Hazy skies cover metro Phoenix ahead of possible monsoon storm activity

PHOENIX – You might be wondering why the skies over metro Phoenix were so hazy Tuesday morning.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Kuhlman, the combination of overnight winds and dust was the culprit.

View of hazy skies over Piestewa Peak as I rode my bike to work this morning pic.twitter.com/kRoHfZEVfR

— Kevin Stone (@kstonezone) July 1, 2025

“The dust came in during the middle of the overnight, between probably 2 and 4 a.m., and that was mainly with some 20-30 mph winds. … It’s just like settled down to the surface, and it’s not really mixing out at all,” Kuhlman told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

How long will Phoenix skies be hazy?

Kuhlman said the haze, which wasn’t heavy enough to warrant a warning to morning commuters, shouldn’t last long.

“We expect these lower visibilities of maybe 2 to 3 miles for another couple hours and then gradually improve by 9, 10 a.m., for sure, once we kind of mix the air up with the daytime heating,” he said.

As for the rest of the day, the Phoenix forecast calls for a high of 113 degrees on the last day of an extreme heat warning.

In addition, the region could see monsoonal activity later Tuesday.

“We are expecting storms in the high terrain this afternoon, and that should kick out some decent winds into the Valley and maybe a few isolated showers and thunderstorms within the Valley this evening,” Kuhlman said. “So, mainly for today, we’re looking at gusty winds, maybe more blowing dust.”

Valley rain chances increase Wednesday

Looking ahead, there’s a better chance for monsoon storms in metro Phoenix on Wednesday, when high temperatures are expected to return to the normal range of around 108.

“I would say overall, 20, 30% of the area will see up to a 10th of an inch and then a very small part of the area, if you’re lucky enough to get underneath one of the thunderstorms, you may see a half an inch to an inch,” Kuhlman said.

Any storm activity is expected to clear out before the Fourth of July holiday.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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