Highlights
- The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa County effective 9:14 p.m. MST August 23.
- A dust wall extended from southeast of Estrella Mountain Park to near Sonoran National Monument, moving west at 25 mph with winds exceeding 50 mph.
- Visibility dropped below half a mile along AZ Route 85 between mile markers 126 and 149, affecting Avondale, Goodyear, and Buckeye.
- NWS advised drivers caught in dust to pull off the road, turn off lights, and keep their foot off the brake.
DUST ADVISORY: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Advisory for Maricopa County Monday evening, effective 9:14 p.m. MST and running until 10 p.m. MST, according to the NWS alert.
At 9:14 p.m., a wall of dust was tracking along a line from 6 miles southeast of Estrella Mountain Park to near Sonoran National Monument to 8 miles southwest of Big Horn, moving west at 25 mph. The NWS cited Doppler radar as its source. Hazards included visibility of less than one half mile and winds in excess of 50 mph.
AZ Route 85 between mile markers 126 and 149 was specifically identified as affected. Communities in the advisory zone included Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Palo Verde, Painted Rock Dam, Cotton Center, Liberty, Estrella Mountain Park, Estrella Mountain Ranch, and Rainbow Valley.
The NWS advised motorists to avoid blowing dust where possible. Drivers caught in dense blowing dust were instructed to pull off the road, turn off their lights, and keep their foot off the brake. The agency's guidance: "PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE."
The advisory expired at 10 p.m. MST. Maricopa County's Air Quality division offers sign-up for dust pollution alerts at county air monitoring locations.
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 24/08/2026 04:19
- Maricopa County retrieved 24/08/2026 04:19
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 24/08/2026 04:19. Every claim traces to a source.
