No significant impacts despite half-mile visibility cuts
Dust storms that blanketed the Phoenix area in thick haze this week were among the most intense to hit the region in years, scientists said Thursday.
The latest storm rolled in during the early morning hours Thursday, three days after the previous one moved through. Both storms were extreme, Category 5 events on a scale of dust storm severity, with huge concentrations of dust and wind speeds of about 50 mph (80 kph), according to researchers at Arizona State University, which helped develop the scale.
Haboobs occur throughout the U.S. Southwest when strong downdrafts from thunderstorms stir up loose dust and dirt that get blown along in front of the approaching storm cell. They can produce massive walls of dust and debris that blind drivers and make people sick.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Salerno in Phoenix said the timing of both storms limited the risk to motorists. “Luckily, they both happened when it was later at night, so there was less traffic on the roads,” Salerno said.
There were no reports of any significant impacts from either storm, though both reduced visibility to half a mile (0.8 kilometers).