Dust Storm — Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

2009-08-04 · Upper Gila River Valley, Arizona

Event narrative

A trained spotter reported visibility less than 50 feet in blowing dust along U.S. Highway 191 south of Safford. Wind gusts of 50-55 mph were reported by ASOS and trained spotters in the Safford area.

Wider weather episode

With high pressure aloft still centered in northern New Mexico, easterly flow was maintained for southeast Arizona. The atmosphere was unseasonably dry with limited moisture available. Thunderstorms that initiated near the White Mountains remained rather weak, but their outflows generated areas of blowing dust as they propagated to the southwest.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 177747. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.