A cloud of dust that set off a dust alert in Maricopa, Casa Grande and Florence on Tuesday night was moving north along Interstate 10 to hit the southern edge of Phoenix.
The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a dust warning through 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, affecting parts of Maricopa County including the Ahwatukee neighborhood of Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek.
In some areas, including portions of I-10, Interstate 8, Highway 347, and Highway 85 south of Gila Bend, visibility was less than 1 mile, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Just before 7:30 p.m., the weather service said the cloud of dust was blowing into the Phoenix area and would cause visibility to drop to 1 to 3 miles, “enough to be noticed but not low enough to cause significant concern” .
People posted photos of a wall of dust on social media. Bridget J. Wisniewski, who said she works for Southwest Airlines, took a photo of a cloud of dust approaching Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 7:18 pm
As she watched the cloud approach her work, she said she thought, “We’ve been through this many times and it’s such a mess.”
At 7:45 p.m., the weather service said individual storms in central Arizona would subside in the next hour or two, although clouds of dust, heavy rain, and gusty winds were possible.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Reach news editor Kaila White at [email protected] or on Twitter @kailawhite.
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