Dust Storm — Northwest Pinal County, Arizona

2024-10-18 · Northwest Pinal County, Arizona

Event narrative

Multiple vehicle collisions resulted in the closure of Sunland Gin Road from Battaglia Drive to Mountain View Avenue near Arizona City to due to dense blowing dust, with visibilities less than a quarter mile observed. No injuries were reported.

Wider weather episode

A potent upper-level low pressure system moved across the western United States, dragging a cold front across the region. Strong westerly winds behind the cold front resulted in areas of dense blowing dust, mainly across portions of Pinal County near Arizona City where visibilities of less than a quarter mile were observed. The dense blowing dust resulted in multiple car collisions, forcing the closure of Sunland Gin Road. Peak wind gusts in excess of 30 mph were measured based on nearby surface observations.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1220024. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.