Interstate 40 closed in Arizona as winter weather shuts down major Southwest travel corridor

Winter storm with driving winds shuts down Interstate 40 in Arizona

Northern Arizona highways, including I-40 were shut down Thursday night into Friday due snow and a deadly collision on I-40. This same system will bring blizzard-like conditions to the northern tier states.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Winter weather from a major coast-to-coast storm closed a major interstate and other state highways in northern Arizona on Friday morning. 

That comes as the state's Department of Public Safety investigated a deadly crash involving a tractor-trailer Thursday afternoon on Interstate 40 near Williams, Arizona.

Several inches of snow could be seen in images of the crash.

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Stretches of I-40 between Kingman and Holbrook have been closed, in an area covering Flagstaff, Arizona.

While the snow has moved on, there is no timetable for reopening, as winter conditions remain on the roads, according to DPS.

These road closures began early Thursday evening as conditions deteriorated and officials encouraged people to stay off the roads until the storm passed.

The system that brought this snow is the same one that's driving severe weather across the central and southern U.S. It is also forecast to bring similar whiteout driving conditions to states in the northern tier Friday night.

Near-blizzard conditions forecast for Northern Plains this weekend

(FOX Weather)