Highlights
- The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa County at 10:19 p.m. MST Monday, August 3.
- Visibility dropped below two miles with winds exceeding 30 mph along a dust wall near Gila Bend.
- Three highways were affected: I-8 between mile markers 105 and 129, Route 238 between markers 1 and 31, and Route 85 between markers 1 and 137.
- The advisory expired at 10:45 p.m. MST; drivers caught in dust were advised to pull off the road and turn off their lights.
DUST ADVISORY: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa County at 10:19 p.m. MST Monday, August 3, with the alert running until 10:45 p.m. MST.
At the time of issuance, a wall of dust extended along a line from 6 miles west of Estrella Sailport to 7 miles west of Big Horn to 7 miles north of Ajo, moving west at 40 mph. The NWS cited Doppler radar as its source and characterized the hazard as less than two miles of visibility with winds in excess of 30 mph, creating hazardous travel conditions.
Three highways fell within the advisory zone: AZ Interstate 8 between mile markers 105 and 129, AZ Route 238 between mile markers 1 and 31, and AZ Route 85 between mile markers 1 and 137. Affected locations included Gila Bend, Estrella, Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, Bosque, Cotton Center, Sonoran National Monument, and Mobile.
The NWS advised drivers to avoid blowing dust where possible. Anyone caught in dense blowing dust was instructed to pull off the road, turn off their lights, and keep their foot off the brake.
The advisory expired at 10:45 p.m. MST; no follow-on alert had been issued as of the time this brief was filed.
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 04/08/2026 05:23
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 04/08/2026 05:23. Every claim traces to a source.
