An amazing video shows a wall of dust moving through the city of Phoenix in Arizona.
Sandstorms like this happen during the region’s monsoon season, which is underway. The sandstorm or ‘haboob’ occurs over desert land and can reach thousands of feet into the air, spurred by strong winds. The dense cloud dramatically reduced visibility, grounding flights at a major airport and leaving thousands without electricity. The dust storm originated in Tucson.
The massive Phoenix dust cloud was about 5,000 feet when it arrived in Phoenix, but radar images indicated that it reached heights anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 feet as it approached the city. The sandstorm was estimated to be about 50 miles wide in some areas, according to KSAZ-TV.
SANDSTORM VIDEO: View from Gilbert, Arizona as day turns to night when the sand storm arrives on Tuesday, July 5, 2011.
SANDSTORM VIDEO: A massive sand storm swept into the Phoenix area and drastically reduced visibility on Tuesday.
SANSDSTORM VIDEO: A wall of sand and desert sediment engulfs the Wild Horse Pass Casino and Resort.
DUST STORM NWS WARNING TEXT FOR TUCSON AREA FOR JULY 4, 2011
NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-AZ20110705001800DustStormWarning20110705013000AZ.TWCNPWTWC.9c1438a116e7d9b5afc196b07a5ac826 [email protected] 2011-07-04T18:18:00-06:00 Actual Alert Public Alert for South Central Pinal County including Eloy, Picacho Peak State Park; Southeast Pinal County including Kearny, Mammoth, Oracle; Tohono O’odham Nation including Sells; Tucson Metro Area including Tucson, Green Valley, Marana, Vail (Arizona) Issued by the National Weather Service Met Dust Storm Warning Expected Moderate Likely SAME 2011-07-04T18:18:00-06:00 2011-07-04T19:30:00-06:00 NWS Tucson (Southern Arizona) Dust Storm Warning issued July 04 at 6:18PM MDT expiring July 04 at 7:30PM MDT by NWS Tucson …DUST STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING… A DUST STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS * TIMING…STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH THROUGH EASTERN PIMA COUNTY BETWEEN 4 PM AND 5 PM WILL CONTINUE WEST NORTHWEST INTO THE TOHONO OODHAM NATION AND NORTHWEST THROUGH PINAL COUNTY. DUST HAS CLEARED THE CITY OF TUCSON. * WINDS…EAST GUSTS OF 30 TO 50 MPH. * VISIBILITY…WILL BRIEFLY BE DOWN TO LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER OF A MILE. * IMPACTS…MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO QUICKLY CHANGING CONDITIONS IN BLOWING DUST. A DUST STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERELY LIMITED VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED WITH BLOWING DUST. BLOWING DUST CAN QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY…CAUSING ACCIDENTS THAT MAY INVOLVE CHAIN COLLISIONS AND MULTIPLE PILEUPS. IF DENSE DUST IS OBSERVED BLOWING ACROSS OR APPROACHING A ROADWAY…PULL YOUR VEHICLE OFF THE PAVEMENT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO STOP. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS…SET THE EMERGENCY BRAKE…AND TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL TO ENSURE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO…COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS…OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS DUST STORM. WMOHEADER UGC AZZ502-504>506 VTEC /O.CON.KTWC.DS.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110705T0100Z/ TIME…MOT…LOC South Central Pinal County including Eloy, Picacho Peak State Park; Southeast Pinal County including Kearny, Mammoth, Oracle; Tohono O’odham Nation including Sells; Tucson Metro Area including Tucson, Green Valley, Marana, Vail FIPS6 004019 FIPS6 004021 FIPS6 004023 UGC AZZ502 UGC AZZ504 UGC AZZ505 UGC AZZ506
DUST STORM NWS WARNING TEXT FOR PHOENIX AREA JULY 6, 2011
FLUS45 KPSR 061338
HWOPSR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHOENIX AZ
638 AM MST WED JUL 6 2011
AZZ021>023-026>028-071400-
WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-
NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-
638 AM MST WED JUL 6 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH-CENTRALARIZONA…SOUTHWEST ARIZONA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA.
DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…DENSE BLOWING DUST…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WIND AND BLOWING DUST WILL BE IN MARICOPA COUNTY.
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS INCLUDE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…DENSE BLOWING DUST…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
$$
AZZ024-071400-
SOUTHERN GILA COUNTY/TONTO NATIONAL FOREST FOOTHILLS-
638 AM MST WED JUL 6 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ARIZONA.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT
THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EVERY DAY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
$$
AZZ020-025-CAZ030>033-071400-
LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY-
638 AM MST WED JUL 6 2011 /638 AM PDT WED JUL 6 2011/
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST ARIZONA…EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL ARIZONA…EXTREME SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ARE STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…DENSE BLOWING DUST…LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY…WITH A SLIGHTLY REDUCED CHANCE EACH DAY FROM FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. BY NEXT MONDAY THE THREAT FOR STORMS WILL BE MINIMAL…AS DRIER AIR WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ARE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH…DENSE BLOWING DUST…LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
For more information, see National Weather Service Phoenix weather.gov/phoenix
See also, more information on Monsoon Safety from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Phoenix, Arizona … and for information on Dust Storms in Arizona from the Arizona Department of Transportation …
The FAA website published that Phoenix-bound flights from Las Vegas and LA weren’t allowed to leave those airports until 9 p.m. Tuesday.