Dusty winds create haze over Phoenix
May 3, 2013, 7:39 AM
PHOENIX — Winds and dry conditions combined to put the Valley under a haze Friday morning.
Strong wind gusts of 25-30 mph are lifting dirt off the desert floor and that could continue for several hours.
“It’s pretty much draped over the Phoenix metropolitan area and the southeast Valley,” said Valerie Meyers, a spokewoman for the National Weather Service.
“(But) It’s not a wall of dust that we would see with outflows from thunderstorms.”
Meyers said beyond the dust, the winds have also ramped up fire danger for the second straight day. The warm, dry weather during the past several weeks has provided fuel for fires.
Wind speeds will begin to decrease substantially by the middle of Friday afternoon although dry conditions will persist. Humidity in the Valley has dropped to single digits.