, and snowman makers for the first snowfall of the season.

Arizona natives Chris Platt and Ana Chavarria made their way up the mountain for fall's changing of the aspens.

"If you catch it just right, it’s just this beautiful yellow glow," Platt said.

They got a lot more than the bright-colored leaves – they got a winter wonderland.

"My eyes were tearing up," Chavarria said. "It’s one of the most beautiful gifts that Arizona has to offer."

Out-of-state visitors were shocked to see this much snow, especially in October and after months of record heat just a couple of hours south of Flagstaff.

"It’s night and day. Especially from Michigan coming to Arizona," Michael Burcusel said. "I didn’t expect to see all of this. I thought it was all desert."

Some pups, like Daisy and Guss, are seeing the snow for the first time and are feeling a little more at home. Kids were filling this October Sunday with memories of building and naming snowmen.

The countdown is on until the ski lifts open. For now, the Arizona Snowbowl is counting more than inches early on in the season.

"We tend to get some snowfall in October, but we certainly don’t usually get over a foot. It’s phenomenal up here," Angie Grubb of Snowbowl said.

Fall is coming to an end, but from the looks of it, it could be a snow-packed winter at Snowbowl. Winter lifts are expected to open Nov. 22.