Dust storm
Details
This is an expired event!
Event title
United States - Dust storm warning issued throughout Valley Sunday evening, as thunderstorms also approach
Source
Severity
Low
Event date (UTC)
2026-07-13 08:13:08
Last update (UTC)
2026-07-13 08:13:08
Area range
Multiple counties wide event
Address/Affected area(s)
Maricopa County, Arizona
It is monsoon season, and a large plume of dust traveling along State Route 202 caused officials to issue a dust storm warning on Sunday evening.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued the warning for Maricopa County until 8:45 p.m. Sunday.
NWS said the wall of dust was moving northwest at 30 mph from Sun Lakes to Estrella Sailport to Big Horn. The advisory warned visibility will drop to under a quarter mile with winds moving at more than 40 mph.
Drivers are advised to avoid dust storms, if possible, but they should pull off the road, turn off their lights and keep their foot off the brake if they are caught in one.
Earlier Sunday, NWS had Phoenix, Mesa and southeast Arizona toward the Mexico border at a slight risk threat assessment for Sunday afternoon into the evening.
Storms are expected to develop over higher terrain and in southern Arizona, which could produce damaging winds and dense blowing dust in outflow boundaries.
There is a 30-50% chance of storms in lower-elevation communities.
Weather forces ground stoppage at Sky Harbor International Airport
A ground stoppage was issued for Sky Harbor International Airport by the FAA, due to the storms. As of 8:45 p.m., nearly 400 flights were delayed at Sky Harbor on Sunday.
Weekend weather alerts
NWS also issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m. Sunday for Maricopa, Gila, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz and Yavapai counties.
Sunday’s alerts came after NWS Phoenix issued a dust advisory for Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., as clusters of strong storms southeast of Phoenix brought strong winds and affected visibility in the southeast Valley.
“(The Dust Advisory) is due to some thunderstorm activity starting in our south, mostly in Tucson area, but that might generate an outflow that pushes dust into our zone,” NWS Phoenix meteorologist Alicia Ryan told KTAR News 92.3 FM Saturday morning.
NWS issued a severe thunderstorm watch for southeast Arizona, including Pinal County, Saturday afternoon from 3:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Dense blowing dust and severe straight-line wind gusts were the primary hazards, authorities said.
Wind gusts exceeded 20 mph, clouding the skies and decreasing visibility.