ARIZONA NEWS

Notice the hazy day in Phoenix? Here’s why it happened

Jun 20, 2024, 5:00 PM

It was a hazy Thursday in Phoenix. (ADOT traffic camera photo)...

It was a hazy Thursday in Phoenix. (ADOT traffic camera photo)

(ADOT traffic camera photo)

PHOENIX — It was a hazy Thursday in the Phoenix area and forecasters said there was a good reason for the abnormal conditions.

A dust storm that originated over parts of Mexico and New Mexico a night earlier was to blame for the lower visibility skies, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

The Valley was met with the blanket of dust in the sky Thursday morning. The conditions remained for much of the day as Phoenix hit 115 degrees for the first time this year and was under an excessive heat watch on the first official day of summer.

Air quality in metro Phoenix dipped as a result, with some areas falling into levels that were unhealthy for sensitive groups.

How bad was dust storm that caused hazy skies in Phoenix?

Parts of New Mexico got not only dust but hail and precipitation measured up to two inches.

The dust storm lowered visibility to a quarter of a mile in places in eastern New Mexico.

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Notice the hazy day in Phoenix? Here’s why it happened