Monsoon moisture is moving into Arizona, which could bring the first big dust storm of the season to metro Phoenix as early as Wednesday afternoon.
In most cases, gusty winds build up in southern Arizona and move up the Interstate 10 corridor. They then culminate in huge clouds of dust (or haboobs) when they hit the Valley.
However, the storm developing on Wednesday is different, according to meteorologist Jessica Nolte of the National Weather Service.
Nolte said the dust will be moving in from the mountains.
“We’ll see, maybe, 30-miles-per-hour gusts, maybe stronger,” Nolte said. “It’s tough to get a handle on that right now, but [there is] the potential for strong, gusty winds, as well as any dust that manages to get picked up along the way.”
Nolte said storms like the upcoming one don’t usually hit the metro area until early July.
Storms are expected in other parts of the state. According to Nolte, eastern Arizona is expecting scattered thundershowers Wednesday afternoon.