at 10:10 AM by Mallory Schnell

Dust Storm Hits Phoenix

On Tuesday of this week, part of the Phoenix area became engulfed in a dust storm – something that is not uncommon for that area, but still fascinating nonetheless. Due to thunderstorms around the region, winds picked up sand and dirt, fanning the debris outward and turning the sky black (Capital Weather Gang).

The National Weather Service in Phoenix issued a Dust Storm Warning for the Metro until 7 PM local time because of the dangerous driving conditions with nearly zero visibility. “Pull aside stay alive!”

The type of dust storm that occurred on Tuesday is known as a haboob; the word “haboob” comes from the Arabic word “habb”, which means wind. Haboobs are common in Arizona during the monsoon season, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa. The Weather Channel has more on haboobs in the following article.

Check out some of the stunning photos captured Tuesday evening:

And for a pretty wicked video, check out Bryan Snider’s timelapse of the storm here: https://vimeo.com/137326842