Highlights
- The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning effective 7:51 p.m. MST August 19.
- Visibility is below a quarter mile with winds exceeding 50 mph along affected highway corridors.
- I-10 between mile markers 171 and 204, I-8 between 129 and 178, and Route 87 between 124 and 157 are all impacted.
- Drivers caught in the storm should pull off the road, turn off lights, and keep their foot off the brake.
DUST STORM WARNING: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning for Maricopa and Pinal counties at 7:51 p.m. MST Wednesday, in effect until 8:45 p.m. MST.
At 7:51 p.m., a wall of dust was along a line extending from 16 miles southeast of Coolidge Airport to near Toltec to 6 miles southeast of Freeman, moving northwest at 25 mph. The NWS, sourcing Doppler radar, reported visibility of less than a quarter mile with winds in excess of 50 mph. The agency characterized travel conditions as dangerous and life-threatening.
Affected highways include AZ Interstate 10 between mile markers 171 and 204, AZ Interstate 8 between mile markers 129 and 178, and AZ Route 87 between mile markers 124 and 157. Communities in the warning zone include Casa Grande, Florence, Coolidge, Maricopa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Arizona City, and San Tan Mountain Park, among others.
The NWS advises drivers to avoid dust storms if possible. Anyone caught in one should pull off the road immediately, turn off all lights, and keep their foot off the brake to avoid attracting rear-end traffic.
The warning expires at 8:45 p.m. MST; check NWS Phoenix for updates.
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 20/08/2026 02:55
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 20/08/2026 02:55. Every claim traces to a source.
