Extreme heat continues for the week in metro Phoenix, but dangerous wind gusts, blowing dust and isolated storm chances are possible starting on Aug. 19.
Like many monsoonal days, rain chances in the Valley are low, less than 30%, but the higher elevations to the north, east and southeast can’t say the same.
Scattered storms are possible on Aug. 19 and 20, along the Mogollon Rim and southeast Arizona.
These high-terrain storms could get strong to severe, with recent outlooks from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center placing south-central Arizona — Pima and Pinal counties — in a slight (level 2) risk for severe storms, primarily for peak winds at 70+ mph.
For the Valley, this means a chance for damaging outflow wind gusts over 35 mph and blowing dust if
those winds come from the south/southeast.
A blowing dust advisory will be in effect in Maricopa and northern Pinal counties from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. This does include some southern parts of metro Phoenix south of Interstate 10 and State Route 202, like Avondale and Queen Creek. Due to 45 to 55 mph winds and dust, visibility could fall under a mile.
The chance for blowing dust seems to increase as the hours go by in the evening during the advisory, as storms grow and decay after developing and outflow winds come out of south/southeast Arizona.
The alert starts a few hours earlier in far south Arizona as storms first begin developing in the region this afternoon.
Aug. 20 could be similarly active, depending on how much Aug. 19's activity uses up the atmosphere.
Meanwhile the extreme heat holds steady and temperatures sit around 110 degrees in the area. With an increase in humidity, daytime temperatures aren’t likely to break any records, but it will remain uncomfortable.
Extreme heat warnings currently last through Aug. 21, but with highs in the 110s, lows in the 90s and major heat risk likely over the weekend, weather offices expect to extend the warnings. Slightly drier dewpoints may limit storm chances during that later period.
Meteorologist Tevian Whitehurst covers extreme weather and climate for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Follow him at @TevianWX on Instagram and Facebook (Meteorologist Tevian Whitehurst).
We want to see your weather photos: Send to weatherpix@arizonarepublic.com, or on Instagram @azcentral or TikTok @azcentral. Attach your photos and tell us all about what's pictured. They may appear in an online story or in the newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Blowing dust could add to Phoenix heat. What to know
