Phoenix Dust Storm: More to Come?

There is a chance for yet another dust storm in the Phoenix area on Wednesday, just one day after a massive dust storm tormented the area.

The Phoenix Valley area has a 25 percent chance of thunderstorms and a 20 percent chance for more dust storms, according to the National Weather Service.

No night is ever going to be exactly the same, National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Ellis told the Tucson Citizen. The odds of getting another (big dust storm) are not that great, but on the other hand, the conditions have not changed that much, so it's possible.

Yesterday's dust storm originated in the Tucson area before descending on Phoenix with towering dust walls reaching as high as 8,000 to 10,000 feet, according to one National Weather Service meteorologist. A typical dust storm usually only reaches about 1,000 feet, but this one was likely aided by lack of rainfall in the area recently.

The mile-high storm roared through the Phoenix area at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and was as much as 100 miles wide at its peak. As many as 17,000 people faced some loss of power as a result, according to The Arizona Republic. Police officers took to the streets to direct traffic at intersections where traffic lights had stopped working.

The Phoenix Fire Department received over 700 emergency calls in a two hour span and firefighters responded to 320 emergencies in the Valley area. Additionally Phoenix Sky Harbor International had to ground its planes for nearly an hour, according to an airport spokeswoman.

While Tucson and Phoenix residents are certainly hoping the percentages work out in their favor, Ellis said you cannot rule out another dust storm.

It's possible we could get another dust storm tonight. As to how bad it could be, that's difficult to say.