Highlights
- The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa and Pinal counties at 12:47 a.m. Thursday, expiring at 1:45 a.m.
- A dust wall extended from 6 miles north of San Tan Valley through Queen Creek toward Sun Lakes, moving northwest at 35 mph.
- Visibility dropped below three miles with winds exceeding 30 mph, affecting I-10 between mile markers 136 and 173, I-17 between 195 and 203, and AZ-51 between 1 and 3.
- Paradise Valley is among the named impacted locations; NWS advises drivers to pull off the road, turn off lights, and keep foot off the brake if caught in dust.
DUST ADVISORY: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa and Pinal counties at 12:47 a.m. Thursday, August 6, effective until 1:45 a.m. MST.
At 12:47 a.m., Doppler radar showed a wall of dust along a line extending from 6 miles north of San Tan Valley to Queen Creek to near Sun Lakes to 7 miles south of Estrella Sailport, moving northwest at 35 mph. The NWS cited less than three miles of visibility with winds in excess of 30 mph, creating hazardous travel conditions.
Affected highways include AZ Interstate 10 between mile markers 136 and 173, AZ Interstate 17 between mile markers 195 and 203, and AZ Route 51 between mile markers 1 and 3. Named impacted locations include Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Avondale, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, Tolleson, Sun Lakes, Laveen, East Mesa, Cashion, Queen Creek, and Tempe Marketplace.
The NWS advises drivers to avoid blowing dust when possible. If caught in dense blowing dust, pull off the road, turn off lights, and keep your foot off the brake.
The advisory expires at 1:45 a.m. MST; check the NWS Phoenix forecast office for any extensions or follow-on alerts.
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 06/08/2026 07:50
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 06/08/2026 07:50. Every claim traces to a source.
