Highlights
- The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning for Maricopa and Pinal counties effective 7:59 p.m. MST August 9.
- Visibility may drop below a quarter mile with wind gusts exceeding 50 mph along I-8, AZ Route 238, and AZ Route 85.
- Motorists caught in the storm should pull off the road immediately, turn off lights, and keep their foot off the brake.
- The warning expires at 9 p.m. MST; affected communities include Gila Bend, Maricopa, Stanfield, and Ak-Chin Village.
DUST STORM WARNING: The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning for Maricopa and Pinal counties at 7:59 p.m. MST Monday, August 9, in effect until 9 p.m. MST.
At 7:59 p.m., NWS Doppler radar showed a wall of dust extending from 9 miles southwest of Big Horn to 7 miles east of Freeman to 12 miles northwest of Chui-Chu, moving northwest at 25 mph. The agency warned of visibility less than a quarter mile and winds in excess of 50 mph, conditions it characterized as dangerous and life-threatening for travelers.
Three highway corridors fall within the warning area: AZ Interstate 8 between mile markers 106 and 172, AZ Route 238 between mile markers 1 and 44, and AZ Route 85 between mile markers 1 and 134. Communities in the path include Gila Bend, Maricopa, Estrella, Big Horn, Bosque, Cotton Center, Freeman, Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, Estrella Sailport, Sonoran National Monument, Kaka, Mobile, Stanfield, and Ak-Chin Village.
NWS advises motorists to avoid the storm if possible. Drivers caught in the dust should pull off the road, turn off their lights, and keep their foot off the brake. The agency's guidance: "PULL ASIDE STAY ALIVE."
The warning expires at 9 p.m. MST.
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 10/08/2026 03:00
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 10/08/2026 03:00. Every claim traces to a source.
