Snowflake, Arizona

Snowflake is a town in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It was founded in 1878 by Erastus Snow and William Jordan Flake, Mormon pioneers and colonizers.[5] It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[6][7] According to 2010 Census, the population of the town is 5,590.[8]

Snowflake, Arizona
Town
The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Snowflake
Location of Snowflake in Navajo County, Arizona.
Snowflake
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°31′20″N 110°05′29″W
Country United States
State Arizona
CountyNavajo
Founded1878
Founded byErastus Snow and William Jordan Flake
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • BodySnowflake Town Council
 • MayorLynn Johnson
Area
 • Total33.74 sq mi (87.40 km2)
 • Land33.69 sq mi (87.25 km2)
 • Water0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)
Elevation5,682 ft (1,732 m)
Population
 • Total5,590
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
5,995
 • Density177.96/sq mi (68.71/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (no DST/PDT)
ZIP codes
85937, 85942
Area code(s)928
FIPS code04-67800
GNIS ID(s)34591, 2413301
WebsiteTown of Snowflake
Historic Home, Snowflake, Arizona

Snowflake is 25 miles (40 km) south of Interstate 40 (formerly U.S. Route 66) via Highway 77. The Apache Railway provides freight service.

Geography

Snowflake is located at 34°31′20″N 110°05′29″W (34.5223005, -110.0913752).[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.9 square miles (80 km2), of which, 30.8 square miles (80 km2) of it are land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.16%) are water.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1880275—
1910494—
192075853.4%
19301,25966.1%
1950929—
19609825.7%
19701,977101.3%
19803,51077.5%
19903,6794.8%
20004,46021.2%
20105,59025.3%
Est. 20195,995[4]7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 4,460 people, 1,312 households, and 1,070 families residing in the town. The population density was 144.8 people per square mile (55.9/km²). There were 1,536 housing units at an average density of 49.9 per square mile (19.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.24% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 6.93% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 3.00% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. 8.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,312 households out of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.5% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 3.81.

In the town, the population was spread out with 37.9% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,439, and the median income for a family was $42,500. Males had a median income of $30,517 versus $21,164 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,391. About 10.4% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Recently, the town and surrounding area have experienced steady growth, primarily to the east, west and south. An additional 9-holes were added to the 18-hole golf course where the Snowflake Arizona Temple was built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2002.

The remoteness of Snowflake and the low level of pollution attracts many individuals suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) to the town.[11] As of July 2016 there were approximately 20 households who report to be suffering from MCS.[12]

Education

Snowflake is a part of the Snowflake Unified School District, consisting of Highland Primary School, Snowflake Intermediate School, Snowflake Junior High and Snowflake High School. Taylor Elementary School in the neighboring town of Taylor, Arizona is also part of the Snowflake Unified school District.

Northland Pioneer College's Silver Creek campus extension is located in Snowflake.

Climate

Snowflake experiences a four-season climate with a warm (sometimes hot) summer, mild autumn, mild to cold winter and cool, windy spring. Typical high temperatures hover around 90 °F (32 °C) during July and August and 30 (-1 °C) to 55 °F (13 °C) in December/January.


Climate data for Snowflake, Arizona
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 79
(26)		 78
(26)		 82
(28)		 92
(33)		 98
(37)		 102
(39)		 104
(40)		 102
(39)		 98
(37)		 90
(32)		 90
(32)		 75
(24)		 104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 48.6
(9.2)		 55.0
(12.8)		 60.8
(16.0)		 68.8
(20.4)		 77.2
(25.1)		 87.3
(30.7)		 90.0
(32.2)		 87.2
(30.7)		 81.7
(27.6)		 71.2
(21.8)		 58.0
(14.4)		 48.9
(9.4)		 69.6
(20.9)
Average low °F (°C) 19.6
(−6.9)		 22.9
(−5.1)		 27.7
(−2.4)		 32.7
(0.4)		 39.9
(4.4)		 47.6
(8.7)		 56.2
(13.4)		 55.1
(12.8)		 47.6
(8.7)		 36.0
(2.2)		 26.1
(−3.3)		 19.8
(−6.8)		 35.9
(2.2)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)		 −17
(−27)		 −5
(−21)		 3
(−16)		 17
(−8)		 20
(−7)		 27
(−3)		 28
(−2)		 22
(−6)		 11
(−12)		 −17
(−27)		 −24
(−31)		 −30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.73
(19)		 0.72
(18)		 1.01
(26)		 0.42
(11)		 0.59
(15)		 0.33
(8.4)		 1.75
(44)		 2.44
(62)		 1.64
(42)		 1.25
(32)		 0.93
(24)		 0.89
(23)		 12.7
(324.4)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.6
(6.6)		 2.9
(7.4)		 2.2
(5.6)		 1.1
(2.8)		 0.3
(0.76)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.4
(1.0)		 1.9
(4.8)		 3.8
(9.7)		 15.2
(38.66)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) 4.3 4.4 4.9 2.6 2.7 2.2 8.3 9.4 5.8 4.4 3.7 3.9 56.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) 1.5 1.1 1.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.6 1.4 6.2
Source: NOAA (extremes 1898–present)[13]
  • Some members of the logging crew involved in the Travis Walton abduction incident live in this town, and several events surrounding that incident happened here. These events were dramatized in the sci-fi film Fire in the Sky (1993).[14][15]
  • References to Snowflake are made in the murder mystery Brigham City (2001), and the war film Saints and Soldiers (2004).
  • A character named Jonah Flake appears in Armistead Maupin's Mary Ann in Autumn, a Tales of the City novel published in 2010. Jonah is from Snowflake and says he is a descendant of the Flake family that helped found the city.
  • The 99 Percent Invisible podcast has an episode about the people in Snowflake with MCS.

Notable people
Walter Blackman, the first black Republican elected to the Arizona Legislature.
  • Walter Blackman, Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives[16]
  • Jeff Flake, former United States Senator
  • Marilyn Jarrett (1939–2006), Arizona businesswoman and politician, was born in Snowflake.[17]
  • Buzz Miller (1923–1999), dancer, was born in Snowflake.[18]
  • Jesse N. Smith (1834–1906), was a Mormon pioneer, church leader, politician and colonizer of Snowflake. The Jesse N. Smith House (Snowflake, Arizona), is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Travis Walton, who was allegedly abducted by space aliens, is an author and was played by D. B. Sweeney in the sci-fi film Fire in the Sky (1993), lives in Snowflake.
gollark: no ban.
gollark: The list of staff is classified.
gollark: But that would reveal his alt.
gollark: I mean, for simple cases I guess it might be doable.
gollark: Wouldn't that require solving the halting problem?

See also

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  2. "Feature Detail Report for: Town of Snowflake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. History of Snowflake, AZ
  6. Thompson, George E. (2009). You Live Where?: Interesting and Unusual Facts about where We Live. iUniverse. p. 5.
  7. Gallant, Frank K. (2012). A Place Called Peculiar: Stories about Unusual American Place-Names. Courier Dover Publications. p. 18.
  8. "Snowflake(town) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Quickfacts.census.gov. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  11. Fred A. Bernstein (July 10, 2005). "In One Arizona Community, an Oasis in a Toxic World". The New York Times
  12. Kathleen Hale, Mae Ryan (July 11, 2016). "Allergic to life: the Arizona residents 'sensitive to the whole world'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 17, 2017.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  13. "Snowflake, AZ" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  14. Jerome Clark. The UFO Book: Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial. Visible Ink, 1998 ISBN 1-57859-029-9
  15. Travis Walton. "Human?" travis-walton.com
  16. "The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart". Justfacts.votesmart.org. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  17. 'Marilyn Jarrett-obituary,' The Arizona Republic, March 16, 2006
  18. "archives.nypl.org -- Buzz Miller papers". Archives and Manuscripts. New York Public Library. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
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