A white Christmas in Phoenix is a near impossibility. Frolicking in packing peanuts or throwing ice cubes at your buddies doesn't count. Even though we can wear flip-flops throughout all 12 days of Christmas, snow is easier to find than you might think.
Here are five places to go to find snow in the Valley this holiday season.
See also: 11 Must-See Holiday Light Displays in Metro Phoenix
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort If you're looking for decadence, North Scottsdale is the place to go. The Christmas at the Princess festival, which runs through January 5, features all of the standard fare -- snow, hot cocoa, Santa -- but that's not all. The hotel boats an ice skating rink, a train that circles the winter wonderland, and a four-story Christmas tree. If that doesn't seem lavish enough, 14-foot poinsettias will be in abundance amid the hotel's 1.6 million lights.
Arizona Science Center Heritage and Science Park turns into a veritable winter wonderland the week after Christmas. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from December 26 through January 1, the park will be covered with more than 30 tons of real snow, ice sculptures, and gingerbread houses. If seeing the snow isn't enough, a snowball dodgeball tournament will be held on Sunday, December 29.
Rawhide Santa's character has been called into question quite a bit in the past week. We neither know nor care if Megyn Kelly would be down with a cowboy Santa, but that's what Rawhide offers. Replace Ol' Saint Nick's big black boots with cowboy boots, give him a red cowboy hat, and it's not much of a stretch. The Old West Town gets into the holiday spirit nightly through December 22 with snow, letters to Santa, a tree-lighting ceremony, and watching Santa arrive in a stage coach.
Phoenix Zoo No holiday is complete without Zoo Lights, but the Phoenix Zoo will offer a little something extra for Noon Year's Eve. This family-friendly event features an abundance of snow. Guests are encouraged to test their mettle in a snowball fight before the noon cider toast to ring in the New Year. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon December 31.
A local outdoor mall Tempe Marketplace, Desert Ridge, and Westgate all have the same deal: It snows at 7 and 8 p.m. sharp every night through December 24 near a fountain central to the shopping center. Snow falls last a brief eight minutes, but they're nice to scope out while doing some last-minute Christmas shopping.
