Highlights
- NWS Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning for Maricopa and Pinal counties at 8:08 p.m. MST Sunday, July 12.
- A dust wall moving east at 30 mph cut visibility to under a quarter mile with winds exceeding 40 mph.
- I-10 (mile markers 110-149), I-17 (195-207), and I-8 (110-128) were all in the storm's path.
- Drivers caught in the storm were advised to pull off the road, turn off lights, and keep foot off the brake.
<p>DUST STORM WARNING: The <a href="https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.9001eae85665c5e0b0f33dc4245ed11c746458ea.001.1">National Weather Service in Phoenix</a> issued a severe Dust Storm Warning at 8:08 p.m. MST Sunday, July 12, covering Maricopa and Pinal counties, with the storm expected to expire at 8:45 p.m. MST.</p> <p>At 8:08 p.m., a wall of dust extended along a line from near <a href="/entity/downtown/">Downtown</a> Glendale to Liberty to near Cotton Center, moving east at 30 mph. Visibility dropped to less than one quarter mile, with wind gusts in excess of 40 mph. NWS characterized travel conditions as dangerous and life-threatening.</p> <p>Three major interstates fell within the warning zone: I-10 between mile markers 110 and 149, I-17 between mile markers 195 and 207, and I-8 between mile markers 110 and 128. Affected communities included Phoenix, Glendale, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, El Mirage, Tolleson, Youngtown, Gila Bend, Laveen, Cashion, Sun City, Litchfield Park, Palo Verde, and South Phoenix.</p> <p>NWS advised motorists to avoid dust storms when possible. Drivers caught in the storm were instructed to pull off the road, turn off their lights, and keep their foot off the brake.</p> <p>The warning was set to expire at 8:45 p.m. MST; check the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/psr/">NWS Phoenix forecast page</a> for any extensions or follow-on alerts.</p>
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- api.weather.gov retrieved 13/07/2026 03:10
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 13/07/2026 03:10. Every claim traces to a source.
