Is that a haboob? Unseasonably late dust storm blows into Phoenix area

PHOENIX — The 2016 Arizona monsoon season may have already come to a close, but that didn’t stop Mother Nature from sending a dust storm toward Phoenix on Thursday.

Reports began coming in about 2:30 p.m. of a cloud of rolling dust approaching the southern border of the Phoenix metro area.

2p: Strong storms producing blowing dust south of the Valley…moving towards the northwest. Drivers be safe! #azwx pic.twitter.com/yjT2a9lZhT

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) November 3, 2016

The National Weather Service tweeted that the dust was being kicked up by a thunderstorm that could bring dust, heavy rain and small hail to some portions of the Valley. The weather was expected to stick around through rush hour and into the evening.

We can see the dust and shelf cloud from our camera. Storms heading towards the Valley #azwx pic.twitter.com/daGbdMt5h6

— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) November 3, 2016

Andrew Deemer with the weather service said the Phoenix area had about a 40 percent chance of rain on Thursday night.

Several parts of Pinal County saw more than a half-inch of rain.

The weather service issued a blowing dust advisory through 4 p.m. for the greater Phoenix area.

“Folks can expect visibility less than 1 mile, which can make driving hazardous,” Deemer said.

The storm was the second to blow through the Valley on Thursday. The weather service reported wind gusts and some rain prior to the morning commute.

KTAR’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report.

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