Storms bring scattered showers, dust to Valley causing delays at Sky Harbor and power outages

Storms kicked up dust before scattered showers hit parts of the Valley on Saturday afternoon, weather officials said.

A wall of dust made its way into the West Valley around 12:45 p.m., causing a dust storm warning to be issued and bringing wind gusts of up to 45 mph with it, according to the National Weather Service for Phoenix.

The dust wall was quickly followed by rain and storms that caused a ground stop to be issued at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The stop has since been lifted but left a ground delay of 168 minutes in its wake.

As of 3:30 p.m., the airport’s website showed 227 flights delayed and two canceled.

The weather also knocked out power for more than 1,100 Arizona Public Service customers and around 2,500 Salt River Project users.

“For the rest of the day expect off and on showers and storms, scattered in coverage, so not all areas are going to receive rainfall necessarily,” NWS Meteorologist Ted Whittock told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Whittock noted that the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Rachel will start to move through metro Phoenix on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

“So, there will be a sort of reinvigoration of activity, especially early Sunday morning,” Whittock explained. “Could even be come strong to severe storms that move through Sunday morning, but things will start to dry out and improve, especially by Sunday evening.”

There is a wind advisory in effect in the Valley from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Whittock said winds are expected to peak in the early afternoon with speeds of 20 to 25 mph and gusts of up to 40 mph.

NWS warned residents about difficult driving conditions and blowing dust.

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