Dust Storm — Central Deserts, Arizona

2012-09-06 · Central Deserts, Arizona

Event narrative

Strong thunderstorms developed to the south and southwest of Casa Grande during the afternoon hours on September 2, and the storms produced gusty outflow winds in excess of 40 mph. The winds spread to the north and stirred up considerable dust and dirt, creating dust storm conditions. The most significant blowing dust occurred from Coolidge and Casa Grande westward to the Maricopa county line. At 415 pm, a trained weather spotter just west of Coolidge reported visibility less than one quarter mile in dense blowing dust. In the early evening, at 545 pm, another spotter 2 miles west of Kings Ranch reported visibility down to one quarter mile in a dust storm. The dense blowing dust created very hazardous driving conditions during the latter portion of the rush hour. Fortunately, no accidents or injuries were reported due to the dust storm.

Wider weather episode

Strong thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours across the central deserts, to the southeast of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. The storms produced strong gusty outflow winds in excess of 40 mph which spread to the northwest and created dust storm conditions. Dense blowing dust overspread northwest Pinal county as well as the greater Phoenix area; many trained weather spotters reported visibilities at or below one quarter mile between 4 pm and 7 pm. A few storms also produced locally heavy rain with peak rain rates in excess of one inch per hour.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 406055. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.