Snow and Santa Forecast for Tempe

December 11, 6:46 PMPhoenix Travel ExaminerJay Hammond

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Photo courtesy of the Escalante Community Center website..

Tempe will see snow on December 12, 2008. About 5 tons of it. But don't look for it on the streets or sidewalks. This snow will only be falling at the Escalante Community Center as part of the annual Family Winter Wonderland celebration.

Santa will be there, along with the snow, to meet with good little girls and boys in Tempe between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Kids can also get their pictures taken with Santa for just $1 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. If the snow is too cold and wet for Arizona tots, there will also be an inflatable slide, bounce house, carnival games and train rides through Escalante Park to enjoy. Children can create a variety of craft projects from wreaths to snowmen as well. They might even take home a toy from Santa's Workshop if they have one of the winning carnival tickets!

The Escalante Community Center has been a fixture in Tempe since 1971. Created to serve a dynamic and culturally diverse population including the Victory Acres neighborhood, the Center grew out of a social organization for teens created in 1969. The facility initally housed the Tempe Community Action Center (CAP), the Escalante Senior Center, the Youth Assistance Program and other progams sponsored by the recreation division. The current 30,000-square-foot facility was completed in 1997 and offers a variety of programs and special events for preschoolers, youth, adults and seniors.

Both Escalante Park and the Escalante Community Center were named in honor of three members of the Escalante family who gave their lives for their country during World War II. Brothers George (killed on Luzon in 1945), Cipriano (killed on Iwo Jima in 1945) and their cousin Gabriel (killed in the Pacific in late 1944) gave their surname to these wonderful community resources.

The forecast for Friday evening includes partly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping from a high of 74 degrees that afternoon to an overnight low of 48 degrees. No precipitation is forecast until Saturday night according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Admission is $2 per person. Admissions wristbands can be pre-purchased until noon at the Escalante Community Center or purchased at the Family Winterwonderland that night. The Escalante Community Center is located at 2150 E. Orange St. (just west of Pima Road/the 101 between University Dr. and Apache Blvd.) in Tempe.