Highlights
- NWS Phoenix issued a Special Weather Statement at 8:23 p.m. MST on Aug. 19 covering Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and more than 20 other areas.
- Thunderstorms near Coolidge are tracking northwest at 25 mph; winds above 40 mph and pea-size hail are possible.
- Blowing dust with reduced visibility is expected; residents outdoors should seek shelter inside a building or vehicle immediately.
- The alert expires at 11:30 p.m. MST; additional storm development is considered likely before then.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Special Weather Statement at 8:23 p.m. MST Wednesday covering Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and roughly two dozen other Valley and Pinal County areas, warning of strong to potentially severe thunderstorms through 11:30 p.m.
At the time of issuance, radar showed strong thunderstorms near Randolph and Coolidge moving northwest at 25 mph. The NWS said conditions were becoming more favorable for additional storm development. Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea-size hail are possible, and strong, gusty winds are capable of producing blowing dust with reduced visibilities.
Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning is occurring with the storm. The NWS noted that lightning can strike up to 10 miles from a thunderstorm and advised anyone outdoors to seek shelter inside a building or vehicle.
Highways under the alert include Interstate 10 between mile markers 106 and 204, Interstate 17 between mile markers 195 and 220, and Interstate 8 between mile markers 148 and 178.
The alert expires at 11:30 p.m. MST; residents should monitor NWS Phoenix for updates as additional storms may develop before then.
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 03:25
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 03:25. Every claim traces to a source.
