VIDEO: Snow falls just north of Phoenix

Dave Schacher knew early on that Monday was going to be special.

"I saw this on the news. I grabbed my camera and headed out here from central Phoenix. This is awesome," he said.

Schacher is a photographer and headed to the north side of the Valley looking for some great shots.

"Yeah, getting some nice landscape shots with some snow. Desert and snow, it's beautiful man. Cactus, and snow, it's beautiful," he said.

The latest storm system to swing through the state brought an unexpected surprise: snow levels as low as 2,500 feet.  It made for some spectacular photos, but they came at a price.

"I am shivering, man. It's freezing out here," Schacher said.

It wasn't just pros that were out to capture the unique landscapes.

"It's very beautiful. It's very beautiful," Linda Schmidt said.

Linda and her husband are visiting from chilly Wisconsin. They were excited to catch a glimpse of the desert dressed in white.

"Yeah. this is unique for the area. Different from what is normally expected," Randy Schmidt said.

The pair snapped several photos for their friends back home.

"We had to stop and get a picture of the snow on the cactus. It looks like it might be a Christmas card," Linda said.

The snow was fleeting and most had melted away by mid-day.

Our forecast calls for MORE cold air over the next few days. See the full forecast here .